The 7 Beauty Treatments & Trends On Our Most-Wanted List
Apparently rainy La Niña is almost done and dusted, which means we’ll soon be enjoying blue skies, bare skin and summer parties under the stars. Let the skin prep begin!
Inspired by last month’s runway shows and what we’ve observed around town, we’re bringing you 8 skin treatments, wellness experiences and beauty trends to get your glow on in the lead-up to event season. Now some of these are Brisbane-specific, but totally worth a visit if you’re from out of town.
1. The Lunchtime Light Therapy We Can't Get Enough Of
All we know is after 30 minutes we feel like million dollars! Rested, rejuvenated and with glowing skin to boot. At just $59 per session, it’s a something you can treat yourself to without breaking the bank.
While you’re at The Valo, do book in with their lymphatic massage superstar, Helena. A combination of the two treatments could just be a life-changer.
2. The Yoga Studio Of Our Dreams Offering Full-Body Workouts To 80s Music
As a team, we’ve learned that regular movement, stretching and breathwork make life better. Calexico Director Nicky Charman says she’s found the perfect place to move her body while tending to her wellbeing.
Assembly by Aiko is a beautiful space in New Farm combining yoga flow and low-impact full-body workouts with full moon workshops and sound healing sessions.
“It’s been a regular Friday morning ritual I have with my daughter to book a private session with Aiko. It’s cute girl-time bonding, and we absolutely love it. Sometimes my husband Jamie comes along too, which helps with de-stressing and muscle pain,” says Nicky.
Following a lifetime of dance training, Assembly founder Aiko has been a yoga practitioner for 20 years – most recently in NYC teaching the likes of Wendi Murdoch. She returned to her hometown Brisbane to launch Assembly by Aiko, where clients can now benefit from her sixth sense for healthy alignment, posture and strengthening practices.
“With Assembly by Aiko, I’ve created a practice that balances movement and strength training with everything that’s kind to your body. I learned to love movement from an early age, becoming hyper-aware of posture and the importance of breath.”
Aiko’s two signature classes are Assembly – an energetic full-body workout combining cardio, toning and strength training set to a soundtrack of 80s and 90s tunes – and Aflow – a yoga-inspired dynamic flow class that pulls from dance to awaken your body to breath connection. All classes close with healing sound bowls and aromatherapy during the shavasana period of purposeful rest.
3. The Amazing Skin Treatments We're Coveting
Cosmetic physician Dr Linda Williams is a Brisbane icon – some would say Genius with a capital G – who specialises in injectables and other non-surgical skin treatments. Her loyal fans wouldn’t go to anyone else. We asked her about two of her favourite procedures producing amazing results.
- First up, we’re excited to try Linda’s Beauty Booster treatment, which plumps the surface of the skin and stimulates collagen production via a process similar to micro-needling. “Our skin is a bit like a cake mix,” Linda says. “It needs water (hydration) to come together.”
A series of superficial injections (minimally invasive – “like a stamp,” Linda says) infuse the skin with micro-droplets of amino acid-rich hydration just below the surface. “The Beauty Booster is suitable for any age and it lasts around three months,” Linda says. “The best time to do it is before an event.”
- The brand-new treatment Linda is buzzing about is Bio Remodelling – an advanced filler alternative known as the ‘acceptable injectable’ – which has only just arrived in Australia after being available in the UK, Europe and even New Zealand for years.
“If you think of your skin like a neglected garden bed, this treatment is like your fertiliser and watering can in one. Targeting crepey, thin and dry skin, it switches on all your cellular functions again, it switches on your collagen, and it plumps and thickens your skin.
“Bio Remodelling is a series of 10 injections that flow like honey beneath the skin. This is opposed to fillers, which stay in one place. It’s a bit like fluffing a doona by shaking it out. Your body recognises it like it’s natural, so it’s very tolerable and down time is only about 48 hours.”
Call Dr Linda Williams directly to enquire and book on 0417 630 761.
4. The Ultimate Facial Combining Lasers & Luxury
With plenty of fans on both sides of the river, the Laser Facial at Blow Beauty in Albion combines the efficacy of Laser Genesis treatment with the salon’s classic pampering Signature Facial.
As Blow Beauty founder Desiree says: “The Laser Facial combines clinical results with luxury and pampering. At Blow, we know you want both and that’s why we developed this treatment. It’s super-tightening and there’s no down time. Ideal for event prep.
“It starts with two deep cleanses, a thorough skin polish and an enzyme peel before our Genesis laser heats the skin to produce collagen and elastin. We measure the surface temp to ensure we’re in the skin-tightening zone. Then there’s a hyaluronic acid sheet mask for a moisture hit and the treatment ends with Blow Beauty’s famous signature massage.”
5. The Express Facial We're Loving
In the week leading up to an event, our time-poor team are massive fans of the Hydrafacial at Artisan Gasworks in Newstead, Brisbane. All it takes is 45 minutes to completely revive your complexion and stimulate collagen.
A soft suction headpiece removes dirt from pores, deeply cleanses and infuses your skin with rich antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, peptides and other juicy nutrients.
6. The Shiny Disco Eye Make-Up Lighting Us Up
After a few years of subdued eye make-up and a strictly neutral palette, coloured shadow and liner finally made it back to the catwalks recently. We’re talking glitter, rainbow chrome, shimmer and pastel washes.
Happily, the soft-focus ‘cloud skin’ trend we mentioned earlier is the perfect foil for some sparkly eye make-up action. It’s the perfect way to get creative in front of the mirror and look extra-festive at your Christmas and NYE parties.
If you’re a bit colour-shy, the Stila Glisten & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow range at Mecca Cosmetica is foolproof to apply and the perfect gateway to the trend.
7. The Hair Looks We're Screenshotting
These days, there’s no such thing as too much hairspray and we’re here for it! Slicked-back, middle-parted buns and ponies are here to stay, according to all the hairstylists at fashion month.
Other hair trends our team clocked at LFW were slicked, flicked bobs and lobs (think Travis Barker-era Kourtney Kardashian or Deee-Lite if anyone can remember that far back) and the new ‘bixie’ cut – a cute combination of a bob and a pixie cut last seen in the 90s. Picture Natalie Imbruglia in Torn except longer and more polished.
