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BEAUTY TRIUMPHS OVER BEAST OF A RECESSION

The main street of the Co dublin village of Blackrock has become a boulevard of beauty for southside women drawn compulsively to the boutiques, beauty salons and cosmetic, hair and make up businesses, all booming in the middle of a recession.

The business girls of Blackrock are a breed apart.

They run their own shows, are up and out first thing in the morning, bright eyed and cheerful, ready for anything the day might throw at them.

A good example of the Blackrock spirit of enterprise is Marissa Carter who opened Carter Beauty on the main street just over a year ago in the teeth of fierce recession. Marissa getting married in November to Ronan O'Flaherty ('No I won't be changing the name to O'Flaherty Beauty!'), started with five girls working for her, now she has 10.

'We do absolutely everything from Botox to nail painting; we are open seven days a week, with five late openings until 9pm,' says Marissa.

'The late evenings are great for getting business from people after work.

'We are constantly coming up with new treatment ideas and new special offers.'

The Blackrock business synergy is something to behold; for example, Marissa did her body massage course with Bronwyn Conroy and she takes some of Bronwyn's trainees on work experience in her salon.

Aengus Fanning