Radcliffe salon owner won award weeks before proud mum died

Samantha Tierney, 37, owner of Tierney’s Nails & Beauty in Radcliffe, was awarded Local Salon of the Year at The Great British Hair and Beauty Awards in Manchester.

It has, however, been a very difficult time for Samantha as just weeks after she won the prize, her mum Michele Hemmingway, 60, died.

She said: “I have always been academically minded, after leaving school I stepped straight into roles with various solicitors and accountancy firms, but I never really had a passion for what I did.

“My mum had always advocated for me to love what I do and after jokingly saying I loved to paint my nails for my 21st birthday, she bought me a nail course and I never looked back.

“Devastatingly, I lost my mum suddenly a couple of weeks ago.

“I’m grateful that I did get to show my mum the award and she always made it clear how proud she was of me so I always strive to be the best at what I do and make the most of every day.”

Like Samantha’s mum, her daughter Ellie, 11, had no doubt she would win.

Her now award-winning salon was first nominated by clientele before being judged on descriptions of the business, client reviews and any charity work.

She said: “As an award-winning business, my main mission is to help my clients in any way I can.

“I pride myself on making sure my clients feel better leaving the salon than when they arrived regardless of treatment choice and future plans involve completing qualifications that enable me to teach within the industry.

“I love to help people feel better and that’s why I love my job so much.”

Tierney’s Nails & Beauty is situated on Ainsworth Road above Studio 287 and offers a broad range of treatments.

These include nails, waxing and facials to a variety of eyebrow treatments and semi-permanent makeup treatments.

Samantha Tierney and her partner Callum Farrington

Samantha said: “My business started from home, and I developed my skills at Bury College to broaden the services that I offer, during my time as a student I was also awarded Student of the Year.

“I first rented a room in a Bury salon in 2016 then after the first lockdown I needed bigger premises due to demand so I moved into Studio 287 in Radcliffe in July 2020.

“I didn’t expect to win at all, I was just happy to be a finalist in two categories (Beauty Salon of the Year and Local Salon of the Year) and to support others in the industry.

“I was shocked that I won and I felt so happy and proud of myself and how far my business has come.”

She attended the ceremony at the Piccadilly Mercure Hotel with her partner Callum Farrington, picking up her trophy, which is now proudly displayed in the salon.

Thanking her colleagues, Samantha added: “They are a fantastic group of women who all excel in their field from the ladies downstairs in the hair salon (Sara, Katie, Janet, Gina and Jess) to Beth, Georgia and Natalie my lash, microblading, and nails and aesthetics partners.”