Popular vegan and cruelty-free Northampton salon is ‘busier than ever’ as the team continues to expand

A popular vegan and cruelty-free Northampton salon is “busier than ever” as the team continues to expand to meet the demand for its services.

The Beauty Box, in Quarry Road, opened its premises in July 2022 and hoped to become the go-to for beauty, massage and skincare treatments.

The salon is run by Rebecca Kelsey, who achieved her dream of opening a salon by the time she was 30 and has been overwhelmed by the support.

Rebecca is joined by April, who has helped her tackle the busy calendar that gets booked up weeks in advance – and they now have a new addition to the team, Erika.

When asked how business has been since she last spoke to the Chronicle & Echo back in July, the founder said: “It has been really good, we are busier than ever. What we do is so unique. It’s a spa-like environment on the high street and we’re so busy.”

Besides being named the county’s best beauty salon at the Northants Life Awards, Rebecca’s proudest achievement to date is expanding the salon and building a reliable team.

“It’s nice to know the clients I have built up over the last 10 years are comfortable with my staff,” she said. “Recruitment and finding the right people is hard.”

When asked what she believes keeps customers coming back to The Beauty Box for more, Rebecca said: “They know the standard is really high and they’ll be greeted with a smile every time. They’re instantly relaxed the minute they walk through the door.

“Being vegan is completely different and we have less of an environmental impact through our reduction of single-use plastic, water waste and switching from plastic to bamboo products.”

Erika, a passionate beauty therapist with a keen eye for detail, is the latest addition to The Beauty Box team.

She will be working part-time from Thursday to Saturday until June when she is set to finish her level three beauty therapy course at Northampton College.

Erika will be supported by Rebecca in the meantime, who believes she will be a “real asset” to the team as she is “passionate, willing to learn, and has a good head on her shoulders”.

Founder Rebecca’s journey into the beauty industry began as a teenager, when she worked in a salon alongside her college studies.

She built up a client base after subsequently spending three years working at Whittlebury Hall and five years at Virgin Active Spa.

Rebecca returned to a salon while developing a business plan, before renting a room in Duston for three years. After beginning to look for a property of her own in 2021, Rebecca found her current salon in November.

The aim was to create a “tranquil, spa-like vibe” and for “people to think of The Beauty Box straight away when they want to be relaxed”.

With a new facial machine, there will be more treatments available at the salon from May – including a five-step deep cleansing routine and a non-surgical face lift.

For more information, visit The Beauty Box’s website here.