A BEAUTY salon has been nominated for a second prestigious award - in just 18 months of operations.

Samantha Rose, of Whalley New Road in Blackburn, has been selected as a finalist in the English Hair and Beauty Awards.

And now Samantha Houghton, whose outfit came runner-up at the same ceremony last year, is aiming to go one better in 2019.

She completely overhauled her premises, in Roe Lee, in the summer of 2017, creating three treatment rooms and a make-up and nail bar, from premises which initially had paint peeling off the walls and was covered in mould.

The move was a calculated gamble, after quitting an old job so she could branch out on her own.

Mother-of-three Samantha said: "The awards are hosted in Manchester and its one of the biggest awards in the hair and beauty industry."

Since her launch she has earned an award in Spain, for her outstanding work, and been recognised with several nominations by the National Association of Lash Artists.

And Sam, who has worked in the business for around nine years, also hosted a product launch for SRS Skincare with Love Island star Emma-Jane Woodhams, who brought her infant son Alfie up to East Lancashire for the occasion.

She will find out if she has been successful at the finals in Manchester, later this year.