One entrepreneur turned her passion for makeup into a £71 million business empire after she borrowed a loan from her nan. Paige Louise, who grew up on a council estate in Droylsden, Greater Manchester, left school without any qualifications.

Now aged 32, she dropped out of college when she was younger, where she had been studying to become a children's social worker, and then quit her job at the MAC beauty counter. However, with a passion for makeup, she set out to become a freelance makeup artist, and she built a signature style that attracted a loyal customer base. Then, with dreams of growing her business, she asked her nan, who was working as a part-time cleaner, for help. Louise borrowed £20,000 to open her own salon in Prestwich, and in 2014, she launched P.Louise Makeup Academy.

She offered affordable makeup courses; however, she was forced to sell her car to continue, reports the BBC.

The dedicated entrepreneur stayed consistent, and her courses gained a reputation. Then, she started offering online courses, at a time when live streaming was unheard of.

Her fan base grew, and fast-forward four years to 2018, Paige expanded into cosmetics. Her eyeshadow base, now known as Rumour Base, was ranked number one in the market by NikkieTutorials on YouTube, which was a pivotal moment for her business.

Then, 10 years after she launched the makeup academy, in August 2024, she broke the UK record for the most revenue generated on TikTok Shop by a UK brand after earning more than £1.5million in just 12 hours.

The brand then moved into an 8,000sq ft warehouse in Middleton, and it has since relocated to a 36,000sq ft warehouse in Stockport.

Paige's P.Louise brand made £71m in the last financial year, and the worldwide business has a projected revenue of £138 million this year.

The only way is up it seems for Paige, who, in October, will open her first retail store in the Trafford Palazzo in the Trafford Centre.

"I hope that anyone that steps into my world realises that anything is possible," she told the BBC. "Your background doesn't define who you are."