Beauty bar - December 2007

The globetrotters return

Safely home! So much to share with you about the beauty world. Over the past year we have looked closely at treatments and products in the USA and Europe. While there are a lot of interesting trends out there, there are an even greater number of fads, some of them untested yet hailed as latest and best. Women are faced with 3 main choices that they don't see as fads and each direction has its followers - the knife, traditions and science.

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Women in Los Angeles, in fact even young girls in LA, are undergoing surgical procedures and very serious peels to meet the challenges of being "imperfect" and ageing. There is evidence everywhere that more mature women might have had too many procedures and too many visits to the solarium or sunbathing. Yet interestingly this is the city of yoga, cleansing diets, strict exercise regimes and meditation. Very confusing!

On the other side of the continent in New York, the approach is much more akin to the European way of skin care - what we call the "natural meets science" approach to skincare, much less sun exposure, good quality products (superceuticals are popular), a requirement that their spa therapist be able to really diagnose skin not just sell, an emphasis on programs for skin, and a weekly visit for manicures and pedicures (and the hairdresser). Yet they do impulse buy. The result is a very high level of grooming. New Yorkers are strict about not smoking and less inclined to visit the surgeon.

English women like it all to be simple. They are very much attracted to natural looks and organic ingredients. The continent is different again. French women may not get fat (we think that is more the serious incidental exercise of the metro and the work life balance they refuse to surrender) but they still are very serious smokers and sunworshippers. They are loyal to their own cosmetic brands like Guinot and Carita but are starting to look at superceuticals with interest.

Hungary was the big surprise. The beauty salon is rarely an attractive environment but the therapists are very highly trained - they know the intricacies of the relationship between what goes into the body and onto the skin and the result. Water treatments are everywhere and mineral and mud baths are supreme - a part of everyone's wellness routine. These are the detox queens! Most of the valued organic ingredients for products come from here too (especially rosehip).

So what does this all mean? We found women everywhere are looking for ways to ensure they have great skin and they are finding solutions ranging from invasive to subtle and they are doing so with a similar fervour - surprisingly though no nationality really stood out as more interested than any other in beauty, just a difference in how to be beautiful. It confirmed for us our belief that the best decisions are being made when clients have the best information about everything and the best information does not come from ads and department store counters. It comes from honest, well trained and knowledgeable therapists educated with professional and cosmeceutical products ensuring great results.

Wishing you the best with your results!

Outshine Salon and Day Spas are dedicated to non surgical best results utilising the latest products and technologies, and will create an individual and effective program for you.

Karen & Penny Outshine Salon and Day Spa w www.outshine.com.au James Street Fortitude Valley 3252 2882 Market Complex West End 3846 0062