We asked Recorder readers to choose their favourite beauty salon in the area and the results are in.

Our latest contest, "Your Favourite Beauty Salon", celebrates the best local businesses and Elegance Beauty in The Liberty shopping centre is the proud recipient of this year's award.

Owner Trusha Sakharelia started her business in 2012 just three years after she came to England from India, where she was a henna artist.

Trusha said a loyal customer base and a connection to the Romford community was vital in staying afloat, especially during Covid and the cost-of-living crisis.

"Romford feels like my own town," she said. "I have lots of fond memories - I've seen babies in their buggies who are now girls come in to get their eyebrows and treatment done."

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Trusha praised her team of ten and her husband Pradeep, who has helped her run the salon for more than 11 years.

Pradeep, who manages the salon's loyalty card system, calculated that it has had around 8,500 customers.

"We work as a family," Trusha says, adding that that extends to Elegance Beauty's customers - the other day her friend even brought in her baby.

She said: "In my salon we have people from four weeks old up to 93 years old.

“One of friends had a four-week-old baby and was scared to cut her nails so she brought her here."

But her business has faced difficulties in recent years and Trusha said Covid and rising bills had put a strain on them.

“The first time in Covid, that time was a bit difficult because beauty [salons] were the last to be reopened by the government," she said.

Trusha added that she has had to alter prices at times due to higher utility bills, which frustrated some customers, but most people accepted the need.

Elegance Beauty offers services such as spa treatments, full body waxing, massages and pedicures. Visit http://www.elegancebeautyltd.com/ or call 01708 756065.