New tanning and beauty salon brings sunshine to Stansted

Two young Stansted woman have launched a new business that brings rays of sunshine to the village.

Friends Holly Salmon, 18, and Iona Davidson, 21, opened Lower St. Tanning Salon earlier this month in the same premises where Holly’s mum, Samantha, previously ran the Tea Boutique.

And after plenty of support from family, friends and local tradespeople, the building was transformed from a cafe into a smart new salon with two tanning cubicles and a beauty room at the back from where Iona runs Pure Beauty, offering a range of treatments.

"I've always wanted to open my own tanning salon and it is something we needed in the village and we're really enjoying it," said Holly. "We had a lot of local people helping out to get this ready and we've done really well in our first couple of weeks, with a mix of men and women coming in.

"We have a nice waiting area where we can offer people a drink and have made it comfortable, welcoming and friendly."

The business partners, who both attended Birchwood High School in Bishop's Stortford, are planning to introduce spray tanning next month.

Beauty treatment include gel nails, eyebrow lamination, lash lifts and dermoplaning - a currently popular type of facial where dead skin cells are removed. The salon is open 10am-9pm Monday to Friday, Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-4pm. "We're a new business so we have to put the work in!" said Holly.