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FEATURE
GOLDEN GIRL t t o ig l l E c M n y g e e R From watching her mum having her eyelashes tinted, to running a 21 times award winning clinic in Mt Isa, and now her own make up range Face by R, exclusive sponsor of this year’s Australian Makeup Industry Awards, there’s not much new mum Reegyn McElligott hasn’t done. A shining beacon of positivity and female empowerment, Reegyn, alongside her partner Andrew Heyne, launches Face by R to the industry, with a high quality makeup range based around skin loving ingredients and formulations.
is one of my core values -is consistency. Like most business owners, there are always pros and cons. Living in a remote mining place has come with its challenges – freight costs, travel challenges, high living expenses but in return we have had many loyal clientele and staff. Being heavily involved in part of our community can make the return on business a warm place – you walk down the street in our remote town and know everyone - it’s lovely.
Reegyn shares with us her journey to where she is now, the conception of her new brand and how she has managed to conquer everything from remote North Western Queensland.
How have you gone about finding and training staff in such a remote location?
Tell us a little about yourself and where your passions lie?
My passion started at a young age, I would always wait with my Mum while she had her lashes tinted and her waxing done and would always have an interest in sitting in the salon with all the pretty smells and the soft music. I started studying Beauty Therapy and working at the age of 15 and opened my own salon at 19. My passion always comes back to the way we make people feel – when they feel great, I feel great and know that I have done my job. I could never imagine being in a different industry, even if the tough times I believe our industry will always remain strong – you may be able to buy all the products under the sun online, but a Beauty Therapist won’t be replaced with robots, it’s the caring and personal connection and the way we make people feel that people crave.
You live and work in a very remote town. How have you gone about growing a successful business in such an isolated place? Growing a successful business hasn’t come easy – as most of you know it takes a lot of hard work. When passion drives you though you it is your fuel and the key I have found, which
Like many of us, we have staff issues especially when it comes to hiring qualified staff – this has been a difficult task and we have had to source and train some of our girls from scratch. I think the key is to get your staff involved in the business = keeping the training consistent and the interest and latest trends afloat alongside with the latest trends in the industry. Motivation, passion and excitement in the team leading them with responsibility I feel is the key – no matter where you are located. I think training staff from scratch is also great because you in return can mold them directly how you want them to perform.
Tell us about Face by R. How did it come to be, how long has it taken to bring to life and what inspired you to create the range? I love treating skin, like most of us and I was constantly finding that I was prescribing my clients high quality skin care and performing results driven treatments and then they were buying the skin care, having the treatments and then going home and putting toxic makeup all over their skin after their quality skin care and reversing the hard work. I think your makeup is a part of your skin routine – and a good quality one is essential. I couldn’t find a mineral one I loved – so therefore Face By R was born, a mineral based makeup that is breathable, lightweight and super healthy for your skin! Being so passionate about the industry and supporting other salon owners – FaceByR is available wholesale to salons.
