The Girl You Love, Glebe

As I step into the light, bright space, I’m greeted warmly by Kay. She offers me a T2 Jade Mountain Green Tea and gives me a form to fill out. The dulcet tones of French sixties pop play happily in the background as I clock some serious looking skincare on the stands beside me.

As we chat, Kay tells me that she’s been in the industry for 36 years (she doesn’t look old enough – her skincare is obviously working). After many years in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and inner west, she spent a few years working in spas on board cruise ships sailing around the world, on her return she took up a posting as area manager for a large chain of medispas. She began to miss the salon environment and longed for the rewarding relationships with her clients.

“My passion was for skin, not for managing staff – I wanted to get back to the art of facials and caring for my clients,” says Kay.

She decided to open her own boutique space where she could give bespoke treatments – focusing on her areas of expertise – creating signature facials with active products including Elizabeth Arden Pro, Medik8, Priori and Hydropeptide alongside skin needling and peels. She also has a background in makeup artistry and incorporates makeup application into her salon services. Three years on, she has a devoted clientele and loves her work more than ever.

After settling me into the treatment bed for my facial with gentle anti-aging and superhydrating range, Hydropeptide, Kay begins with a double cleanse, followed by an exfoliation using Vitamin C, microdermabrasion crystals and a gentle AHA gel. She massages each phase onto the skin gently then soothes it all off with a warm towel before popping me under the steam. I love a good steam, and drift off as she expertly kneads my hands and arms.

I wake up briefly when she wraps her fingers in tissues and does some satisfying extractions, setting to work on some stubborn blackheads around my nose, before applying a toner to freshen and tighten the area. After some eye cream and serum, it’s time for some more seriously bliss-inducing facial massage with coconut calming massage balm. She strums my face like a guitar, fingers rhythmically beating and stimulating the skin and then applies an enzyme soufflé mask to brighten the skin. As it’s setting she spends a good chunk of time massaging my neck and shoulders – always a lovely bonus in a facial.

A quick application of Power Serum, “Face Lift” lightweight day moisturiser and Solar Defense, a tinted sunscreen and I’m ready to face the world. And as I clock my reflection in a nearby mirror notice that I’m also minus the usual red splotchiness. As I dress, I really don’t want to leave – Kay has created such a lovely haven of beauty with her salon. It’s the perfect combination of effective skin solutions with suburban escapism, and my skin looks and feels better than it has in weeks.