- Left Manchester life behind
- Fell for Dubai’s glamour
- Now setting up Aura beauty salon
- Switched to island slow living
- TikTok and Instagram in the mix
- Pushing for more events
Rosie Routledge introduces herself simply: ‘My name is Rosie. I am 27 years old.’
She has moved from Dubai to the Isle of Man and says she is setting up a beauty salon on the island, aiming to bring ‘nice luxury treatments’ in ‘a very nice salon’ with a ‘Dubai vibe’.
Before Dubai, she was living in Manchester, but says she ‘was just getting extremely bored’ and felt she wanted to ‘switch it up quite a lot’.
A few holiday trips persuaded her to take the plunge.
‘After going on a holiday there a couple of times, I fell in love with the lifestyle, the glitz and glam, all of that,’ she says, describing Dubai as ‘very luxury lifestyle’ and ‘very dressed to impress’.
The Isle of Man, by contrast, is about pace and proximity.
Rosie says her parents have had a family home on the island for 18 years; her sister wanted to move, her parents decided to come, and she followed.
Being close to family, she says, was the main reason and she insists the decision feels right: ‘I am happy that I moved. I think I made the right choice for me.’
She also speaks warmly about the island’s feel.
In Dubai, she says, ‘everyone’s trying to do the most’.
On the Isle of Man, she describes ‘wholesome vibes’ and a ‘nicer, quieter life’. She adds that the move has changed her interests: she ‘wasn’t interested in nature’ before, but now says she ‘really do appreciate those things’.
Rosie is realistic about what she is (and is not) trying to be online.
She says she would describe herself as ‘more content creator’, posting on TikTok and Instagram and sharing ‘nice restaurants’ and ‘fun activities to do’.
The aim, she says, is practical: to help local businesses reach people who make decisions visually and online, at a time when she has heard warnings about hospitality struggling.
Alongside the salon, she and her sister have also set up a female networking group to bring women together with different events.
Rosie argues the island can still feel isolating, particularly for newcomers outside of work, and says a friend of her sister left after a few months because she did not make friends.
For Rosie, that is part of the case for more regular events and different nights out, beyond the usual routine.
She also notes the island’s contrasts: while it is quieter than Dubai, she says there is visible wealth, pointing to ‘lots of beautiful houses’, and adds, ‘I think it’s also a tax haven here, I do believe’. She also says she ‘really, really loves’ Peel and enjoys the island’s history, especially the castles.
