I’m a finalist in the Professional Beauty National Awards 2018!

I have some extremely exciting news to share with you all – I’m a finalist in the Professional Beauty National Awards 2018 in London! If you don’t know about the Professional Beauty National Awards, it is one of the most prestigious and established awards within the beauty, spa, nails and aesthetic markets. Its purpose is to recognise the people that make a real difference to the industry and encourage their development.

I’d heard about the awards some time ago and deliberated a little on whether to enter this year as I knew just how much of a long shot it would be. Professional Beauty is an absolutely huge company, a real market leader. To be recognised by them is truly a sign of excellence so I knew the standards would be extremely high. However, I think it’s important to challenge ourselves personally and professionally and push ourselves to learn and grow, so I went ahead and filled out the application form for the first round of judging. I was entering in to the Make-Up Specialist of the Year 2018 category and spent over two weeks obsessing over my application form and ensuring that I had filled in all of the questions to perfectly reflect my business and my own professional standards. The questions centred around the brands used in my professional kit, my client care, my hygiene practices, my areas of specialism, key achievements and how I have contributed to the success of my business. I also answered questions on my professional development for the future (something which I am always excited and passionate about!) I also had to submit photographs of my work, my qualifications and myself in my working environment.

 

After many weeks of waiting for the deadline to hit and pass, I was shocked, proud, overwhelmed and downright giddy to receive an email from the lovely Sharon to congratulate me and tell me that I had been in fact chosen as one of six finalists for the award! I cannot tell you how much it meant to me to open that email and see my name on the finalist list – I burst into tears and picked up the phone straight away to tell my mum the good news. I still keep opening the email now and re-reading it all over again and getting that butterfly feeling in my stomach all over again.

The next and final stage of the competition will take place in London at the incredible London College of Beauty Therapy where I’ll be required to travel down and make over a model to a set brief before being interviewed in a boardroom. Although I am extremely nervous about the final round, I’m also deliriously excited and cannot wait to meet the lovely judges, models and the rest of the team and create a beautiful makeup look for them. I’m really looking forward to throwing myself into the set brief and designing a gorgeous look.

The actual awards will take place in London in February 2018 (my 30th birthday month!) at the stunning Tobacco Dock where we’ll have a glamorous reception and gala dinner before the winners are announced and the awards are given out. It’s going to be a beautiful evening full of fun and the opportunity to meet other gorgeous ladies and gentlemen in the beauty industry.

I am so honoured to be given this opportunity and so thankful for the chance to experience the finals of the Professional Beauty National Awards. I truly wish the other finalists the best of luck and hope that they are all as excited as me for this new adventure.

Wish me luck, I’ll be doing my best to make you all proud!

© Rachael Divers 2017.