Beauty & Spa awards finalists announced

The individuals, salons and spas winning through to the finals of the 13th annual British Beauty & Spa Awards have just been announced.

Health and Beauty Salon magazine launched the British Beauty & Spa Awards in 1997 to raise the profile of the professional beauty and spa industry by recognising and rewarding innovation and excellence throughout the profession. They rapidly became the most prestigious awards in the industry.

"Dedication and commitment to excellence has been shown by every finalist,” comments Health and Beauty Salon Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Jayne Lewis-Orr.

"All finalists represent the best the beauty industry has to offer in their chosen area of skill - whether it is body therapy, facial therapy, customer care, marketing or retailing. Success in this market is not only determined by practical skills, but also by business acumen - and the British Beauty & Spa Awards are designed to reward and recognise both."

Salons, spas, and individual therapists have to meet the strict criteria set for the category they enter. Their work is presented in a dossier, along with corresponding evidence to back up any claims, and sent to the event organisers for verification.

Judging for the British Beauty & Spa Awards takes place over two days. During the judging process, representatives from the sponsoring companies, along with industry experts, are split into groups and read through the dossiers ensuring the criteria has been met before selecting the finalists in each category. Judges cannot confer during the judging process, and each marks all entries independently.

Previous award winners include celebrity nail technicians Leighton Denny, Jacqui Jefford and Andrea Fulerton who all tend to the nails of supermodels and celebrities alike. The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental, a previous winner of the Day Spa of the Year category, is a favourite of Madonna when she is in London, while the luxurious celebrity bolt-hole, Champneys Forest Mere, in Liphook, Hampshire, and the beautifully located, Stobo Castle, on the Scottish Borders, are both previous recipients of the Destination Spa of the Year Award.

The British Beauty & Spa Awards 2009 takes place on Sunday 6th September 2009 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. Hosted by a leading TV personality, the event is the biggest and brightest in the beauty industry’s calendar, featuring fabulous entertainment, a superb dinner, and, of course, the much-anticipated announcement of the winners of the British Beauty & Spa Awards 2009.

The Finalists

Beauty Therapist of the Year sponsored by Decléor

Faye Pearson - Eastthorpe Hall Health and Beauty Spa
Samantha Jo Tinsley - Eastthorpe Hall Health and Beauty Spa
Roisin Eadon-McKenna - GLOW
Melissa Joyce - SenSpa
Joanne Mary Smith - The Woodland Spa
Alyson Terry - Titanic Spa

Body Therapist of the Year sponsored by Health and Beauty Salon

Elaine Salder - Balance Skincare Studio
Samantha Knapp - Brandshatch Spa
Tina Kennedy - SenSpa
Nadia Jules - Spa At The Citypoint Club
Alie Houston - The Haven On The Loch
Jacqueline Kelly - The Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall

Customer Care Award sponsored by Health and Beauty Salon

Sam Pearce - Eastthorpe Hall Health and Beauty
Vicky Stothard - Independent Mind Body Soul
Rita Allen - The Beauty Clinic
Valerie Simpson - The Face and Body shop
Debra Bell - The Haven On The Loch
Rebecca Griffiths - The Secret Spa

Day Spa of the Year sponsored by Payot

Samantha O’Brien - Buff Urban Day Spa
Sam Pearce - Eastthorpe Hall Health and Beauty Spa
Sasha Becejac - KuBu Spa
Elain Murphy - Pure Day Spa
Jocelyn Maxfield - Serenity in the City
Georgina Parkinson - Sessions Spa
Graham Holman - Turkish Baths & Health Spa

Destination/Hotel Spa of the Year sponsored by ESPA

Aoibheanna Bonnel - Norton House Hotel & Spa
Sarah Mahoney - Spa SPC
Lisa Ward - The Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall
Jamie Pagan - The Spa at Gleneagles
Alyison Smith - The Spa at Slieve Donard
Ina Schmidt - Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa

Facial Therapist of the Year sponsored by Guinot

Elaine Salder - Balance Skincare studio
Jennifer Emms - Cedars Health & Beauty Centre
Jennifer Griffiths - GLOW
Lynn Daniels - The Haven On The Loch
Jessica Hayton - The Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall
Jennifer Dawson - The Woodland Spa

Manicurist of the Year sponsored by Jessica

Alison Smith - Epitome
Heather Brown - GLOW
Lucy Nield - GLOW
Alana Fraser - Jeanette Kidd Beauty & Day Spa
Linda Butler - Just Nails
Kimberly Earle - Titanic Spa

Marketing Award sponsored by Health and Beauty Salon

Rebecca Lane - Epitome
Francis Urwin - Frontlinestyle
Alexis Fenton - Gina Conway Aveda Lifestyle Salon
Rebecca Griffiths - The Secret Spa
Jamie Pagan - The Spa at Gleneagles
Warrick Burton - Titanic Spa

Nail Professional of the Year sponsored by Sweet Squared UK

Sam Biddle - Be Inspired
Liza Smith - Bodylines
Elise Scholes - Flawless Nails
Belida Price - Nailspa

Retail Salon of the Year sponsored by London College of Beauty Therapy

Julie Speed - Cedars Health & Beauty Centre
Linda Butler - Just Nails
Elish Gray - The Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall
Heidi Oswin - The Skincare Clinic
Karen Ashworth - The Woodland Spa
Warrick Burton - Titanic Spa

Training Award sponsored by International Dermal Institute

Rebecca Lane - Epitome
Melissa Joyce - SenSpa
Kelly Taylor - Taizen Skin Therapy Centre
Debra Bell - The Haven On The Loch
Tracey Lilburn - The Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall
Jamie Pagan - The Spa at Gleneagles

London & South East sponsored by Health and Beauty Salon

Bliss - Haywards Heath
Epitome - Bushey Heath
Independent Mind Body Soul - Balham
Rush Health & Beauty - Croydon
Skin & Tonic Beauty Salon - St Albans
The Beauty Salon - Huntingdon
Tonic Beauty Boutique - Southampton

Midlands & North East sponsored by Health and Beauty Salon

Beauty Beyond - Cheltenham
Beauty Temple - Nottingham
City Retreat Salon & Spa - Newcastle Upon Tyne
Just Beauty - Norfolk
Saks Hair & Beauty - Nottingham
The Retreat Reflections Face & Bodycare - Northants

North West & Scotland sponsored by Health and Beauty Salon

Expressions Of Beauty - Wigan
Heaven Beauty - Edinburgh
Heaven V Manchester Didsbury - Didsbury
The Face and Body Shop - Saddleworth
The Haven On The Loch - Loch Lomond
The Woodland Spa - Burnley

Wales & South West sponsored by Salon Secure

Aspirations Hair & Beauty - Clevedon
Aura of Beauty - Cheltenham
Beauty Time - Bristol
Cedars Health & Beauty Centre - Gloucester
Figure & Face - Welshpool
The Secret Spa - Wrexham

Salon of the Year sponsored by Health and Beauty Salon

Salon Director of the Year sponsored by Carita

Sam Pearce - Eastthorpe Hall Health and Beauty Salon
Rebecca Lane - Epitome
Vicky Stothard - Independent Mind Body Soul
Debra Bell - The Haven On The Loch
Lisa Ward - The Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall
Fiona Fowley - Zen Lifestye

For more information, visit healthandbeautysalon.com.