Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Beauty, North East, Uncategorized

HydraFacial MD at Newcastle Hair & Beauty Clinic

Every so often a beauty treatment comes along which revolutionises our approach to skincare; the HydraFacial, ladies and gentlemen, is one of those treatments. Cue space age music…..

Designed primarily to restore health to your skin, the HydraFacial is a specialist six step, non-invasive facial treatment which requires no downtime.  That’s right folks, this is one you can have on your lunch break and you’re guaranteed to see a difference the very same day.

So, who is it for?  You’re used to selecting your facial based on your age, skin type, expected outcome etc. right?  Well the HydraFacial flips that approach on its head because it’s suitable for everyone – any age, any skin type, anyone.  Because skin health is the primary objective, anyone can benefit from this innovative treatment.

The hype around this treatment has been huge, with Karren Brady, a long-standing fan of the treatment, fronting the latest campaign, the HydraFacial has become a staple treatment for TV Presenters looking for “HD skin”.  And it’s not only TV Presenters who are HydraFacial converts, with a celebrity following including Beyonce, Kate Winslet, Suki Waterhouse, Brittany Snow and Eva Mendes, surely their glowing skin is testament to the HydraFacial (and admittedly maybe a little Photoshop).

Newcastle Hair and Beauty Clinic approached me to road test the treatment and see if it lived up to the hype and I admit I was a little skeptical.  A treatment not aimed at any particular skin type which claims to target:

  • Fine lines & Wrinkles
  • Elasticity and Firmness
  • Skintone, Evenness and Vibrancy
  • Skin Texture
  • Hyperpigmentation / Photo Damage
  • Oily / Congested Skin
  • Enlarged Pores
  • Advanced Signs of Ageing

….Pretty bold claims, even for a fancy looking machine.

So with skin health on my agenda, I set off to the clinic fresh from the gym to be pampered.  My designated Facial Therapist, Kayleigh, took me up to the top floor to a light an airy suite with lots of natural light and talked me through the six steps which make up the HydraFacial treatment:

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 The treatment, although it sounds weirdly futuristic and scientific, is actually very relaxing.  It started (and finished) with a hand-held tool (and a machine that looks like a robot from the future) used to create a vacuum seal on your skin to encourage lymphatic drainage and open up pores, the light suction on the surface of the skin is strangely soothing.  Kayleigh regularly chips in with information about the science behind the treatment and how it was developed as well as the benefits I’m likely to see over the coming days including softer, smoother and more radiant skin.
The treatment takes around 40 minutes to complete and in that time, unless I hadn’t read up on it in advance, I’d have had no idea that I was being extracted, peeled and exfoliated with the Doctor Who like gadget; the whole experience is relaxing, soothing and pain-free (in fact, I may even have fallen asleep at one point but then that’s pretty standard for me).  When Kayleigh begins the Vortex-Boost phase of the treatment which aims to “push” nutrients and peptides directly into the freshly peeled skin, there’s a cooling sensation and my skin feels as if it’s physically plumping and in my head I’m convinced that it actually is…..
At the end of the treatment, Kayleigh tells me my skin is glowing, I’m asked to sit up slowly and handed a mirror.  I’m actually really surprised at the visible difference after just one HydraFacial treatment, my skin is definitely brighter and it looks fresh and clean.  Like Kayleigh said, it’s definitely glowing and it feels like baby skin.
Kayleigh points out specific areas of my skin and tells me exactly what’s been done, which are areas of concern and advises that I must drink lots of water and wear SPF for the next few days to protect my freshly exposed skin.  As I make my way down to the clinic reception, the Therapists come out from behind the counter to coo over my glowing complexion and they tell me that I look “radiant” so naturally I leave with a smile on my face and a spring in my step.  Later that evening, I attended a big showcase event at Bonbar in Newcastle and I went make up free (something I never do unless I’m working out) to avoid clogging up my freshly decongested pores because my skin looked so good.
Arriving for the treatment (Straight from the Boxing Gym)
Having way too much fun after the treatment with no make up
The HydraFacial is something that can be done as a one-off treatment for a special occasion or event and unlike other facials, you’re not likely to suffer a breakout in the following days, in fact, quite the opposite, skin is said to improve the day following the treatment.  It can also be “prescribed” as a course if you have problem skin, or a particular issue you’d like to work on such as acne or rosacea but it’s pricey – it’s serious stuff and there’s actual real life science to back up its claims.  In London the HydraFacial is available (and regularly snapped up) and an eye-watering £230 per treatment and the cast of Made in Chelsea are regular devotees.  However up here in the North East, the treatment is brand spanking new and Newcastle Hair and beauty Clinic are offering it for £120; that’s not a special offer or a discounted price, that’s just the regular price Voyeurs.
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Staff member at NH&BC after one HydraFacial Treatment
One thing I have to hand to Newcastle Hair and Beauty Clinic is their knowledge, and enthusiasm for each new treatment they add to their already impressive menu –  the Therapists here are passionate about beauty and they’re excited to learn about new and innovative beauty treatment methods.  They’re a long time collaborator of mine and there’s a reason for that – I trust their expertise, and so should you.  The clinic is the longest standing beauty clinic in the City and with a few recessions and some hard times hitting the UK over the years, that’s a pretty impressive feat.
Pixie x
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Categories: Uncategorized

Love Niche Fashion Event

To say that Nisha Vedhara, Designer and Director of style studio; Love Niche is passionate about her job is an understatement.  Nisha grew up around fashion, her mum was a designer in India and Nisha absorbed as much as she could before bringing her own designs to the UK and setting up her boutique Love Niche.

Nestled in the heart of über trendy Newcastle city centre, Nisha owns and runs Love Niche Studio, a small but achingly stylish boutique on Clayton Street which not only stocks and sells clothes, but also offers a personal styling service for clients old and new.  Nisha travels to Italy, France and India to personally select the pieces that make up the Love Niche collection.  Anyone can access the service, you don’t have to be in the upper echelons of the fashion elite to be styled by Nisha, you just need to be able to get to the studio and she’ll do the rest.  Simples.

Newcastle is now considered soooo cosmopolitan that it has its own annual Fashion Week in May and in the run up to NFW the city turns its urban cool dial up a notch in preparation.  As the event draws nearer the North’s fashionistas begin to up their game.  It’s no surprise then that on March 30th, Newcastle’s Fash Pack, myself included of course, assembled in trendy nightspot Bonbar for a fashion event that’s become an annual hot ticket.  Hosted by Love Niche, in association with Hooker and Young Hairdressers, Terry de Havilland and North East glossy; La Di Da magazine, the relatively new event is always a very slick presentation.

Guests were greeted on arrival by hostesses and handed a goodie bag and given the option to purchase deluxe raffle tickets, a dedicated selfie area complete with Love Niche background, gold picture frames and flower crowns was set up in the entrance for show goers to tweet and Instagram their pictures.

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I arrived at 7.55pm wearing a Jean-Pierre Braganza denim jumpsuit and L.A.M.B. heels, fashionably late as it were, (the invite said 7.30pm) and the venue was already packed with TV personalities, models, bloggers, editors and people just generally inspired by and passionate about fashion and style.  Guests ordered from a bespoke drinks menu created specially for the event and sampled canapés from silver trays strewn with gorgeous flowers provided by The Scene Setter, the same company who created those gorgeous flower crowns.

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The evening opened with a talk on style; Nisha is passionate about style and shares the opinion of Gabrielle Chanel: “Fashion comes and goes, but style is eternal”.  When she speaks it’s easy to see that she is the driving force behind her own brand and that she is truly about female empowerment.  she passionately tells the audience that it’s definitely “not about size” the way that so much of the fashion industry is and that it’s more about “a feeling”.

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The show itself features some of Nisha’s own designs as well as items which are stocked in the Love Niche boutique, it opens with resortwear and models in bikinis and kaftans in glorious colours walk the makeshift runway which traverses the entire bar area ensuring that everyone can see what’s on offer.  The hair is divine; fishtail plaits looped back on themselves topped with flower crowns handmade specially for the event.

As we move into daywear it becomes apparent that Nisha is not about one particular movement or segment of fashion, there’s something here for everyone.  From the dedicated fashionista to the 9-5 office worker and everyone in-between, we’re all catered for.  The next section of the show is all about “achievable glamour”.  think fifties style printed co-ords with bare midriffs, wide legged trousers giving a nod to riviera chic and a DIVINE one shouldered red pannier dress that could have sauntered off the Dior SS15 runway, (I’ll definitely be popping in to the studio for a closer look at that one) all topped off with a line of oversized sunglasses.

The final phase of the show was real high-octane glamour.  Full length gowns, sequin covered disco ball frocks, and show-stopping frothy floor sweepers.  As the show draws to a close, the line out showcases those amazing red carpet worthy frocks one last time and attention is drawn to Nisha as she appears on the stage in a figure hugging black dress to take her bow.  She thanks everyone and makes an emotional statement about how overwhelmed she is at the support for tonight’s event.

As far as event dressing goes, Love Niche has you covered.  I don’t think I’ve seen such an extensive range of red carpet style gowns available in the North East and with a range of accessories carefully sourced and selected to match, you really do have a one-stop shop with Love Niche, and it’s right in the centre of Newcastle.  Whether you have a prom coming up, an event, wedding or just a big night and you want to go all out in the style stakes, Love Niche is certainly worth a visit.  You’ll find that there’s something for every price range, from high street to high-end and you’re likely to end up with something pretty unique.

Fun, Fashion, Friends and Flower crowns all in one night, what more could a girl want?  Oh yes and I won a raffle prize too….

Pixie x

To find out more visit Love Niche online at:

www.love-niche.com

www.lovenichelondon.com

Want to engage with Love Niche on social media?

Twitter: @LoveNiche & @LoveNicheLondon

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/LoveNicheStudio

P.S. After having my actual camera stolen at London fashion Week I was left using my iPhone, hence the pictures of my (über cool) “Collective” and I!  I promise to update with pictures of the models as soon as I can get hold of them!

 

 

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