Starting a Beauty Parlour Business

Nowadays, a lot of people already consider beauty care and treatment more of a necessity than a desire. This is because it has various benefits when it comes to one’s physical and mental health. Seeing this as a great opportunity, some individuals have put up beauty-care companies. However, even with the large scope that this industry covers, just like any other business, a firm can still end up unsuccessful. With this in mind, if you are planning to start one yourself, then check out the following tips as they will help you make the most out of your beauty parlour venture.

To begin with, depending on the size of your budget, create a plan that includes a list of the salon equipment that you will need. Get an estimate on how much those items would cost. Aside from that, you should also list down other possible expenses, including office rent and décor, staff salaries and benefits, taxes, and marketing. If you are not sure how to go through with this, do not hesitate to hire an accountant. Next, think about the services that you are willing to provide. Manicures, pedicures, massage therapies, and hair treatments are some good examples that you can choose from.

After all that planning is done, your next step should be to look for an office space. For this, try to visit as many locations as possible. Foot traffic, office-hours, decoration restrictions, and rent amount are the most important things that you need to consider for your decision. Shopping centres, for instance, generally attract heavy crowds but requires larger rents. Finally, hire your staff. Make sure that all of them are highly trained and are able to work with each other effectively.

About the Author:

About the Author:

Arden Mellor is a successful home based freelance writer, one of experience and diversity. The knowledge brought to you through Arden's articles has been designed for simplicity. The world is much too complicated, and Arden’s contribution to the world is to bring the complexities of life into a simpler arena, one that anyone and everyone can understand and use. Arden writes many informative articles on such topics as cosmetic products, haircare products and ladies jewelry, and our wishes are that you benefit from the wisdom presented in these articles in making life simple.

The cosmetics industry becomes the foundation of fashion

The cosmetics industry becomes the foundation of fashion

Throughout the last few decades, women’s choices of cosmetics greatly increased. There were many companies selling many kinds of makeup. Cosmetics now included eye makeup, like mascara, eye shadow and eye liner; facial cleansing systems, including cleanser, toner and moisturizer; nail polish, every color and design you can think of; lotions, lipsticks, skincare products, powders – the list goes on and on. Perhaps that’s why cosmetics is a multi-billion dollar industry today.

There are so many players in the cosmetics game now, like Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Mac Cosmetics, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Avon, Clinique, L’Oreal, Bobbi Brown cosmetics, Victoria Jackson cosmetics – everybody’s getting into the picture with their own lines.

And the winner of this cosmetic game is you, the consumer. Whatever type of look you want, whether it’s to cover up, emphasize, illuminate, minimize, enhance or perfect – any look you want can be had with the help of today’s cosmetics.

Cosmetics are products that sell, even when there’s a recession. Women will always find the money for their makeup. And the men don’t mind. After all, they’re the ones who benefit from those good looks. They’re the ones who’ve appreciated the efforts that women have gone to throughout the years, to make themselves “presentable”.

So, men, look back and thank the ancient Egyptians for their sometimes “weird” formulas they used to enhance the beauty of their women. Many of their ideas have lived through the ages. And now you get to enjoy those ideas as they’ve culminated into the cosmetics of today. And all you can do is greet your special lady, with her perfectly-applied cosmetics, and say, “Wow!”

The cosmetics industry takes off in the 20th century

The cosmetics industry takes off in the 20th century

As the popularity of beauty salons increased, in the beginning of the 20th century, the cosmetics industry became established – and it’s never looked back. Starting with a salon called Selfridges, which opened in 1909 in London, cosmetics were no longer hidden under the counter, but were sold on the open market. Women became more confident, and didn’t worry as much about what others thought – as long as they looked good.

If you can think of makeup application as an art, then perhaps you’ll understand that one of the biggest influences on the cosmetic industry was actually the performing arts – ballet, to be specific. When the Russian Ballet came to London, a designer named Paul Poiret took the Russian style and created a whole new look – a much more colorful look. And that look was reflected in cosmetics, not just clothing.

Now those society hostesses didn’t have to make all those trips to the beauty salon. They now had permanent cosmetics at their disposal. They could have their lips, cheeks and eyebrows tattooed, with vivid color that didn’t fade and didn’t have to be replaced. Permanent cosmetics are fairly popular today, too.

As the years wore on, cosmetic use came and went. During the 1930s, lipstick was dark red, with an ever-changing array of shades. But that was bad news for the philanderers – the dark lipstick left a distinct stain, and many wives were looking for explanations for the “lipstick on the collar”. At the same time, fingernails followed suit with the lipstick, with their dark crimson colors. But that was contrasted by the lighter pink of the toenails.

Around World War II, the use of cosmetics dwindled a bit because of shortages of ingredients to make them. But as soon as the war was over, people started spending money again. Now women could buy all the makeup they wanted. And the competition was heating up, too.

Cosmetics are used for that younger look

Cosmetics are used for that younger look

During the Edwardian society days, around 1900, middle-aged women did a lot of entertaining. And as hostesses, they had to look their best, which to them, meant looking as young as possible. These society women needed all the help they could get to offset the effects of their high lifestyles. They didn’t eat very healthy foods, and they didn’t exercise, plus the air pollution was heavy at that time. To “preserve their youth” and make up for their extravagant lifestyles, Edwardian women relied on cosmetics, especially face creams and anti-ageing products.

Another way women got themselves to look naturally young and attractive was to go to the beauty salon. One of the most famous of those salons was the House of Cyclax in London. Because the women didn’t want people to know that they needed help to look beautiful, they sneaked in the back door of the salon. Their carriages would pull up in the laneway, they’d quickly hop out, wearing a veil to hide their complexions, and scurry in the back door.

Mrs. Henning, the owner of the House of Cyclax, discreetly sold face creams and rouge to the ladies. One of her products, papier poudre, was a colored-powdered paper that the women pressed on their faces to remove the shine. The pieces of paper came in books, and you can still buy them today; one company that sells them is Avon. As well as the papier poudre, the women used the charcoal on the end of burned matches for mascara, and flower petals for lipstick. Now those are natural cosmetics!

Another beauty salon owner, Helena Rubenstein, found herself very busy with her upper-class clients. Women with disposable income were willing to spend a lot of money on their appearance. Helena Rubenstein started out with a face cream that protected the women from the sun, and later added lipstick and face powder. Today, there’s a full line of cosmetics available from Helena Rubenstein.

The pale face was the norm for centuries

The pale face was the norm for centuries

Through many centuries, a pale face was the desired look because it defined your place in society. It was recognized that those who worked in the fields had tanned and rugged skin. They were the working class, not to be associated with the upper refined class, who had white skin. Those with pale skin were the ones who had enough money that they didn’t need to work.

And to achieve that look, women and men used a powder made of hydroxide, carbonate, and lead oxide. Unfortunately, there was a price to pay for looking “proper” – lead poisoning. That’s why an alternative was sought. And they found it, in the 19th century – a facial powder made of zinc oxide. And that’s what they still use today.

As the cosmetic industry moved into Hollywood in the 20th century, the white face look was gradually replaced by the tanned look. And that became the source of a whole new line of cosmetic products – artificial tanners. In 1929, there were ads running for tanning liquid and powder. If you couldn’t get a tan naturally, then you could still have bronze skin with tanning aids.