A Co Tyrone woman who owns two leading Irish tanning brands has told how her journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur began.
Linda Stinson, from Pomeroy, co-founded Bellamianta in 2015, which now has a collab with Love Island star Maura Higgins, after a " tanning disaster " on her wedding day.
She then launched it's "young sister" tan brand Iconic Bronze three years ago.
The 38-year-old had worked in the beauty industry for 15 years and said she always wanted to start her own business - it was "a burning desire inside her".
Linda is a judge in the NI Beauty Excellence Awards which are proudly sponsored by West Coast Cooler and media partnered by Daily Mirror and Belfast Live.
She told Be : "Coming from a background of selling cosmetics my whole life, I went to work for Space NK and got to meet a lot of brand owners who started their brand from the kitchen table.
"It made me realise that it was possible and it wasn't unreachable."
Linda explained how the 'bad tan' for her wedding urged her to create her own products.
The mum-of-three said: "On my wedding day I had an absolute tanning disaster where I had been for a spray tan and I woke up the next morning and underneath my arms were green.
"It had all stuck to my eczema. I was wearing a low back dress. My sister had to paint my back with foundation. It was horrific.
"I had a 1920s themed wedding so it wasn't too bad as most of the pictures were in black and white but still to this day I look back at the coloured ones and think 'Oh my God'.
"I then did a bit of investigation into the product that was used on me and realised that the ingredients in it weren't that great and actually [contained] alcohol.
"I am a bit of a skincare junkie and always loved science at school, that fascinates me, all the different ingredients. What I set out to do was take my knowledge of skincare and put it into a tan. Then Bellamianta was born."
Linda also explained how being a "determined and really resilient person" has helped her in the industry.
She said: "I didn't set up my own business to fail, that is the type of person I am.
"But did I ever think that it would be this big? Probably not.
"It is not just down to me, it is down to the people I work with, the team I have around me and the people who have supported me along the way.
"Without the team around me, I wouldn't be where I am today. They have been great. I have employees who have been with me from the start.
"It takes those stable people within the team to build the brand. You can be the vision and the ideas but you know, you need those put into practice."
The Co Tyrone woman said Iconic Bronze was born after she noticed people wanting a slightly more affordable tan.
"It came about as there were a lot of people who were like 'I only spend £10 on a tan, I don't spend £20 on a tan'. We seen there were other brands out there at like 7, 8 euros or maybe a fiver.
"Again, [some] were full of alcohol and wore off really bad, that was the feedback we were getting.
"Were [these people] going to stretch to £20 to buy a tan? No, but if you offered one at £12 or £13 they would dig a bit deeper and it's closer to their price point.
"Iconic Bronze has the same ethos as Bellamianta, it's just with cheaper alternative ingredients," she said.
Linda explained how important the role of an influencer is for beauty brands.
She said: "I think I was one of the first brands in Northern Ireland to ever use influencers. Back then, it wasn't really heard of. I was at the forefront of it but it came from my experience of working with bigger brands such as Urban Decay, Benefit and Space NK. It had been a big trend in the US and the UK as well.
"When I started the brand, I pinpointed 2 to 3 influencers in each county and contacted them. I started building relationships. People forget that is what business is about."
Fetch Ireland, a partner in the NI Beauty Excellence Awards, is a new app based in Ballynahinch, Co Down that links brands and influencers together.
Jolene Kelly, Head of Services, reiterated the importance of influencers.
She said: "In the past couple of years particularly, influencer marketing has provided an additional opportunity for brands to get their products in front of people while they were using social media more than ever.
"During the pandemic when we had restrictions and couldn't do much else, people were spending more time on their phones and weren't out and about seeing products.
"It is so broad, influencers cover a variety of sectors and they all have different interests. They are the trendsetters, people really look to them to find out what is cutting edge, inspirational and trending - and to get tips and ask questions.
"People put a lot of trust in influencers. Instagram is definitely the most popular for it."
The 2022 NI Beauty Excellence Awards will be hosted by TV personality Pamela Ballantine and will take place at the Crowne Plaza Belfast on Sunday 15th May 2022. The closing date for entries is fast approaching, Friday 4 th March 2022. For more information on categories and criteria, please visit www.nibeautyexcellence.com.
The Awards are proudly supported by title sponsor West Coast Cooler , media partners Daily Mirror and Belfast Live and event partners, Luxury Tanning Brand, Bellamianta; leading skincare brand, Epionce; influencer app, Fetch Ireland; vegan and cruelty-free cosmetic beauty brand, Pearl Beauty; award-winning training academy, The Beauty School, technical event production specialists, Sparq, Med FX, supplier for all Aesthetics and Skin Rejuvenation product needs and Shop Beautiful, a supplier of premium, professional grade beauty brands.
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