Northamptonshire beauty business owner adapts to lockdown by creating popular facial-in-a-box service

A Northamptonshire beauty business owner has had to think outside the box during the pandemic so has launched a beauty box delivery service.

Rachel O’Carroll, who owns Birch Beauty at her home in Roade, has worked in the beauty industry for around 13 years.

Prior to the first lockdown last year, the 33-year-old’s salon offered microblading, eyebrow treatments, facials and nail treatments.

After feeling downbeat and defeated about being shut during the summer lockdown, the new mum picked herself up when her business had to shut again in November and came up with an idea for a company that could still operate in lockdown.

Beauty Delivered was born in November and offered Rachel’s large client base the opportunity to sign up for a monthly facial box, or a one off box, to be delivered to their homes in order for them to practice self-care at home.

The boxes proved popular among Rachel’s clientele so in January this year she launched the company officially and has seen orders come in from across the country.

Rachel said: “When the first lockdown hit, I hadn’t long had my son, so I had a nine-month-old and I had to shut my business.

“It was a massive shock and I just had to muddle my way through.

“Then in the second lockdown I started creating these boxes as a pick me up for my clients and they were really popular.

“I made them more special and I sold quite a few for Christmas presents.”

The at home facial boxes include a cleanser, an exfoliator, a face mask, a moisturiser, a face cloth and a herbal tea to encourage customers to put their face mask on and then ‘put their feet up with a cup of tea’.

Rachel added: “I love my job. I love interacting with people and making them feel good so it’s nice that I can do that through a different way at the moment.

“I know that people are getting little bits of joy and happiness and it is making them feel good.

"It is also encouraging them to take a little bit of time out for themselves and practice self-care, which is really important.”

Since the boxes have launched, Rachel has seen groups of friends buying them so they can have a virtual spa together.

Others have ordered boxes for loved ones as gifts and some companies have even been in touch to send the boxes out to employees as a thank you.

“I was so fed up in the first lockdown, but now I feel like I have done something productive with my time and I am really excited by it,” Rachel continued.

“I am waiting for Birch Beauty to be able to reopen, but I will continue working on Beauty Delivered as well to see where it goes.

“It’s not just for lockdown. This is just the start and hopefully it will continue to grow.”

Rachel is already working on new boxes, which she hopes, in the near future, can include a pedicure in a box.

Search @beautydelivereduk on social media to find out more.

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