Latest news with #GlamCandy
The Courier
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
EXCLUSIVE: Beauty school's collapse leaves Dundee and Fife students in £8k debt and without qualifications
Students in Dundee and Fife have been left almost £8,000 in debt and without qualifications following the collapse of beauty school GlamCandy. GlamCandy was once hailed as Scotland's biggest makeup college with operations across Scotland, including Dundee and Dunfermline. It collapsed at the end of 2024 after a row between its founder Hayley Harvey-Smith and directors Mark Thompson and Dionne Proudfoot. Ms Harvey-Smith ended up being awarded more than £50,000 compensation after being unfairly sacked for taking holidays. And students who signed up to the school have been left out of pocket and with no qualifications. Molly Watt and Melanie Pearce, both from Dundee, were enrolled on the firm's HNC fashion makeup course in the city. Their qualifications were to be accredited by the SQA. But they have been told no course work has been submitted by GlamCandy on their behalf. GlamCandy charged Molly and Melanie £7,800 each in fees for the nine month course. They took out student and personal loans to fund the courses and have been left with increasing debt and no certificates. Molly and Melanie told The Courier their experience with the company started well but soon turned sour. They and their class mates were based at Brow Jam on Perth Road, who rented studio space to GlamCandy. 'The course started in August 2024 and it was okay. We were told rather than having three full days, it was actually two and a half, because our lecturer was being sent to other schools,' Molly said. 'We also never got our kits, so I ended up forking out roughly over £100 in makeup.' 'GlamCandy said it was an SQA-accredited makeup course, it was suitable for beginners and anyone looking to advance their skills. 'We would also be taught what it's like to work in the industry, about eyelash enhancements and eyebrow artistry. We were never taught any of that. 'We were promised a social media day but it kept being cancelled. 'As a Dundee class, we felt left out, as other classes received different treatment to us. 'They were being invited to masterclasses with big brands, where we just weren't even invited. 'It took until the end of October to get our kit through GlamCandy—near enough three months, or half our course, without makeup. 'Towards the end of the course, it just got worse and worse.' Molly explained how pressure built to get work submitted with the SQA in a way which was at odds with what they had been told to expect. They had thought their work would be collated over the course's duration and then submitted on their behalf to the SQA by GlamCandy. Instead, they were rushed into pulling it together, with little to no support from the company. 'It was nerve-wracking. I'm not confident when it comes to producing work, so having to present it to (the SQA) made me extremely stressed,' Molly added. 'We had then been told we were to leave the studio we were working in and had no clue why. I'm now guessing it's because they were no longer paying for the space. 'Because of this, our time at GlamCandy was ended early—with a week or so until graded unit finals were to be submitted. So we didn't have the space to be working on our graded unit. 'In February I had an email from the liquidators to confirm GlamCandy were winding up their company, and the decision was made in December 2024.' Molly was also chased for course payments months after the company was liquidated. 'Days later, I received a phone call from someone at GlamCandy telling me I had to still pay another £793, which was incorrect. 'They had all their maths wrong. But I was being told if I didn't send them money, I wouldn't receive my qualification as they just wouldn't send my work. 'I ended up having a panic attack that all my hard work was just being flushed down the drain because their maths was wrong. 'Luckily they recounted and apologised, which I was glad about—but still very emotional from it. 'The liquidators then told us 'you may still receive your qualification' so with high hopes, I submitted my work. 'We kept on messaging our tutor, but we weren't getting anything back as she no longer worked for GlamCandy. 'So I instead emailed the SQA. They replied saying our work hadn't been sent yet, but I would get an update when they did. I then got an email confirming they had received GlamCandy's work. 'But it went silent. So I emailed again and got a response telling me, unfortunately, my work was never sent and none of my evidence was there. 'I was told I'd shortly receive a letter advising me about the closure and what to do. 'That was on May 7. I've not heard anything. I am now technically in debt and don't have a qualification for the dream job I wanted. 'I've been unemployed for ages because of this. This whole experience has been awful and mentally draining.' Melanie added: 'The SQA told us essentially there was nothing we can do. 'GlamCandy has taken our money and run away with it. 'They have schools all over Scotland, there must be hundreds in the same position. 'It's scandalous. It's completely unfair. All that hard work for nothing. And now we are accruing interest on student loans with no qualification to show for it.' GlamCandy was set-up in 2011 by Hayley Harvey-Smith, who was replaced as a director by Mark Thompson and Dionne Proudfoot in 2023. An employment tribunal awarded Ms Harvey-Smith more than £50,000 on December 1 2024 after she was unfairly dismissed by Mr Thompson in 2023. GlamCandy was put into liquidation on December 30, with Begbies Traynor handling the process. Its website no longer works and nothing has been posted on its popular social media channels since January. Kevin Mapstone and Thomas McKay, joint liquidators, said: 'We have every sympathy with former GlamCandy students whose studies have been disrupted or curtailed. 'However tuition could not continue once the business ceased trading as part of the liquidation process. 'We therefore liaised at an early stage with the relevant bodies to seek to ensure that affected students could be signposted where possible to alternative accredited course providers instead. 'The joint liquidators' investigations into the company's financial position and the circumstances leading to its insolvency are still at a relatively early stage. 'As part of the liquidation process, the joint liquidators will investigate any concerns or allegations relating to the company's activities that are communicated to them. 'We encourage any party with an outstanding debt, or a grievance about the business or its officers, to contact us on 0131 222 9060.' A SQA spokesperson said: 'We know this is a distressing time for young people and their families. 'We are contacting registered GlamCandy candidates with information on the options available to help them complete their course.'
Daily Record
09-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Scots woman 'stuck on Universal Credit' after spending £12k for qualification
GlamCandy UK Ltd entered compulsory liquidation in October 2024. Several Scots women have been left thousands of pounds in debt after a makeup academy went into liquidation, they claim. One said she ended up on Universal Credit after she forked out nearly £12,000 for an 18-month makeup qualification course that she never received her diploma for, reports Edinburgh Live. In October 2024, GlamCandy UK Ltd, which was a technical and vocational secondary education centre which focused on teaching cosmetics, entered compulsory liquidation. GlamCandy had run up debts totalling nearly £800,000 by October 31, 2023, according to Companies House. Former GlamCandy staff and students who spoke to Edinburgh Live reported feeling "powerless" and having "awful" mental health impacts from the ordeal. They claim they have not been told whether the company plans to reimburse them. Sophie Johnston, 21, moved from Aberdeen to Edinburgh in 2023 to begin a HND in Makeup and TV through GlamCandy. However, after completing the course and spending nearly £12,000 on the course, she is yet to receive her diploma. During her studies, she also worked several months for GlamCandy as a makeup teacher. She claims she was not paid for nearly three months' work after she was told of the company's liquidation in January 2025. She was allegedly left £1,185 out of pocket for shifts from January to December. Unsure if she will ever be reimbursed, Sophie was forced to go on Universal Credit and says she feels 'defeated' as she struggles to find employment in the industry without qualification. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, she said: "I feel like it's been a waste of time. I don't know if I'm ever going to get something from it. "I've worked so hard to get to where I want to be but now it feels like it's been taken away from me. I'm applying to all different kinds of jobs, but nobody gets back to me so this is putting me down even more." "At this point, it's so much hassle to go through [trying to get reimbursed] - do I just leave it? No one is willing to help. 'It would be extremely hard [to get a job in the industry without the diploma]. I wouldn't be able to work on a film set with prosthetics if I'm not qualified. I'm on Universal Credit now. I just feel defeated." Sabaa Khan, 34, said she started working with GlamCandy in June 2024 as a freelance tutor. She claims to be owed around £880 for her work in January and February this year. She claimed she was told in December the company was going into liquidation and in March this year, employees were informed no payments were being processed and the tutors had to leave their schools. With two small children at home, she has been left ' gutted ' by the situation. She added: "In March we had a group call being told there was no money left and I was getting pulled out of the school. We worked really hard with all the students and we were worried about their education. "I am also missing two months of payment and personally, I am gutted because I have two small children and I was trying to take on a job that worked within school hours. The mental health impact of it all has been awful." A 38-year-old woman, who wishes to be kept anonymous, claims to be owed over £2,000 from GlamCandy for her work as a freelance hair and makeup artist in Edinburgh. She added: "They owe me just over 2k, which is quite a lot of money in Scotland. I just bought a house last year as well, that's been really stressful. "For me being a freelancer, it's very hard getting support in this situation. If you are employed, the liquidators pay those people first. 'It made me really angry and also affected my mental health in terms of feeling down and powerless and feeling like I have no control or power over the situation. 'I worked in Edinburgh driving back and forth from there to Glasgow for months, getting nothing for it. I was paying petrol money out of my own pocket." A GlamCandy source said: "GlamCandy UK Ltd was bought over in December 2023 for £1 by a London-based investor in a rescue deal. " Regrettably even after a substantial investment and some exceptional work by the team, it was unable to come to a repayment deal with HMRC and was forced into liquidation." Liquidators Kevin Mapstone and Thomas McKay of Begbies Traynor said: "Kevin Mapstone of Begbies Traynor was appointed as liquidator of Edinburgh-based makeup academy GlamCandy UK Ltd on 30 December 2024. Mr Mapstone is being assisted on the engagement by Thomas McKay, a partner at Begbies Traynor. "The position in respect of all creditors is currently being assessed, and further updates will be provided to all known creditors in due course. "We have every sympathy with former GlamCandy students whose studies have been disrupted or curtailed, however tuition could not continue once the business ceased trading as part of the liquidation process. We therefore liaised at an early stage with the relevant bodies to seek to ensure that affected students could be signposted where possible to alternative accredited course providers instead. "The joint liquidators ' investigations into the company's financial position and the circumstances leading to its insolvency are still at a relatively early stage. As part of the liquidation process, the joint liquidators will investigate any concerns or allegations relating to the company's activities that are communicated to them. "We encourage any party with an outstanding debt, or a grievance about the business or its officers, to contact us at our Edinburgh office on 0131 222 9060." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. 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Edinburgh Live
08-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh woman 'stuck on Universal Credit' after spending £12,000 for qualification
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Edinburgh women claim they have been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a makeup academy went into liquidation. One said she forked out nearly £12,000 for an 18-month makeup qualification course - only to end up on Universal Credit after she never received her diploma. West End-based GlamCandy UK Ltd was a technical and vocational secondary education centre which focused on teaching cosmetics. In October 2024, the company entered compulsory liquidation. By October 31 2023, GlamCandy had run up debts totalling nearly £800,000, according to Companies House. Former GlamCandy staff and students who spoke to Edinburgh Live reported feeling "powerless" and having "awful" mental health impacts from the ordeal. They claim they have not been told whether the company plans to reimburse them. Sophie Johnston, 21, moved from Aberdeen to Edinburgh in 2023 to begin a HND in Makeup and TV through GlamCandy. However, after completing the course and spending nearly £12,000 on the course, she is yet to receive her diploma. (Image: Supplied) Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages During her studies, she also worked several months for GlamCandy as a makeup teacher. She claims she was not paid for nearly three months' work after she was told of the company's liquidation in January 2025. She was allegedly left £1,185 out of pocket for shifts from January to December. Unsure if she will ever be reimbursed, Sophie was forced to go on Universal Credit and says she feels 'defeated' as she struggles to find employment in the industry without qualification. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, she said: "I feel like it's been a waste of time. I don't know if I'm ever going to get something from it. "I've worked so hard to get to where I want to be but now it feels like it's been taken away from me. I'm applying to all different kinds of jobs, but nobody gets back to me so this is putting me down even more." "At this point, it's so much hassle to go through [trying to get reimbursed] - do I just leave it? No one is willing to help." 'It would be extremely hard [to get a job in the industry without the diploma]. I wouldn't be able to work on a film set with prosthetics if I'm not qualified. I'm on Universal Credit now. I just feel defeated." (Image: Supplied) Sabaa Khan, 34, said she started working with GlamCandy in June 2024 as a freelance tutor. She claims to be owed around £880 for her work in January and February this year. She claimed she was told in December the company was going into liquidation and in March this year, employees were informed no payments were being processed and the tutors had to leave their schools. With two small children at home, she has been left 'gutted' by the situation. She added: "In March we had a group call being told there was no money left and I was getting pulled out of the school. We worked really hard with all the students and we were worried about their education. "I am also missing two months of payment and personally, I am gutted because I have two small children and I was trying to take on a job that worked within school hours. The mental health impact of it all has been awful." A 38-year-old woman, who wishes to be kept anonymous, claims to be owed over £2,000 from GlamCandy for her work as a freelance hair and makeup artist in Edinburgh. She added: "They owe me just over 2k, which is quite a lot of money in Scotland. I just bought a house last year as well, that's been really stressful. "For me being a freelancer, it's very hard getting support in this situation. If you are employed, the liquidators pay those people first. 'It made me really angry and also affected my mental health in terms of feeling down and powerless and feeling like I have no control or power over the situation. 'I worked in Edinburgh driving back and forth from there to Glasgow for months, getting nothing for it. I was paying petrol money out of my own pocket." A GlamCandy source said: "GlamCandy UK Ltd was bought over in December 2023 for £1 by a London-based investor in a rescue deal. "Regrettably even after a substantial investment and some exceptional work by the team, it was unable to come to a repayment deal with HMRC and was forced into liquidation." Liquidators Kevin Mapstone and Thomas McKay of Begbies Traynor said: "Kevin Mapstone of Begbies Traynor was appointed as liquidator of Edinburgh-based makeup academy GlamCandy UK Ltd on 30 December 2024. Mr Mapstone is being assisted on the engagement by Thomas McKay, a partner at Begbies Traynor. "The position in respect of all creditors is currently being assessed, and further updates will be provided to all known creditors in due course. "We have every sympathy with former GlamCandy students whose studies have been disrupted or curtailed, however tuition could not continue once the business ceased trading as part of the liquidation process. We therefore liaised at an early stage with the relevant bodies to seek to ensure that affected students could be signposted where possible to alternative accredited course providers instead. "The joint liquidators' investigations into the company's financial position and the circumstances leading to its insolvency are still at a relatively early stage. As part of the liquidation process, the joint liquidators will investigate any concerns or allegations relating to the company's activities that are communicated to them. "We encourage any party with an outstanding debt, or a grievance about the business or its officers, to contact us at our Edinburgh office on 0131 222 9060."
