UK Hair and Beauty Awards: Meet the Leeds makeup artist and mum-of-five shortlisted for two national awards

Mum-of-five Nichola Rush, owner of Boux Makeup Studio & Academy in Morley, is up for Best Makeup Artist and Best Brows in the UK Hair and Beauty Awards. The 42-year-old only founded her business in May, offering accredited makeup courses as well as brow and makeup treatments.

She will compete against other Leeds and Wakefield businesses in the hope of representing the area in the national finals next year.

“I’m so grateful,” Nichola told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “It’s nice to get that recognition because I work so hard. I’ve got five kids, I’m a single parent and I put all my heart and soul into it, making sure I give the best to my students. Sometimes it can feel like you do it for nothing, but for someone to recognise you and tell you your work is good - it really means so much.”

Nichola has worked in the beauty industry for more than a decade and has been a make-up artist for six years, working mobile and renting chairs in salons, but she has always wanted to teach makeup and finally took the plunge to get her own large studio space this year.

Boux Makeup Studio & Academy, in Station Road, offers eyebrow treatments such as HD brows and laminations, as well as makeup for weddings and events. And a big part of the business is building up the next generation of artists - Nichola has created bespoke, accredited make-up courses with a mix of theory and practical work.

Nichola said: “I’ve really got a love for teaching and showing people how to do make-up. All my students do theory prior to attending, it’s all online, so when they come into the academy they can get down to learning makeup - what we want to do.

“The feedback has been amazing, they absolutely love it. They like that I get them to be hands on straight away instead of just watching, it’s good to be able to get in and try out new techniques. I provide all the products and equipment; they’ve just got to find a model.”

Nichola juggles her full-time business with being a single parent - her youngest child is 15 months old and she was back at work just two weeks after having her baby.

“Everybody asks me how I do it,” Nichola said. “I didn’t really stop working, because if you stop working in this industry you’ve got to pick it back up again.

“Covid dried our industry up completely. We lost customers and even when they were allowed back, they were still scared. We’ve had to build it back up and I think it’s only just getting back to where it was now. And now we’re getting a recession!”

Nichola added: “I get a kick out of making people happy. When somebody comes to me and says they’re rubbish at makeup and they don’t know how to do it, and then leaves so proud of the work they have produced, that’s what makes me happy. I really get a buzz out of it.”