Single mum from Fareham opens up her own salon

Natalie Hobbs opened up Cafe Beautiful in The Square, Titchfield on February 1, after running her business from a room at the back of a barbershop in Fareham for almost two years.

The single mum-of-three started her business from scratch in 2016 after splitting from her husband and trying to make ends meet.

She rented rooms at Kwik Kuts in Fareham, where she offered beauty and nail treatments, such as eyebrow threading, pedicures, and waxing.

The new salon is now home to more treatments, with the help of a few new team members, such as Courtney Riddell, who Natalie calls her ‘facial queen’ - who will offer facial treatments.

The team will also offer semi permanent makeup, such as eyeliner, which is done using a method that causes minimal pain to the client.

Natalie said: ‘It hasn’t been an easy ride, juggling three kids.

‘I have listened to what my clients wanted and I have done it, now it’s how they want it.’

She welcomed along new and existing clients as well as friends to the grand opening, where she offered free glasses of prosecco and discounts to celebrate.

She said: ‘It is emotional. I have been a mess, I have been in tears. It has been an emotional rollercoaster, but it has been amazing.’

She is offering a special ‘Titchfield’s Finest’ discount to over 50s in the area, as she said she wants to give back to the people who make the village special.

The empty space was completely renovated by Fareham-based groundworks firm Beaven LTD to give it a clean and feminine look with pink and gold decor.

Natalie says she couldn’t have done it without the support of the firm, as well as her partner, Dominic Parkins, who helped fund the salon.

She said: ‘It’s taken blood sweat and tears to get here, it’s taken my partner backing me as well as Beaven. It’s nice to have local people that believe in you and want to see you succeed and do well.’