A BEAUTICIAN has been named among Britain's best, despite starting her business less than a year ago.

Lauren Richards' spray tanning business, tanning by Lauren, has been nominated for the Best Spray Tan award at the 2025 National Beauty Awards.

The 27-year-old, from Droitwich, said: "I set up my business last year and opened in November.

"I'm a strictly mobile service so I go to people's houses and do spray tans for occasions like weddings and holidays."

Miss Richards also works as a Biology teacher at a secondary school in Redditch and as a dance teacher.

"I needed help with paying bills as I have a three-year-old son and, being from a dance background, I'm no stranger to a spray tan," she said.

"I did a course with Sienna X last October and I've been going from strength to strength ever since.

Miss Richards saw the National Beauty Awards were advertising earlier this year: "It is something where you sign yourself up, so I decided to nominate myself.

"I didn't think anything would come of it and then I received an email saying I had been chosen as one of the five finalists out of thousands in the UK and Ireland."

The final will be held in Liverpool in February next year.

Miss Richards explained her joy at receiving her nomination: "I was just completely overwhelmed.

"I've only been in business for a year and I never thought I would be nominated for something like this so soon.

"It is a huge opportunity for a small business like mine."

She is now hoping this will help propel her future career: "The end goal for me is for my tanning business to be my only career.

"I would love to grow the business, make it my primary job and have my own premises to work from while still doing the mobile work.

"Hopefully this will help get my name out there."