What’s happening in Sensoria this month…

Always be prepared.

In more than thirty years in the beauty industry, I have found that the key to happy clients and great skin is to treat each person holistically and individually. One client may benefit from a course

of skin treatments alone, while another may benefit more from skin treatments interspersed with massage – especially if signs of stress are showing in the face. Relaxation treatments like massage are often overlooked in the run-up to an important event, but they are often just as important as the more results- driven treatments. We often use reflex points on the feet to add additional benefit to our treatments, too.

As soon as you know there is a special event coming up, you should speak to your therapist, as some treatments – such as skin needling or wrinkle- softening injections – require more forward planning than others to show results. It can take almost a year for the best results of skin needling to appear, while wrinkle-softening injections can take from two weeks to four months, depending on wrinkle depth.

Also, don’t just think of your face – consider the body areas that are going to be on show: back, cleavage, arms. The back and upper chest areas are often neglected and may need some intense exfoliation to refine the skin texture, so think about some professional body exfoliation or microdermabrasion to revitalise hard to reach areas.

There may be areas of your body with excessive hair growth which needs addressing too. Expert waxers can quickly whisk away unwanted hair, leaving smooth and silky skin; but for long-term hair management, IPL (intense pulsed light) is often the answer. A course of six treatments is required (one treatment each month), so again, plan ahead. And, of course, never be tempted to have an eyebrow wax too close to an event; choose threading or tweezing instead, just in case you experience a reaction to the heat.

If sandals or open-toe shoes are to be worn, your feet will need attention, too. There is nothing more unattractive than cracked heels, so regular pedicures are a must if your feet are going to be on show. Did you know that persistent cracked heels can be a sign of insufficient intake of zinc, vitamin E and essential omega 3 fatty acids? If that is the case, it will take time to correct this and see the results. We often use a fruit acid peel on areas of persistent hard skin, as there is evidence to suggest that friction from regular buffing with conventional hard skin removal methods can lead to increased build up of hard skin. The peel literally dissolves unwanted hard skin to leave the area smooth and fresh.

Once the preparation is complete it’s time for the finishing touches. Nothing beats expertly applied make-up for its longevity, but if you don’t have time for make-up on the day, expert lessons can help you recreate the same look on your own; even the most popular eye makeup trend of the moment, ‘smokey eyes’, is achievable with practice.

Well-defined brows can make a huge difference to how well-groomed you look, particularly as brows are very ‘in vogue’ at the moment. We love HD Brows for the dramatic change it can make, regardless of a client’s age or colouring – and, after all, well-designed brows can often create the effect of having had a mini-facelift if done properly.

So, whatever the occasion, plan well ahead and everything will soon fall into place. Having said that, if you happen to be reading this and you’re thinking ‘Help! I’ve left it too late’ – don’t panic – there’s still lots that can be achieved!