Business owner Fiona Dudley thought her client’s phone had been hacked after she messaged her to congratulate her on being joint winner in the Packet Beauty Therapist of Year Award 2024.
Falmouth girl Fiona Dudley, who owns Cinnabar Health & Beauty Centre based in Mylor Bridge, didn’t even know she had been nominated for the competition until her customer contacted her. The other winner was Tava based in Falmouth.
“It was a complete surprise,” she said. "At first I thought her phone had been hacked because I didn't understand the message.
"I think it’s very nice that people have actually taken the time to make the effort to actually say that they like me, it’s really nice. I’m touched.”
Fiona Dudley has been working for herself since 1996. A Cornish girl through and through she was born in Falmouth lived here all her life.
She has been operating Cinnabar from the ‘Old Reading Room’ in Lemon Hill since 2010 after accepting an invitation from Emilie Davis-Rogers to work alongside her at Emilie Hair in the newly refurbished building.
Fiona says she is quite a traditional beauty therapist and did her training at Saltash and is now internationally qualified.
“I was a single parent, and I needed to get back in the workforce,” she told us. “I worked for a very nice lady called Erica Carrick, she was quite a character, at Western Goya for four years.
“She asked me if I wanted to buy her business, but I eventually decided to set up on my own with a little help from my mum who lent me the money.”
Fiona began Cinnabar in a start-up unit in the Carrick Business Centre in Penryn. The name is derived from the exotic spicy perfume by Elizabeth Arden She eventually moved Cinnabar into Admiralty House opposite Trago Mills where it stayed for 11 years. Working first on the top floor and subsequently moving down to the second floor.
Her daughter helped her some of the time and in 2005 she was joined by Lis Cardess, who ran her ‘Friday clinic’ there.
Lis Cardess’ sudden and unexpected death in 2010 was a shock, which led Fiona to make a fresh start.
When she was invited to join Emile, she knew straight away she wanted to be there.
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“I walked in here it was such a lovely feeling and also very easy access, so I am able to take disabled customers,” she said “The former place I had was beautiful, but I was up on the top floor, but I eventually went from the top right down to the bottom.”
She says since the move she still gets people who come a long way to see her.
“A lot of my clients I have done for over 30 years,” she said. “I even do home visits to some regulars.”
Asked what she’s say to the customers who voted for her she said: “I’d like to say thank you for your support, but they’ve really become friends.”
Fiona can be contacted at: Phone: 1326 375476 Address: 21 Lemon Hill Mylor Bridge, TR11 5NT Website: http://www.cinnabarbeauty.co.uk
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