My story
From the studio to the wedding morning
Aoibheann Walsh is a Donegal native, former professional model and award-winning makeup and permanent makeup artist with sixteen years of experience in the beauty industry.
Her creative career began in Fine Art, where she initially studied towards a degree before being scouted by a modelling agency and beginning her professional modelling career in 2007. Years spent in the makeup chair, working with and observing some of the industry's leading artists, gave Aoibheann a unique insight into the world of professional and high-end makeup artistry.
It was this experience that ultimately inspired her to step behind the chair herself. Combining her background in Fine Art with her fascination for cosmetics, colour and transformation, Aoibheann began what would become a long-standing career in the beauty industry.
Her professional training has taken her to Dublin, London and Paris and includes the ITEC National Diploma in Beauty Therapy, FETAC Train the Trainer, LA Creative College and the Jemma Kidd School of Make-up, alongside professional training and certifications with internationally recognised brands including Illamasqua, MAC and Bobbi Brown.
Sixteen years into her career, Aoibheann continues to travel for advanced courses, workshops and industry education, firmly believing that the best artists never stop learning and evolving.
In February 2015, Aoibheann founded G&G, a distinctive vintage-inspired boutique salon in Letterkenny. Within just six months of opening its doors, G&G was named Best Start-Up Business, setting the tone for what would become an award-winning brand.
The years that followed brought multiple industry accolades, including Makeup Artist of the Year, Wedding Supplier of the Year and RSVP Businesswoman of the Year, alongside sold-out masterclasses and an ever-growing bridal clientele throughout Ireland and internationally.
This success culminated in the creation of the G&G Summit, a large-scale live beauty and business event that brought internationally renowned guest speakers, artists and industry experts together on one stage. The Summit became a celebration of artistry, entrepreneurship and education, representing the evolution of G&G from a boutique salon into a recognised beauty brand and community.
Aoibheann later expanded her artistry into permanent makeup and has become particularly renowned for her work as a PhiBrows artist. Her signature approach centres on beautifully refined, natural-looking brows, individually designed to complement each client's features. Her work within the field has received numerous awards, with PhiBrows and advanced brow artistry becoming one of the most recognised specialisms of her career.
In 2025, Aoibheann was selected as one of the final 17 candidates from approximately 80,000 applicants for Series 19 of BBC's The Apprentice. She entered the process seeking investment from Lord Sugar for Sashsó, her patented utility tool belt designed specifically for professional artists within the beauty industry.
Born from Aoibheann's own experience working behind the scenes as a makeup artist, Sashsó was created to solve a practical problem she had encountered throughout her career: giving working artists an elegant, functional way to keep their essential tools organised and immediately accessible while they work. Taking the concept to The Apprentice brought together two defining sides of Aoibheann's career: the artist and the entrepreneur.
Today, Aoibheann leads Sashsó The Agency, collaborates with brands and press, develops creative projects within the beauty industry and continues to work personally with clients across bridal, makeup and permanent makeup.
Despite the evolution of her career from artist to entrepreneur, her approach remains deeply personal and hands-on. Whether creating beautifully natural PhiBrows or preparing a bride on the morning of her wedding, Aoibheann remains, first and foremost, an artist.
