A male beauty guru says moving to Liverpool completely changed his life.

Stephen Montgomery moved to the city from Northern Ireland to study psychology at Liverpool John Moores University.

Now the 22-year-old, who works as a bartender, has launched his own beauty brand.

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Stephen, known to his friends and family as Ste, wanted a fresh start that allowed him to embrace his sexuality.

In Belfast, Ste said he was the only openly gay person in his school year for a long time and that he experienced bullying and homophobia.

Ste said he regularly saw “preachers on the streets shouting that gay marriage is an abomination,” and he felt he needed to move cities in order to be himself.

He told the ECHO: “I would say my life is so much better at this moment in time.

“I can express my sexuality. I can be open with my makeup talent without feeling anxious. I have made more friends to add to the amazing friends I have back home.

“I find it so much easier to be open to relationships too as more men are open about their sexuality over here. I feel like I have opened up way more as a person and instead of feeling anxious, I feel confident.”

Ineffable beauty cosmetics prides itself of being vegan and cruelty free
Ineffable beauty cosmetics prides itself of being vegan and cruelty free

Ste has his own vegan and cruelty-free make-up brand Ineffable Beauty Cosmetics.

Best known for their eyeshadows and lip kits, the brand has been shipped worldwide including America and Germany, with Ste often manning pop-up stalls around England.

Speaking about his business, Ste said: “Moving to Liverpool has only brought more success for me. I feel more confident knowing that there isn’t that nasty stigma of ‘men shouldn't wear makeup’.

“The people of Belfast are probably one of the most supportive groups of people you’ll ever meet, my business wouldn’t be what it is today without those people back there supporting me and pushing me to do my best.

“It's just the toxic masculinity and the horrible stereotypes I wanted to move past from.

"I don’t think my business would have grown to what it is now, there are just more opportunities here and this is why many young people are deciding to move here."

Ste wanted to encourage others to make their dreams a reality by starting their own businesses.

He said: "Remember that everything that’s best for you is scary at first but once you get over that hurdle you can take on anything."

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