Laura Davies runs Enlightenment, based at MSF Fitness in the Stafford Park business centre, where she offers a wide range of beauty and holistic treatments.
She was named beauty therapist of the year at the Midlands final of the British Beauty Industry Awards held in Birmingham.
The competition celebrates the ‘outstanding contributions of individuals, salons, spas and beauty brands who have left an indelible mark on the industry’.
The judges said: “We were very impressed with the quality of the entries we received this year. “The passion and commitment shown by the finalists is truly inspiring and reflects the Midlands’ vibrant and ever-evolving beauty scene.”
Following her third study experience at university, Laura graduated from a second level beauty course at Telford College in 2006.
“When I left school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and initially enrolled in a pre-school course,” she said. “I’m not very academic and I’m dyslexic, then I switched to the public uniformed services course.
“But it’s hard to know for sure what you want to do when you leave school. I really loved make-up from a young age, so I went back to Telford College for the third time, this time studying beauty.
“I remember the last year of this course being amazing. Our teacher Charlotte was amazing; “He went out of his way to make sure we got the units we needed.”
After qualifying, Laura began working at a salon in Rowton Castle, near Shrewsbury, before the opportunity to take on the work of Enlightenment arose in April 2015.
In the Midlands final Laura beat out competition from rival venues in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Nottingham, Kidderminster and Stourport.
He said: “I can’t quite believe I won this award. I’m so lucky to have the support of my amazing customers who voted for me and made this happen.
“The award was based on a combination of customer reviews as well as before and after photos of the treatments I had to offer. There were 10 of us in the final of my category and it depended on who got the most votes. I love my job and my clients are the people who make my job worthwhile.”
