How long have you been running your business?
There's been a few different formats! I have been running Babs Club Studio since 2019, as a professionally qualified makeup artist since 2014 and a qualified beauty therapist since 2007.
What was your inspiration for starting your own business?
Babs started her own business in 2007 mainly focusing on beauty therapy including makeup and a little later massage therapy. But deep-down Babs’s passion was in make-up. In 2013 Babs decided to embark on course at college in Glasgow. Here Babs gained a HNC in fashion makeup and a HND in make-up artistry. This covered all aspects of the industry including fashion, body painting and theatre makeup also making prosthetics for use on screen. Prosthetic effects is the process of using sculpting clay to create an additional piece to apply to the skin. This involves casting and molding techniques to create real life skin effects. Babs then got offered a traineeship with the BBC, this meant she was an on location make-up artist which involved lots of travel and long days working on set creating specific looks and hairstyles to meet the requirement of the makeup team and designer.
In 2016 Babs decided to come back to Shetland and start up as a mobile makeup artist and also worked from Studio4 offering wedding and event make up. Eventually Babs decided to hire a space at Bolts where she offered make up and other beauty treatments.
In 2020 Covid struck and meant Babs could not offer a lot of the treatments or services, people were not going out or attending special occasions, so makeup services were not required. With little financial support Babs returned to her previous part time employment at a local school as a support worker, still running her business in the evenings and at weekends. In June 2021, Babs along with 3 others opened The Mission and Babs moved her studio from Bolts to there.
Tell us what you offer/sell?
- Babs Clubb studio offers a wide range of services:
- Full face make-up
- Eyes only make-up
- Make-up tutorial
- Mother & daughter makeup classes
- Make-up parties for 8-12 years
- Make-up class for 13yr-16yr
- Make-up class for 16+
- Clinical skin resurfacing treatment
- Iconic facials
- Skin care profile & plan
- Henna brows
- Brow lamination
- Lash lift
- Body waxing
- Brown tint
- Lash tint
- Precision brows
- Workshops and masterclasses
What is your favourite thing about running your own business?
Babs is not new to owning her own business. In early 2000’s Babs had a business on Da Street called Fibres selling her own unique textiles under the brand ‘Woolly Godz’. Babs likes working alone and being her own boss. She enjoys the flexibility of having her own business.
Every week is different, one week Babs might be doing make-up for a wedding, the next week she might be doing crazy make-up for theatre.
From the peerie kids to the elderly folk, Babs loves meeting them all!
Why did you choose Lerwick town centre as a location?
Lerwick is not only central but is where the largest customer base is. Even though Babs lives in the North Mainland she said most of her clients are close to the town centre.
What has been the most challenging thing to you, as a business owner, over the last year?
Trying to establish a business right in the middle of a pandemic has been really challenging, Babs said. With covid still an issue in Shetland she gets a lot of last-minute cancellations which can then be difficult to fill. There is the rising cost of products not to mention the shortage of items like gloves etc is causing issues.
What would you say to a customer to encourage them to visit your business?
When you book an appointment with me you are booking with a highly qualified make-up artist with many years’ experience, Babs said!
Babs said that she keeps up to date with all the latest product releases, trends and services and is continually undertaking new training.
Tell us one interesting fact about you that people may not know?
I am an avid wild swimmer. I love to go swimming regularly with fellow enthusiasts, we have our own little group called ‘Da Nort Dunkers’ where we meet on Sundays in Hillswick or Ollaberry.
