“My mam had her own hair salon for a lot of years, and it’s just something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said.
Her younger brother Isaac also wanted to follow in their mother’s footsteps. So the two are sharing a building.
Abbie runs Abbie XX Beauty Studio in the first floor of their premises in Peter Street, Workington, while Isaac, 23, takes charge of Isaac The Barberman downstairs.
Both new businesses opened their doors last week.
Abbie and Isaac both did their training at Lakes College.
Abbie will offer all the usual beauty treatments including facials, manicures, spray tans and waxing and says: “What I like most about it is the fashion side of it. The colours of make-up change each month.
“Last month it was denim blue – you had denim patch nail gel. Now it’s dark red – darker colours will be coming in before winter.
“It changes every two weeks, so I think some of my regular clients will come every two weeks.”
Theirs aren’t the only beauty salons or barbers in Workington, but Abbie counters: “There are a lot of customers too. I think competition is a healthy thing.
“There are quite a lot of us, but as long as you are up to date you should be fine.”
Isaac also feels there’s room for them all. He plans to offer a specialist service, with beard and moustache trims as well as haircuts. “We aim to make people look a bit more presentable than they did when they walked in,” he says.
And he enjoys the work. “Every 20 minutes there’s someone different to have a bit of crack and a laugh with.
“For someone who likes to talk all day like I do it’s a great job!”
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