Getting a facial as a birthday present was the catalyst for Julie Cuming deciding to become a beautician: “I had never had a facial before and my skin felt wonderful afterwards. I thought ‘Wow, this is something I could do.”In the four years since Julie bought the business, she has passed this experience onto many appreciative people at Essentially You. “We often hear we give the best facials in Wairarapa,” she says.
Ironically, that first birthday facial 12 years ago was a Decleor Facial - the brand that Julie and colleague Alex Tomlinson specialize in at Essentially You. “The Decleor range is based on aromatherapy, so as well as the wonderful smell, you have the essential oils affecting you from within, and the phytotherapy plant extracts moisturizing your skin on the outside.”
The combination adds up to a blissful experience that sometimes sees people drift off to sleep. “This is the best compliment we can receive!” says Julie.
Also rewarding has been seeing people’s self-confidence soar after they have had electrolysis for hair removal. “The process may take up to 18 months for some people, but it is very effective and makes such a difference to how they feel.”
After graduating with top academic honours from her beauty therapy course, Julie worked as a beautician at several establishments in Wairarapa before spotting the character building in Greytown, which she redecorated.
She loves the fact that Essentially You is a dedicated beauty therapy space. There’s an atmosphere of peace and relaxation from the moment you step inside, with soft lighting and soothing music. “Just for an hour or so, people can come here and forget their everyday stresses. We want to give people a complete experience, so we incorporate massage into many of our treatments as well,” says Julie.
She and Alex have a large base of regular clients “who tend to talk to us like old friends”, and a number of Australian and American businesswomen who come to New Zealand several times a year and visit Essentially You specifically for their facials, waxing and electrolysis. There have been some memorable moments, like when a client phoned in to book “a Mexican”, instead of a Brazilian.
Brazilians aside, Julie believes winter is a great time to nourish and revitalize skin, as our skin bears the brunt of the harsh weather. And doing something ‘essentially for you’ is always guaranteed to cheer the soul.
“I know it’s a cliché for beauty therapists to say this but both Alex and I really enjoy making people feel special,” says Julie.
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