Two best friends, who opened their Darwen salon to “make customers feel valuable”, have been nominated for the Lancashire Telegraph’s Best Beauty Salon 2024.

A total of 10 beauty salons are battling it out for your votes, with The Beauty Bar being one of the nominees.

Opened by Mia Duckworth, 26, and Katie Harper, 24, the shop in Blackburn Road began operating at the start of this year and they were thrilled to be nominated so early into their business journey.

The pair met while renting a chair at another salon in Blackburn but decided they were at the point in their lives to expand and start their own business.

Mia said: “To be nominated this soon it just feels amazing that we have got such loyal clients who have joined us on this new journey of opening this shop.

“Obviously they must like us as they keep coming back and keep nominating us. It feels great to have such loyal customers around us.

“I just think with us both being so young and not being in the industry as long as the other competitors and even being in the top 10 means so much to us.”

The strain caused by the cost-of-living crisis has also placed pressure on the business, with the cost of products and fewer clients making their start to life as a company difficult.

However, their loyal customer base is created by their rigorous health and safety, they aim to provide a range of treatments from massages, nail appointments, lashes, brows and facials.

Katie said: “We do try and put our clients first and the benefits of treatments and we do try and make customers feel valuable and we do not risk anything to change it in any and a way to make the natural nails healthier rather than putting any clients at risk.

“We are very regimented with health and safety.”

They also offer day sessions and customers can come in and get numerous treatments in one afternoon.

Mia added: “We have a few clients who have treatments in a day, they would come for their lashes they would get their nails done and have a nice coffee and a natter with Katie, while she does her nails.

“There isn’t one treatment as such that we are known for, we think all the clients are coming back to have a large variety of treatments.”

Readers can vote for the ‘Best Beauty Salon 2024’ by picking up copies of the Lancashire Telegraph between Monday, September 30 to Saturday, October 12.