A DETERMINED entrepreneur has turned the ongoing pandemic into a positive by opening her own salon.

Beauty therapist Lea Oldfield, renowned for her lash extensions, had been working out of her home in Bingley, until Covid restrictions meant that became impossible.

Instead she used the time off to complete a beauty teaching qualification, then take on an empty shop in the village and transform it into a unique and colourful salon.

Miss Oldfield, 29, is part of a team of five working at Leo Lash and Co, offering a variety of treatments, and said she is grateful at how busy they have been so far.

She explained how she saved up and put money saved from holidays cancelled due to Covid to good use and made her creative ideas a reality by working every spare evening to get the salon on Bailey Hills Road redecorated in the space of a fortnight.

Miss Oldfield, who previously worked in Australia and Ibiza, before returning to her home town of Keighley, opened the salon in October.

"I had been working in Australia, and when I came home two years ago my friend was saying, I should do eyelashes, 'nobody does them like you'.

"I was initially looking for beauty therapy jobs, but then I did my best friend's lashes and she put a picture on Facebook and that's when it blew up. She had so many people messaging her, asking where she had her lashes done.

"I initially didn't have a car or a beauty bed, but I started going mobile, borrowing my mum's car and doing lashes from people's sofas.

"I carried on, managed to get myself a car, moved to Bingley and was doing the lashes out of my spare room at home.

"Then the pandemic hit, and I've always wanted to teach beauty therapy, so I did my diploma online and then thought about getting a salon."

She explained that she had actually looked round the same building a year ago and it was still available - but needed redecorating completely. Now the timing fit.

"I'm quite bubbly and outgoing and I didn't want the typical pink salon with flower walls - that's just not me as a person. I wanted it to look weird and bright - like why is there a teapot covered in grass and why is there a bathtub in the hallway?

"I also wanted it to stand out I didn't want it to look like only the girliest of girls can go in there. We have loud music and neon lights and boys are welcome too."

Despite having to close down during the second lockdown in November, she said they had been extremely busy.

Treatments the salon offers include lashes, hair, hair extensions, nails, aesthetics with a nurse practitioner, facials, waxing, spray tans and sunbed tanning, henna brows and laminating, and massage therapy. Miss Oldfield also runs an academy at the salon, teaching other therapists how to do lashes and brows.

"I've had so many people wanting to work in the salon, and I wanted to make sure we had the best - the people with great experience and awards.

"Since opening, we've been very lucky and been busy. I had a massive clientele and all my clients are now going to the other girls for hair, nails etc - we're a one stop shop.

"We've also had lots of new clients since opening the salon as people are sharing pictures on social media."