'I borrowed £200 from my grandma to start my Leeds nail business - now I’m up for national awards'
A Leeds nail technician who began her business journey with just a £200 loan from her grandma is celebrating national recognition after being shortlisted for major industry awards.
Megan Breddy, 23, founder of Dyluxe Beauty in Pudsey, has been named a finalist at the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2026, which recognises rising talent and creativity from salons and small businesses across the country.
Megan was shortlisted after submitting a portfolio of her intricate, hand-painted “crazy nails” - from 3D Stranger Things designs to cartoon-inspired sets.
Speaking about finding out she had made the finals, Megan said she was overwhelmed. She told the YEP: “I thought I’d just put my name down and maybe in three or four years’ time I’d get in. And then I cried for like three days when I found out I had made it.”
Megan, who has spent the past five years building her business in Leeds, said the achievement feels especially meaningful given her modest beginnings.
Dyluxe Beauty started with nothing more than determination, a dream, and a small loan from her grandmother. Megan said: “I rang my grandma - who always believes in me - and I said, ‘I need 200 quid to get my starter products.’ And then it just went from there.”
Back then, she worked from a small desk in her flat, using cheap products and practising on friends and herself. At times, she had just one client a month.
Like many small business owners, Megan admits the road hasn’t always been easy. She struggled at school and college, and says few people believed she could make self-employment work.
“I did bad in school, I did bad in college,” she said. “Everyone was just like, ‘No, you need to get a normal job, a full-time job.’ But I’m quite stubborn, so that was kind of like, ‘Oh yeah? I’m gonna do this just to prove everyone wrong.’”
Her biggest challenge has been juggling the business with caring for her three-year-old son, Dylan, who is autistic and needs full-time supervision.
Her son, together with her love of art and a vision for nails that were anything but ordinary, kept her going. She said: “That’s always been my goal - to do the crazy nails, the ones you don’t see, the mental, insane ones.”
To build a portfolio, she ran a special offer for heavily discounted “crazy sets” in exchange for creative freedom and photos. She was soon fully booked, creating 3D designs that later formed part of her awards entry.
Now, she says, her reputation means many clients simply sit down and let her create. “People come in and say, ‘I’m off to a ’90s-themed party, do whatever you want.’ My clients now are like, ‘I’ve seen your Facebook, just do whatever you want.’”
Word of mouth, Facebook recommendations, and support from colleagues have been key to her growth. “Most of my clients actually travel quite far to come to me,” she said. “I’ve got clients who pay like £18 in an Uber here and then £18 back - that’s insane.”
With a glamorous awards ceremony coming up in August, Megan says winning would be life-changing: “It’d mean everything. Just the publicity, getting my name out further.”