WITH voting for The Northern Echo’s Best Hairdresser or Barber competition now well and truly open, your favourite salon needs your support!

Every day we will be featuring one of our top ten finalists, chosen by our readers.

Today The Northern Echo speaks to Cheryl Balcombe, who runs Clique Salon in Newton Aycliffe.

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Cheryl, 39, set up Clique last summer. Her vision for her bright, jungle-themed salon was completed earlier this year.

Offering up everything from cuts and colours to beauty work including facials and aesthetic procedures, Cheryl and her team have been hard at work to expand their client list.

"I just knew I wanted that freedom of having my own place and harness that freedom to be able to go and do my own thing", she said.

"I had always known I wanted to open my own salon, and a vision board I had for the interior has been the same for years.

"I'm a big advocate for colour," Cheryl said. "We did a lot of research on colour schemes as I know there are a lot of salons which have white walls and black tiles – but I knew that isn't what I wanted my salon to look like.

"I am blown away at being nominated for The Northern Echo Best Hairdresser Award, especially by my clients.

"I'm lucky to have had the support of my clients over the past 21 years in the industry, and many of them have been with me since the very early years.

"I started hairdressing as a Saturday girl at 14, and it's been my passion in life ever since.

"There's no better feeling than making someone feel better about themselves and it's a privilege to not only be able to make my clients look better, but also to be a part of their lives – from break-ups to marriages and promotions.

"I worked my way up to finally managing a popular salon in Darlington to then going self-employed in October 2020, and I then took the plunge and opened Clique in August 2023.

"I honestly wish I could sit down with a 16-year-old me, who was riddled with self-doubt and had no confidence, and show her what an amazing career and life awaited her.

"And it was all made possible by my amazing clients."