In the FRAME

Brow by Mii Express Treatments

Mii has created a new Brow by Mii menu of express services to help salons and spas drive further business by offering a larger range of brow services. The 15-minute Shape service sees the therapist perfecting brows with Mii’s professional sculpting wax. In the 20-minute Tidy and Tint, brows are enhanced with a semi-permanent tint and the therapist expertly blends shades to achieve the client’s perfect colour, in addition to tweezing away any stray hairs.

Express Mii is another 20-minute treatment that includes a specialist tint, wax and shape for a super quick brow transformation. Meanwhile, Maintain Mii takes 25 minutes and is designed to maintain perfect brows between the Design Mii treatment, Mii’s full bespoke brow treatment which lasts 45 minutes and comprises an in-depth consultation, followed by tinting, waxing, shaping and finishing.

Gerrard International recommends charging from £15 for the Shape. Call the company on 0345 217 1360

Lash Extend by Nail Harmony

Nail Harmony has entered the lash market with its new, professional brand Lash Extend. After consultation, a gel eye pad is placed on the eyelash rim of the client’s lower eyelid. A soft micro tape is used to keep the pad from shifting and the lower lashes well covered. The client then closes their eyes throughout the treatment.

Oil and grease are removed from the natural lashes using the brand’s protein remover/primer which prepares the lashes for adhesion. The lashes are also blow-dried with a mini hand fan before tweezers are used to spread out the natural lashes, singling them out one at a time.

The therapist then passes three quarters of a lash extension from the strip through the glue before excess glue is wiped off on a glue sticker. The extension is then applied to the natural eyelash, alternating eyes to allow lashes time to dry. The mini hand fan is used to blow-dry eyelashes between applications and for up to a minute once the lash extension has been applied.

Lashes are given a special coating to protect them against oil, perspiration and dehydration of the lash extension glue. After a final blow dry, Lash Mister is applied.

Nail Harmony recommends charging £55 for a full set of classic lashes and £70 for a full set of volume lashes. Call the brand on 01708 465900

Repêchage Fusion Matcha Lemongrass Face & Body Sugar Scrub Treatment

This 60-minute treatment from Repêchage is designed to prepare clients’ skin for the summer months. After lying face down on the couch, the client inhales therapeutic oils as the treatment begins on the legs. The body is sprayed with alcohol before the skin is gently buffed with the Repêchage Signature Dry Brush to remove oils. The legs are then covered with a plastic Myler sheet as the therapist moves to the back. The scrub is applied using moistened fingertips or hot stones.

After a five-minute circular massage, the back is covered and the matcha and lemongrass formula is applied on the legs, working for five minutes on each. The product is then removed from the back, and finally from the legs. After the client is has turned over, the Repêchage Lamina Lift Hydrating Seaweed Mask is applied to the face and left to set while a similar scrub process is repeated on the front of the body. The client then enjoys a five-minute Shiatsu massage on the face before the mask is removed. The treatment finishes with a light, full-body massage.

Repêchage recommends charging £125 for a 60-minute treatment. Call the brand on 0800 731 7546

This month we tried… Priori Skin Unwrapped at Karidis Clinic

The lowdown: Cosmeceutical skincare brand Priori has launched a menu of peel treatments into Karidis Clinic, based in North London within the Hospital of Saint John and Saint Elizabeth. Designed with fast results in mind, the menu ranges from the 15-minute Peel It, billed as a “quick lunchtime peel”, to the hour-long Uncover, Expose, Renew treatment, which includes a hand and arm peel plus facial massage.

The experience: I opted for the 30-minute Skin Re-boot treatment, usually for clients who have previously experienced Priori’s peel system, which favours AHA lactic acid as its main exfoliating component. This was my first time having a Priori peel, and my therapist, aesthetic nurse Karolina Padolskyte, went through a careful consultation and decided I was a safe and suitable candidate for the full protocol, using the Multi Layer Peel Gel.

Having established my main skin concerns – acne scars and nasolabial lines that are rapidly becoming more prominent – Padolskyte performed a thorough double cleanse and primed my skin with Pre Peel Gel. This contains 5% lactic acid and degreases skin for optimum peel performance.

Padolskyte then brushed the peeling formula, which, along with the lactic acid, contains a blend of BHAs, other AHAs and antioxidants. I’m fairly experienced in peels but even for me the tingle was bordering on uncomfortable as the three-minute timer rang and Padolskyte started to remove it. It wasn’t until the third round of warm towel removal than my skin fully settled. That said, it was still completely manageable and was quickly soothed by the DNA Recovery Serum Padolskyte applied afterwards. After a layer of Tetra Broad Spectrum SPF 45 Sunscreen and a dusting of Minerals Broad Spectrum SPF 25 mineral foundation, I was good to go.

The verdict: I experienced a few days of rough, dry skin and slight redness following the peel, but it was a small price to pay for the amazing results. My skin was – and still is, two weeks on – brighter, clearer and smoother, with my acne scarring and blackheads visibly minimised.

Business benefits: Creating a menu of peel treatments that increase in strength and length is a great way to get apprehensive clients to step up their facials. It also makes selling them on to courses much easier. Lactic acid is generally considered one of the gentler AHAs, meaning more clients are likely to be able to tolerate the peel and step up the intensity at a quicker pace for ultimate results.

Karidis Clinic charges from £100 for the peels. Call Priori distributor Skinbrands on 03333 122434 Tried by Georgia Seago