Posts belonging to Category 'Beauty Salon'

Day Spa Review: Dermalogica Power Active Facial @ Revive Day Spa, Mount Hawthorn, Perth.

I was recently treated to an ultra-luxe facial by the lovely ladies at Revive Day Spa in Mount Hawthorn, using the crème de la crème of Dermalogica products matched specifically to my skin concerns.

I arrived a bit early and chilled out with a herbal tea in Revive’s lounge area before my therapist, Kelly, came to collect me.

♥ Revive Day Spa Foyer

Revive is super clean and sanitary, without feeling hospital-like. There was just the right amount of pretty scent perfuming the room and the music was at a good volume with a playlist of easy-listening tunes. Hey, first impressions are important!!

I explained to Kelly that I had easily upset combination skin. I also had a ton of breakouts around my chin and cheeks that I wanted to magically erase. She took a closer look at my skin under a magnifying glass and suggested I try Dermalogica’s UltraCalming range along with products from the AGE smart range to gently resurface my skin and balance its pH levels.

♥ Dermalogica Products

My facial started with a gentle steam to open up my pores. The AGE smart MultiVitamin Thermofoliant, a heat-activated exfoliant with salicylic acid, was then applied to gently dissolve dead skin cells. I could feel a bit of tingling around the more sensitive areas of my face, but it wasn’t uncomfortable and if anything, a sure sign the product was doing its thing!

The UltraCalming Cleanser was very gentle and followed by the MultiVitamin Power Recovery Masque, which gave my skin a generous helping of antioxidants to boost its tone and re-hydrate the drier areas of my face. I was delighted when Kelly asked me if I would mind if she gave me a hand and foot massage while the masque was on – it was so relaxing that I very nearly fell asleep.

After a spritz of the UltraCalming Mist to calm my redness and sensitivity, Kelly massaged the UltraCalming Serum Concentrate into my skin. The serum is said to work below the surface to help minimise irritation.

Finally, my skin was re-hydrated with the UltraCalming Ultra Sensitive Tint spf30 to protect my skin from the bright sun outside while providing some light coverage. My eye area is quite dry, so Kelly used the very moisturising AGE Smart Multivitamin Power Firm eye cream.

I was left to unwind and come ever-so-close to falling asleep again, before getting ready to face the real world with a brand new, glowing complexion!

Kelly explained that I’d see some more break-outs in the coming days due to the products she’d used drawing out the impurities. She was spot on (pun intended) and my skin did purge for about a week, but I’ve seen a huge improvement since then. This is also thanks to some Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel samples Kelly gave me. The product works wonders in reducing redness and making the recovery process quick when break-outs strike and went straight onto my Christmas wish list after only two uses!

Overall, the facial provided me with a great idea of which Dermalogica products work well with my skin and the team at Revive were incredibly informative about what each product was designed to do. While I haven’t got the budget to overhaul my entire skincare routine with Dermalogica products, the Revive ladies were very helpful in explaining which products would make the most difference in my current routine.

Reviewed by Gemma Clark, a pale, sensitive and fair-haired skincare junkie.

Be well,

xoxo

Perth Beauty Treatment Review: AVIVA City Collection Spray Tan at Shredded, Floreat.

All my experiences of spray tanning are via my family, some of whom have made some dreadful orangey-choices regarding their colours. I myself have never done it. I’m a very, very translucent pale white, and it seemed impossible that it was something I could investigate and still fall into “pale” territory, and therefore it was with some trepidation I visited Megan at Shredded in Floreat for a layer of AVIVA City Collection tan, images of Snooki dancing in my brain.

The colour chosen was Hollywood, which was a gold spectrum. I’d erroneously believed that the three colours were shades – light, medium, dark – and thus learned they were actually spectrums on their own, the shade being chosen by the amount applied and how long it is left on the skin before being washed off. Hollywood was golden, Miami was bronzed and Vegas was chocolately/latte. Since I’m the pale type and I’d clarified that I only wanted to tone down the glow a little, I was advised to leave the product on for 30 minutes before washing off.

I left Shredded sticky, smelling a bit like a barbeque and with seams of brown dye collecting on the inside of my elbows. After washing it off I was honestly surprised (because I’m a pessimist) at how even and seamless the tan was. I’d opted for the disposable g-string as opposed to my own underwear, and while it was awkward during the session (naked in paper underwear in front of a full length mirror and a stranger) I was glad once I saw the finished product. The untanned areas (i.e. two tiny strips over my hips) were startlingly white, which was my proof that it had taken. The tan was a subtle one, and not particularly obvious on my skin – my face looked paler than usual and I looked more toned than I otherwise would. The areas of my body that are usually glaringly translucent – inner elbows, boobs, collarbones – were all glossed over, bringing me back to a human colour and making me look less sick than I had previously.

Sadly it’s not intended to be a longterm fix – five days later and I’m more or less back to the shade I was, but for events and quick-fix spray tanning, this is a really nice option. Megan was really lovely and professional, and the process (while tickly) was very easy. If I were the Spring Races type, I daresay this would have been my first port of call – as it is I really enjoyed my brief stint of being handsomely (pale) golden.
The City Collection is $40 an application, cheaper for Shredded members. Give them a call on 9284 0144 for finer details!

Have you tried an AVIVA tan before? Where is your favourite place in Perth to get a spray tan? Leave a comment below!

Review by Suzanne from Don’t They Know Who I Am?

Be well,

xoxo

Perth Eyebrow Threading Review: Minu Threading, Subiaco Markets & Innaloo!

♥ Minu Threading ♥

I have wanted to write an article about threading for a really long time. The first time it entered my mind was when I had first discovered threading. Amazed at the way my non-existent eyebrows looked after just one appointment, I thought to myself- I must spread the word– much like an old time explorer discovering new land (or so I like to think). A year on, and I’m still met with blank looks when I mention my luscious brows are threaded, and thus the desire to write the article has returned!

Threading is a hair removal technique originating from India and Central Asia.

Unlike plucking, which removes one hair at a time, threading removes an entire line of hair with the use of cotton, which leaves a cleaner, more precise shape. Eyebrow threading is also a lifesaver for those women who are allergic to wax or are taking medication for their skin. That’s as technical as I can get about threading; I think the best way to understand what it is, is to see it in action. And because I know you all love a good before and after, I’ve taken one for the team, and bared my naked brow for you all to see. Enjoy!

1. The dreaded before photo

2. Minu tending to my unruly brows

3. Holding the skin around the eye taught for Minu

6. I like to get a very dark and thick tint put on my brow, it helps define the shape!

7. Ahhhh back to my nice thick brows.

I have been visiting my threader, Minu, for nearly a year now. Minu has a salon at the Station Street Subiaco Markets on Friday Saturday and Sunday and then during the week she is based in the Innaloo shopping centre. Minu and her team are fast, gentle and listen to your eyebrow (and other beauty) needs. Eyebrow threading isn’t painless, and getting your top lip done hurts like the dickens, but the regrowth is finer, the damge to your skin is negligible, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper then visiting the salon for a wax. If you still arent convinced don’t hesitate to pop down to the subiaco markets and see Minu and her team in action!

Tell us…Have you had your eyebrows threaded before? Have you had the pleasure of meeting Minu before? Leave a comment below with your experiences!

Minu’s salon can be found at Shop 11, 52 station street, Subiaco, Perth.
She also has a Facebook page!

Review by Jacqui Bradfield, Makeup artist, Croissant eater & threading obsess-ee!

Be well,

xoxo

Day Spa Review: Hydrodermabrasion at Bodhi J Health + Beauty Spa, Wembley, Perth.

My skincare routine has really been ramping up lately. I’ve started a course of LED light treatments at mi:skn (15 minutes of blue light to kill acne bacteria, then 15 minutes of red light to rejuvenate the skin and get the blood flowing), have been seeing a lovely naturopath, Marnie Downer, for the past 6 weeks who has prescribed me some hormone balancing herbal remedies (more on this to come!), have been drinking copious amounts of green juices and water – and am about to get back into exercise in a serious manner by way of a new personal trainer!!

The next step was to try something I’d been wanting to experience for a long time – microdermabrasion! Buoyed by all the positive reviews our other contributors have had (check ’em out here, here and here!), I was super excited to try hydradermabrasion – which is microdermabrasion, with a h20 twist!

♥ ♥ ♥

My experience started with a deluxe treat, a 90 minute ‘Retreat for One‘ that was my gift for starting a new full-time job last month. This is one of my all time favourite pamper sessions, I recommend it to everyone.

But back to the facial: it starts with an orchid filled, dimly lit room. My head resting on one of the comfiest pillows of all time, with another pillow under my knees and a deliciously cosy blanket – no chance of getting chilly here!

I have combination skin, so my face is cleansed with the Sodashi Clay Cleanser with Lime (this is the one I use at home too) to balance it out.

Next, the microdermabrasion machine comes out to play, it’s kind of like the tube at the dentist which sucks up your saliva, but with a little abrasive brush on the tube so the dead skin cells are brushed off then sucked up like magic. The second part of the process is where the hydro comes in, it feels a bit like a cats rough tongue as the tiny stream of high-pressured water is applied and then sucked up, flushing the pores clean with pure water.

At this point I touched my skin and it felt SMOOTH. Smoother than I have ever felt it. I didn’t have too long to think about that though, as the Sodashi Recovery Boost was applied, along with a calming mask to reduce any redness (which was minimal). My scalp was then whisked to heaven with a dreamy massage… at this point I was struggling to stay awake, and as the hot towels enveloped my face to take off the mask, I felt like snuggling into the bed and staying there all day.

♥ The Bodhi J Relaxation Lounge

Unluckily for me there were other people with much deserved pamper time waiting for their time in the gorgeous room, so with a hydrating Sodashi serum applied, I dragged myself out of there and into the comfortable relaxation lounge for a cup of mint & chamomile tea, a strawberry and some reflection on the blissful 2.5 hours (including my retreat for one) that had just passed.

The verdict? My skin LOVED the hydrodermabrasion. 24 hours+ later, it’s still feeling super smooth. My chin is prone to some pimples, and it hasn’t cleared those up, but the rest of my skin is looking great and I’ll definitely be adding microdermabrasion to my skin maintenance routine 4-5 times a year.

The Hydrodermabrasion treatment is valued at $140 and was provided complimentary for review, read our review policy here!

Find out more about Bodhi J Health + Beauty spa on their website.

Have you tried microdermabrasion before? What about hydrodermabrasion? I’d love to hear anyone elses experience with either of these treatments!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Beauty Treatment Review: Diamond Flower Peel at Willow Advanced Beauty Therapy, Jindalee, Perth.

The Diamond Flower Peel system at Willow Advanced Beauty Therapy in Jindalee is a first for Perth, and the buzz that it’s generated is considerable. As something of a microdermabrasion novice (I’ve had it done, without really knowing what it was), it took me a little puzzling to clarify the difference between regular microdermabrasion and DFPS – in layman’s terms, the material that comes in contact with the skin is organically sourced, thus gentler, and comes in three options: Lavender for sensitive skin, Rose for older or dehydrated skin, and Tea Tree for oily or acne prone skin.

Lauren (my ultra friendly beautician and proprietor) recommended Lavender for my oily, sensitive skin – she also explained that depending on my skins response to this session, we could switch to Tea Tree in a later session.

The options are based on more than scent, though – the small, airborne particles in the microdermabrasion handset are also derived from the plant chosen, meaning that everything going on your face is naturally derived – and hygienic, the particles are ejected and collected in a waste chamber on the machine.

The treatment commences much like a normal facial – a deep cleanse, toning, light exfoliation, then the microdermabrasion. Lauren used a tool that was similar to a narrow air chamber with a suction nozzle on the end – the idea being that a circle of skin is gently sucked into the air chamber, where the flying particles within remove the dead layer of skin and polish the new layer beneath. Afterwards Lauren put a mask on me, massaged me (I’ve had shoulder massages and hand massages, but I had NO IDEA arm massages were so good) and applied serum, eye cream and moisturiser. It’s roughly a one hour session, in a low-lit room, under a heated blanket. And yes, it was just as awesome as it sounds.

We’d ascertained fairly early that I was far more touch-sensitive than product sensitive, so I emerged rather pink – but my skin felt really plump and refreshed, and I was extremely mellow all the way home. You really can’t overestimate the wellbeing you get from just an hour of being tended to – massage, facial, whatever. Once my skin had paled back out, over the next few days I noticed how easily makeup slid on and stayed put, and how much more easily it removed. My face felt and looked – tighter, and had more of an even tone than it usually does.

Microdermabrasion traditionally takes place over a set number of courses, and I can only imagine the results after a full six. This is a process I’d absolutely be happy to do a full row set of when my skins looking dull – beyond brightening and lifting the skin, it’s a full on sensory luxury. Visit Lauren in the Jindalee clinic for a similarly blissed out experience.

Lauren has also extended a Microdermabrasion special to Wellness WA readers – book in for a six-session run and pay $540, a hefty saving of $210

Add a product infusion treatment to the procedure and pay $700, saving $380. This is good stuff, kids. Give them a call on 9562 7362 and tell em Wellness WA sent you.

Review by Suzanne from Don’t They Know Who I Am?

Do you like the look of this treatment? Fancy having some flowers on your face? Let us know in the comments below!

Be well,

xoxo