Kirstie Allen - Pinks Boutique

Anyone who thinks that the profession of a beauty therapist has no depth needs to be reminded that their intense training courses can run over a number of years.

Pinks Boutique is a complete, professional organic range of beauty products made from 100% natural and organic ingredients. Pinks value the importance of distributing the range through professional spas with product recommendation from the expertise of the therapists themselves.

With ever increasing competition in the market, company founder Kirstie Allen shared with me what makes her range so special. 

"We are the only complete professional organic soil association range. When it was designed, our emphasis was to ensure it stood up to therapists and spa level of excellence and results. This, with a genuine organic accreditation is a rarity. 

"Each product is made to the highest professional standards but with the absence of chemicals, harm to the environment or questionable ethics. Not only that but we have made sure it looks good and feels and smells as gorgeous as a luxury spa product should do.

"Our organic products are all 100% blended and formulated in Leicestershire in The Heart of England."

As a young girl, Kirstie loved cosmetics and beauty products.

"My mum always wore make up and as hair and beauty wholesalers I was brought up in a cash and carry, full of beautiful, exciting products; an Aladdin's den for a young child's imagination.

"I studied at Oxford University and left with an honors in History but no particular career plan for the future. Although many of the major banks, law and consultancy firms were trying to entice people to the city, this really did not sit comfortably with me. I felt pigeonholed and unable to see other options. The only visiting firm, which appealed to me, was British airways as I loved traveling and the perks were too appealing. I moved to London to start the management graduation scheme but was made redundant in the industry "aftershocks" that followed September 11th.

"I followed the path of my first love and became a therapist, then rapidly progressed to a tutor. Soon after I then opened Pinks Training Academy in 2004. I believed there needed to be a way for people like myself who wanted to enter the beauty industry to do it in a quicker, more student-centered environment."

Pinks Academy is a fast track NVQ nail, beauty and holistic training school, with two locations in Derby and Tamworth. The academy now trains over 1000 beauty therapists and nail technicians each year.

"The formation of the company was helped along by the assistance of my partner and best friend since university Luke Sherriff. Our interests began to overlap. Luke, a professional rugby player for Harlequins, had turned to organic food for his body and I began to explore organic cosmetics for my clients and students. But it was our shared love of Asia, where we had both traveled extensively, that truly bought the Pinks Boutique idea to life. 

"By combining our desire for pure organic products with our fascination for the beautiful flowers, unique aromas and exotic ingredients of Indonesia, Tibet, Nepal, Thailand and Japan, we were able to create and blend here at home the most inspiring complete professional spa range on the market."

For a first time introduction to Pinks I would highly recommend one of their ‘Try Me’ kits as an affordable way to test the product for yourself. I love the lemongrass cleanser, tone and moisturizer which I use everyday. The award winning bamboo and oatmeal facial scrub is also a pleasure that soon becomes an addiction. 

Future plans for Pinks Boutique include a range for men and babies. 

"We recently had a baby girl called Layla Rose. As if we were not busy enough already! We are fortunate to have a very supportive network of friends and family who have helped on all levels and we now have a stronger reason than ever to make the company work and a good guinea pig for our baby range!"

For more information visit www.pinksboutique.com

Poppy Watt

Posted Wed, 07/07/2010 - 22:38 by KirstieA