When beautician Emily Cripps moved 600 miles from Kent to Forgue, she noticed a slight difference in the choice of salons available.
Despite only being 29, Emily has 12 years of experience in the industry and quickly spotted a gap in the market in this part of Aberdeenshire.
She soon began carrying out procedures at her home in the wee village a few miles from Huntly – before deciding to gamble on a move into the town.
It took her only two days to secure the perfect spot – eyeing up a former opticians for a bit of a glow-up.
And she knew just who to turn to for help running it – with her mum working as part-time receptionist!
Emily had already noticed the majority of the clients she had built up while working from home were from nearby Huntly – so suspected it could be a popular venture.
But she has been blown away by the popularity of her new salon since opening it on Saturday – and reckons the town centre is bouncing back from years of decline…
Why did Emily open Huntly beauty clinic?
Emily, whose partner of 11 years Chris recently opened a gym in Banff, chats to me a few days after achieving her dream of opening.
She tells me how it all began with the couple’s decision to uproot their lives.
Emily says: “When I came up here, there was no one really doing what I do when it comes to aesthetic treatments… It’s very untapped and presents a massive gap in the market.”
She has spent the last four weeks fitting out the Louly Luxe clinic before opening to the public on Saturday.
Emily chuckles as she tells me the transformation of the empty unit on Duke Street had been the “talk of the town,” with intrigued residents peering inside for a look.
Louly Luxe offers what’s known as aesthetic treatments, including fillers, Botox, skin peels and skin “boosters”, which are becoming increasingly popular with both women and men.
Huntly locals offer friendly welcome
Moving to the Aberdeenshire town, she wanted to be a “positive change” within the community.
You might expect that setting up a new business in a rural town like Huntly would be challenging, but for Emily, it was surprisingly easy.
She said: “I tell you, down south it is very challenging to open a business in a saturated market, but up here in Huntly, I have enjoyed every second of opening the clinic.
“Other local businesses have been so kind and generous, bringing flowers, cake pops and wishing me good luck.
“People are talking about the clinic in a positive way, and they are open to new businesses coming in. That was amazingly surprising.”
What next for Huntly beauty clinic?
In the beginning, Emily plans to do most of the work herself, with her loyal mum on hand as a part-time receptionist.
She is also determined to start a business working group to galvanise Huntly owners, offering “help and support” to each other.
She wants to open up the business to more charity events, help educate locals on the benefits of treatments, and give them direction in terms of skincare.
Louly Luxe has a set treatment list for now, but with future expansion, Emily hopes to offer semi-permanent make-up and skin tag removal.
Skin tag removal is no longer available through the NHS as it is classed as a cosmetic procedure, so Emily hopes to fill that gap.
How has it gone so far?
Emily was rushed off her feet as she carried out 14 back-to-back consultations in one day when the Huntly beauty clinic opened.
She said: “Usually, I never feel like I have done good enough, but I did take a moment to myself and thought, ‘You’ve absolutely smashed it.'”
Do you believe Huntly town centre is moving in the right direction, and could more be done to attract new businesses? Let us know in our comments section below
‘Huntly is small but it is mighty’
By the end of 2025, Emily hopes to launch a mentorship programme for other women in business to provide guidance and support.
Setting up in Huntly, Emily is confident in the direction the town is heading, pointing to the ongoing revamp of the Castle Hotel and hinting at more shops to come in the future.
She said: “I hope that places like mine opening inspires and encourages other businesses to open, whether they’re from out of town or already here.
“There is a lot of passion around here to keep the town alive, so hopefully, that does carry on. Huntly is small, but it is mighty.”
And what about that unusual name?
Emily explains that it’s quite appropriate, as her mum always called her Louly when she was growing up and the name just stuck.
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