You beauty! The "eyes" have it as salon scoops award nomination

The Zoe Mizon Lash Academy and Ladies Lounge in Swinton is a finalist in the lashes extension specialists category at the English Hair and Beauty Awards.

The Rowms Lane salon, which opened 18 months ago, is up against nine other businesses from around the UK and is the only South Yorkshire company in the category.

Zoe (35), of Rawmarsh, said it was “absolutely fantastic” to be nominated and to win would be a “massive achievement”.

The salon, which is also a training academy, has had visitors from all over the world, including California.

Zoe built up her reputation after coming third in the World Volume Lash Master competition in 2015.

She said: “After that, people started contacting me wanting training and mentoring and this all evolved from that, I was inundated by people who wanted to come and learn.”

Zoe, whose business now employs seven people, said: “Lashes are such a big business now.

“I’ve been a beautician for about 13 years and it’s one of the things that’s just evolved.

“I’ve trained in the advanced techniques and I only really do lashes now.

“I enjoy it because of the way it makes people feel, it transforms people’s appearance and gives them confidence \_ it’s nice to be able to give that back to somebody.

“The salon is also trialling new techniques to help cancer patients.”

The English Hair and Beauty Awards were set up five years ago and have become the industry’s leading awards ceremony.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the ceremony in Manchester on Sunday, which will also raise funds for the Make A Wish Foundation.

Irfan Younis, from the awards organiser, Creative Oceanic, said: “The industry is booming at the moment with the entire industry contributing £17 billion to the UK economy and employing over a million people. 

“The English Hair and Beauty Awards offer an unrivalled opportunity to showcase, network and gain media coverage in the increasingly competitive environment.”