Aura Lounge rises from ashes of Sleeping Beauty salon after whirlwind decision
THE FORMER Sleeping Beauty salon in Lerwick has been given a fairytale transformation and saved from possible closure by its new owners.
Fittingly Lori-Marie and Simon Hildebrand were at the home of Sleeping Beauty’s castle – Disneyland – when they made the decision to take over the business.
Sleeping Beauty salon closed at short notice in October 2025, leaving its beauticians – including Lori-Marie – in limbo about their jobs.
But she and husband Simon made the snap decision to take over the salon, despite never having owned a business before.
Aura Lounge is the new name for the venture, with the pair having transformed the interior to offer a more relaxing and welcoming atmosphere to their clients.
Lori-Marie said that the decision to save it from closure was fuelled by not wanting to let down their customers.
“It all closed pretty quickly, and we have a lot of really lovely clients that I love and didn’t want to lose,” she told Shetland News.
“Me and Simon spoke about it, and it just seemed like the right thing to do.”
Simon said they were “walking around Disneyland” with their children when they got the call about Sleeping Beauty’s closure, with the couple offered the chance to buy it.
“We had to suddenly make this huge life decision,” he said.
“We had four days to decide whether to take it on, and we’d never owned a business before so it was a pretty big jump.
“Continuing the business was really important, but we also wanted to make sure that another shop didn’t close on the street.”
Trained beautician Lori-Marie knew Sleeping Beauty’s dedicated clients, and said she did not want to see them left with nowhere to go.
“Our clientele was older, and sometimes it’s people who might not feel as welcome in other places because sometimes young people don’t want to take on older clients,” she said.
“We wanted to be able to offer things like this to elderly people. Some of the treatments are superficial, but it’s so beneficial to people as well.”
They offer everything from manicures to pedicures, facials to threading and waxing, and a wide range of different massages – including pregnancy massages.
“We’re the only place in Shetland that does pregnancy massages,” Lori-Marie added.
“That’s what a lot of people come in for, they’ve had it recommended to them – which is great,” Simon said.
There are three full-time staff at Aura Lounge, with all three moving across from Sleeping Beauty.
While the building was “basically fit for purpose”, Lori-Marie said it “wasn’t exactly the most beautiful place” when they took it on.
“It really needed a facelift,” she said.
“The front section has been completely redone, and we only had four days to do it.”
The pair decided to keep the salon open and renovate as they go, with refurbishments now moving towards the back of the shop.
Aura Lounge say they want to offer “more than just an appointment”, with a relaxed, welcoming space for folk to recharge, unwind and feel at home.
“I just want people to come in and feel that they don’t have to get their treatment and run away,” Lori-Marie said.
“I want them to sit here, have a coffee, chill. I don’t want people to feel like they have to be in and out as soon as possible.”
“We want them to come here and feel like it’s an experience, rather than getting a treatment and going.”
Asked what the hopes are for the future of Aura Lounge, she said they hope to be able to continue to offer apprenticeships to aspiring beauticians.
“We’ll hopefully able to offer services to different people, like social care workers,” she said.
“We want to do more for charity –mental health month, I would like to dedicate a service to that.”
And she said an aim was to eventually have a van to deliver a mobile beautician service to care homes in the community.
“We’re always open to suggestions for things we can do,” she said.
“We know people have to go south for some treatments, so if there’s something we’re lacking then bring it to us and we’ll look into it.”
You can find Aura Lounge on Facebook or Instagram, and can book appointments online through Booksy.
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