Harriet Levitt on the Creation of Idyllic Beauty
Photography by: Sian T. Photography
I have always been so passionate about the beauty industry and I was lucky enough to know from the age of about fourteen that I wanted to become a beauty therapist. I was determined this was the career path for me and so I announced to my parents that I was going to leave school at sixteen after my GCSEs and take a year out to work. This of course was a slight shock to them but I am so thankful to have had parents that wanted the best for me and for me to be happy so after a meeting with the head teacher to ensure this was what I wanted to do, I left, worked for a year in retail, saved up money to buy my first car and then began my journey just before my seventeenth birthday to become a beauty therapist.
I worked incredibly hard, and it wasn’t an easy ride. The National Diploma in Beauty Therapy Sciences included a lot of theory as well as practical material but I buckled down and came away with a Distinction overall. Whilst I was carrying out my two year course at college I got a job as a receptionist in a well established Day Spa and this was an unbelievable start for my career. They trained me up to industry standard and after my first year and having gained my Level 2 qualification I was able to work as a beauty therapist and carry out treatments that I was now qualified in. I can’t recommend this enough to boost your career and to get the most experience possible as by the time I had finished Level 3 I was now a full time beauty therapist and started to work my way up.
I have only ever worked in two beauty salons before opening Idyllic in August 2013. I was at both of these salons for quite a few years and gained invaluable knowledge and experience which enabled me to create Idyllic Beauty and Day Spa, a multi-national award winning salon in the heart of Surrey. Since I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up I also knew I wanted to own my own beauty salon one day and the time came for me to do that. I felt I had gained enough experience and wanted to embark on the next chapter of my life.
Idyllic is a beauty and day spa situated in the heart of Cranleigh, “a little hideaway from a busy world, perfect me-time to simply enjoy, it sounds idyllic, well it is”. We offer a friendly, warm, welcoming and calm feel as soon as you enter the salon and a local interior designer, worked hard with us to help us create this atmosphere with the Tuscan inspired design. This feeling is extended to our clients even further by the option of our Relax Lounge where we serve fresh fruit and herbal tea, whilst they cosy up on feathered lounger beds, in sumptuously soft branded Idyllic dressing gowns, heightening our philosophy even further of “serene surroundings for relaxation and pampering”.
We offer day spa treatments and enriching beauty treats and we also have a wide range of retail products available. We opened with 4 world-wide leading beauty brands (Dermalogica, OPI, St Tropez, Shared Beauty Secrets). In 2015 we launched 2 new major lines from the IIAA – Jane Iredale and The Advanced Nutrition Programme. In 2016 we replaced St Tropez with Moroccan Tan. In 2017 we introduced Nouveau Lash Extensions and Mylash Lift and in 2018 we introduced Comfort Zone, a beautiful range offering body spa rituals and wraps. Part of our branding includes the words “Rest, Relax, Recharge, Reflect, Unwind”. We ensure we look after every client to make their visit feel uniquely special to them so that they leave feeling like they have had a truly “Idyllic” experience.
Our emphasis at Idyllic is outstanding customer service and the personal touch and our client’s love the relaxing ambiance they feel and receive as soon as they enter our beauty day spa. For me my passion lies with my client’s. I love nothing more than performing beauty treats and spa treatments on our clients. Making them feel better and seeing them leave a little happier than when they came in is a joy. My real passion lies here, interacting with the customers but also ensuring the salon and the team lives up to their expectations as much as I can. Giving our customers the “Idyllic” experience.
Idyllic is founded on my drive and commitment to creating a wonderful client experience and is loved by our clients. It has become a destination on Cranleigh High Street with our emphasis on outstanding service and the personal touch. I built the salon from scratch with my father, my beauty background and his business expertise and all our hard work paid off in 2017 as we took home the coveted title of Best Beauty Salon in the Nation 3 Rooms or Fewer at the Prestigious Beauty Awards. Our continued success has been proven as we have been Finalists for these awards a few times and have also won our local business award in 2017.
We set out five years ago to offer something special and to be recognised by the professional beauty industry as the best salon in the Nation is a testament to what we have achieved. It requires the highest level of dedication to customer service and professional standards from all of the team at Idyllic.