Miss Great Britain finalist celebrates 15 years in business

Alison Petitjean (Image: Alison Petitjean) began her journey at the young age of 14, working as a Saturday girl in a hair and beauty salon.

Her flair for bridal hair and makeup quickly became apparent when she was asked to model a wedding dress for the salon, leading to her photo being featured on the front cover of the leading bridal magazine, Country Bride.

Further recognition came when she won a local beauty competition in Stockton and then a national photographic beauty competition in The Sun newspaper.(Image: Alison Petitjean)

This led to her becoming a finalist in the Miss Great Britain competition.

Reflecting on her journey, Alison, who runs her business from her home in Eaglescliffe, said: “Everybody loves a Cinderella rags to riches story.

“And mine was from sweeping floors at a hair salon to modelling a wedding dress, to appearing on the front cover of a wedding magazine, to winning a local beauty competition, to winning a national paper photographic beauty competition and appearing in the final of the Miss Great Britain which makes anything possible.”A customer (Image: Alison Petitjean)

Now, after 15 years in the business, Alison is sharing her expertise with others through her own bridal hair and makeup academy.

The academy, which she set up after completing an education course at Stockton Riverside College, is currently offering one-on-one courses for bridal hair and makeup, accredited by Beauty Direct.

Alison’s passion for her work goes beyond just making brides look good on their big day.(Image: Alison Petitjean)

She has used her skills to support women going through difficult times, offering free services to lift their spirits.

Her diverse clientele includes same-sex wedding brides and women of various ethnicities, each presenting unique challenges that she finds rewarding to overcome.

Alison also specialises in helping brides with specific needs, such as styling wigs for women with alopecia or applying bridal makeup for women with stage 4 cancer.Another happy customer (Image: Alison Petitjean)

She has dealt with several brides with social anxiety, offering reassurance and making the experience special for them.

The beauty industry is constantly changing, and Alison makes it a point to keep up with the latest techniques.

She recently attended a course in Manchester with a top makeup artist to learn new techniques, which she found both rewarding and beneficial.

Alison has over 50 five-star reviews from brides praising her work and commitment.One of her customers (Image: Alison Petitjean)

In March 2020, she was a finalist in the English Hair and Beauty competition and was awarded ‘highly commended’.

Looking to the future, Alison hopes to move to larger premises to teach a class of students.

She is currently teaching her two daughters hair and makeup techniques with the aim of expanding her business.

Alison is also contemplating teaching both hair and makeup online.

She is working with Teesside Enterprise, a government-backed company that supports small businesses, to achieve this.

Reflecting on her journey, Alison said: “Who says a pumpkin can’t turn into a royal coach?”

As she looks to the future, Alison is excited about the prospect of passing on her knowledge and experience to aspiring wedding hair and makeup artists.

Her story is a testament to the power of passion and perseverance in the pursuit of success.