...And Women Are From Venus

Last night, I was invited by my favourite facialist in the UK (never mind Sussex) to road test a new treatment that she now offers.  Karin King is based in Crawley and understands how to improve skin like nobody I know.  Her clients aren't just local, some travel from up to 50 miles away to have her tend to their faces, but there's a problem with this new treatment she's now promoting.  So good is her work on clients who have been with her for years that they just don't need the treatment, hence she's asked me to review in order to showcase what it can do.  I haven't had time to see Karin regularly for years, meaning my skin is perfect in her view....

The new treatment is called Venus Freeze (www.venustreatments.com) and the machine costs as much as a deposit on a small flat.  The idea is that it can smooth out lines, wrinkles, jaw lines, cellulite and baggy arms without having to resort to surgery.  Now, Botox and face lifts are not for me (personal choice, I don't want to undertake major surgery for something quite so flippant) but I'm all up for testing anything that can achieve similar results without a knife or needle.

Venus Freeze is a non-invasive treatment that combines Radio Frequency and Magnetic Pulses giving it the ability to access deep layers of the skin to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin which helps cell renewal and skin to plump, smoothing out wrinkles.
 

Karin King and her lovely Venus Freeze machine

When I arrived Karin took a couple of before photos which are so hideous I can't bring myself to post (after the course of treatment I may post the after, which should be less hideous).  She then coated my face in a layer of glycerin, which conducts the heat and allows the tool to move smoothly over the skin's surface.

Using a heated rod to raise the temperature of the skin to a reasonable level, Karin drew a figure of eight across the area she was working on with the rod so that my skin got quite hot.  It needs to so that the layers underneath start to repair and bring blood in to do so, which helps create the collagen and elastin.

The heat is absolutely fine on most parts, but does get very hot on bony places such as the forehead, upper lip etc.  However, the heat is adjusted here to make it acceptable.  Once Karin has been over all areas the magnetic phase kicks in to complete the treatment.  To be honest, I can't remember what the magnetic bit did but it was a lot cooler and so very pleasant.

At the end of the treatment I could definitely notice a difference in the bags under my eyes, my jowl lines and my forehead.  However, the best chance to see a difference will be tomorrow as the repairing kicks in.

Overall, I'm impressed.  This machine is FDA approved which is incredibly difficult to achieve, it's the first machine Karin has bought in 15 years because she didn't need to and it's used by a Lister Hospital dermatologist in his private practise.  Someone must be doing something right.

Clearly, it's not cheap but once you've had a course of 6 you only need one every 2-6 months, depending on your skin.  I've signed up for a course as my skin needs some serious TLC and no one is more honest about what works than Karin.  She's the only clinic in Sussex to have Venus Freeze at present so it's either her or up to London if you want to try.  My advice is go to Karin as you'll get someone who gives about your skin, rather than just taking your money.  If you'd like to know more call her on 01293 537007 as I know she's doing some open evenings on this so get yourself booked in, but my advice is to avoid her taking the before photos - frankly, they do nothing for a girl's self esteem.

The Pleasure in Beauty

THE PLEASURE OF BEAUTY  

I’m lucky enough to count Jane Cunningham (britishbeautyblogger.com) as one of my beauty industry friends and we chat about what beauty means to us.  She brought up that sometimes we buy beauty products not because they necessarily do anything for our skin, but because of the genuine pleasure their presence on the bathroom shelf gives us.   Here are my personal beauty thrills that go above and beyond what it says on the tin.

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil

Just read the reviews for this product and you will see how amazing it is, but the real pleasure goes beyond that.   When it touches your skin the delicious fragrance of almonds is released but it feels like oil.  However, on contact with water it turns milky and becomes the softest foaming cleanser that I’ve tried – heaven.

Price: £17.50, 250ml

Stockist: uk.loccitane.com

L’Occitane Divine Cream

No apology for two L’Occitane products, they earned their places.  The pleasure in this product is immense.  The fragrance, the feel, the beautiful opaque yellow glass jar and the tiny gold spoon make a ceremony out of moisturizer that often isn’t there.  Oh, I rate the contents too.

Price:  £72.00

Stockist: uk.loccitane.com

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Bath Oil

Jo Malone epitomizes the pleasure that beauty gives without us even trying the product as no woman would be disappointed to see this brand on their birthday.  It is the ultimate gifting brand and so the ultimate brand to understand the pleasure in beauty products.  For me, nothing beats their Orange Blossom Bath Oil – It’s the Cote d’Azur in a bottle at the side of my bath.

Price:  £38.00

Stockist: jomalone.co.uk

Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour in Mademoiselle

Much of Chanel beauty is the thrill in having part of this iconic brand in your handbag.  The double “C’s”, the black case, the satisfying click as the lipstick case closes – international luxury in my little world. 

Price: £25.00

Stockist: Boots.com

Bare Minerals Precision Face Brush

I use Kabuki and shadow brushes all the time, but I got this when I recently tried Bare Minerals Foundation.  It is a game changer.  This brush has packed bristles and a chunky feel that makes it solid when you use it. I just know the results are going to be great however poor my workmanship.

Price:  £24.00

Stockist: bareminerals.co.uk

Clarins Bronzing Duo SPF 15 Mineral Powder Compact

I could have picked any of my Clarins compacts for this piece as they are all an immense pleasure to use.  From the velour case the compact comes in, to the case itself (gold for eyes, tortoiseshell here), Clarins have made pressed powders an experience that lifts the mundane into something really special.  We’re not just bronzing here, we’re getting sun-kissed by minerals.

Price:  £28.00

Stockist: clarins.co.uk

ME & MY HAIRDRESSER

It’s true that women form close relationships with their hairdresser and what we confide in them is often eye-opening.  My lovely neighbour, Sally, recommended Chris at Rush Chichester to me for colour as I was looking like a stripy tiger from my current woman, who was lovely, lovely, lovely, but not very good.  Initially I was sceptical.  I don’t really like salon chains; I feel that if you go to a salon with the owner in it you get a better service as it's their reputation on the line.  But Chris genuinely is the owner of Rush Chichester, it just happens to be part of a chain so that was me back in my box.   He is also International Colour Director for all 60 Rush salons and travels the world as an educator, so it’s pretty hard to catch him in but once you get him, you realise why you’ve waited.  I work in the notoriously hard-nosed beauty industry and when you have national beauty journalists consistently compliment you on your hair colour, you know you’re onto a good thing.  So, putting our deep, dark secrets to one side (yes, the ones that the rest of the salon listen into as we cackle away over coffee in our corner), I thought we’d find out more about this International Talent who is right on our doorstep and his fantastic team in Chichester.

Q:  Chris, I know that you grew up in Sussex (his Dad designed Walburton Village Hall) but why did you choose to open a salon in Chichester?

A:  I didn’t just grow up in Sussex, I grew up in Chichester.  I went to school here, went out here and so once I decided to open my own salon Chichester was the most obvious place as I know the people and I love it.

Q:  How did you go from being a regular colour technician to not only International Colour Director for Rush but also Schwarzkopf Professional Colour Technician of the Year in 2009? 

A lot of hard work!  Once qualified I started to teach, then I did my first model and then my first show.  After that, a friend and I used to do models each morning before work and take them across to show the art team.   They got so fed up that they created two shows a year for us to lead a new, young art team and I did my first international show on my 21^st birthday.

Q:  Colour can be really difficult to get right.  If we’re doing colour at home or we’re coming into a salon, what should we ask for and look for?

A:  It is difficult and it’s a matter of personal taste.  If you’re in a salon ask for advice.  If they don’t have any then they are probably not very experienced.  You need someone who engages with what you want and doesn’t dictate as this could also mean that they are set in their ways.  At Rush Chichester we work to create a natural look that is soft, wearable, suits the client’s skin tone and cut.

At home, don’t go for a big change in your hair colour and remember, colour will not lighten previously coloured hair, that’s why salons strip and bleach hair before putting a lighter shade on.  Salons know the process and how to correct at every stage so do be really careful if you attempt this at home.  Go with a quality brand such as L’Oreal for small, overall changes if you want to colour at home.

Q:  If I’m visiting Rush Chichester for the first time, who should I ask for and why?

Julianne is a colour specialist of over 25 years who I met when we were on the Sassoon Art Team together.  Stacey cuts, colours, is an NVQ teacher and was a regional finalist in the L’Oreal Colour Trophy,  Anna is our Colour Director and means we are the only Rush salon in the UK able to train our apprentices in-house.  Anna was also a national finalist in the L’Oreal Colour Trophy and is brilliant at cutting too.   Gianni does the most amazing blow dries and is a cutting/styling expert, Sabrina is a great all rounder and Emily and Abby are just qualifying after two and a half years, they are amazing so don’t think it’s just me that’s experienced!

 Q:  What colours are you predicting for Summer 2014?

A:  Truer Red shades in a move away from the deeper darker shades that have been popular recently.  Brunettes will have cooler, mocha shades but with softer shades through the ends that create a looser more summery feel.  Blondes will have more of a multi-textured highlighted feel that goes with this messy-dressy vibe at the moment in golden, caramel and champagne shades which are far more natural than the icier blondes of late. 

Rush Chichester is at 42 East Street

Prices for cut and blowdry form £39 and Permanent Colour from £58.

To book contact the salon on: T: 01243 885348 or online at www.rush.co.uk

PS this is not a "paid for" post.  I haven't received cash, goods nor services for this, I just genuinely think it's a good salon that strives for excellence and we're lucky to have such a team in Sussex.  Also, Chris is a really decent bloke!