North West beauty businesses announced as finalists for Excellence Awards

PICTURED ABOVE: New judges to the panel this year, Lisburn’s Pamela Kennedy, founder of International Beauty Distribution & Training Academy; Co. Antrim’s Yolanda Cooper, Trichologist and CEO of The Conscious Beauty Group and the Awards host and TV royalty Pamela Ballantine.

A host of beauty businesses operating across Derry and the North West have been listed as finalists for the 2024 NI Beauty Excellence Awards, taking place in the Crowne Plaza in Belfast on Saturday, 15th June 2024. 

The awards recognise and celebrate the success and achievements of the aesthetics, beauty and hair industries across Northern Ireland. This year marks the fourth year of the Awards and the judges witnessed a huge number of entries with over 250 businesses applying to be a finalist.  

The nine businesses from Derry and the North West who have been announced as this year’s finalists are: Dr A Aesthetics Clinic, Derry; The Sugaring & Skincare Salon, Derry; bBold Tan, Derry; Glam Hair and Beauty, Derry; The Hair Studio Curl Specialist, Dungiven; The Hair Studio, Dungiven; Envy Aesthetics & Wellness Clinic, Limavady; Natalie’s Beauty Clinic & Academy, Limavady; and Gloss Nail Bar by Lauren McIvor, Limavady.

Tasked with the difficult job of whittling down the entries are the esteemed judging panel of industry experts. This includes returning judges from previous years, makeup and skincare specialist, Katrina Doran who returns for a fourth year and will oversee the panel for the 2024 awards, alongside founder and former CEO of Vita Liberata, Alyson Hogg MBE; nail expert and Renew Beauty, BioSculpture and Elim Educator, Ingrid Graham; Principal Dentist and owner of Martina Dental & Skin Clinic, Dr Martina Collins, both returning for their second year. 

To help them, the 2024 Awards has recruited four new judges to the professional panel. Co. Antrim’s Yolanda Cooper, Trichologist and CEO of The Conscious Beauty Group; Lisburn’s Pamela Kennedy, founder of International Beauty Distribution & Training Academy and co-founder of the award-winning Tan Brush; and award-winning journalist and beauty editor Liz Dwyer and her sister Nikki Dwyer, who together created their business Future Beauty & Health, and co-host their aesthetics podcast, “Fess Up”. 

One of the new judges for the 2024 Awards, Yolanda Cooper commented: “It is a testament to the beauty industry in Northern Ireland just how difficult it was to whittle down the entries to finalists and crown our winners. Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and thank you to every single person and company who entered the awards. We can’t wait to celebrate the success of our fantastic and ever-growing industry in June.” 

Sarah Weir, Director at Weir Events which created the Awards added: “We are excited to return once again with what will be the fourth year of the Awards. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent and expertise across the beauty industry in Northern Ireland and how much it is continuing to develop and grow.

"We introduced four new categories this year due to the increasing demand and changes within the industry and it is great to see so many entries for each one of these.” 

The awards are proudly supported by Excellence by BTL, Revive Active, Adorn Dress Hire, Lindt Excellence, NOTE Cosmetics, Image Skincare, Galgorm, Body Talk Live, Design NI, Weir Events and S3 Creative.