Sk-in with the new

For some reason, trusting people with our beauty needs is next level — it’s like we’re putting our lives in their hands. Elixir’s founder and Dermal Therapist Rose Bonasera is our go-to beauty guru, so when she said she’d get our skin match-fit for our latest event, we knew we were in the safest hands. Better still, it gave us an excuse to test-drive and learn about some of the brand new, state-of-the-art technology that Rose has introduced to Elixir’s offerings.

Because we’ve never been ones to gatekeep the goods, here’s what’s waiting for you behind Elixir’s chic doors…

A NEW SKIN SOLUTION You may be familiar with the recently launched product range and treatments from Biologique Recherche. What you may not know is that Elixir delivers these products now as part of their service, and it’s the only place you’ll find them in SA! It’s celebrity endorsed and loved, and we’ve heard good things about this range.

Across more than four decades, French brand Biologique Recherche has been designed with each of us in mind — differences and all. They offer concentrated solutions, made using a cold process that protects the raw ingredients, which leaves them high in all things good for the skin, like vitamins and minerals. The best bit is that the product range has been tailored to help unique skin challenges, so we can all get that shiny, new feeling.

A WARM WELCOME In the luxury of their brand-new consulting space, Rose and her team ensure your experience is as unique as you are. Using their high-tech Biologique Recherche skin analysis system, the Skin Instant Lab, they’ll get a feel for your skin and guide you on getting the most from your time with Elixir.

Rose is conscious that no two clients’ skin is alike. “We take an out-of-the-box approach at Elixir because the skin’s condition is constantly changing, and we need to adapt with it.” The Skin Instant Lab feels like the perfect combination of a clinical and personal skincare treatment, helping to identify those external factors that wreak havoc on our skin, like the weather and pollution.

If you want to feel super spesh for your next important event — brides, we’re looking at you! — Rose has dished out a few tips…

GET EVENT READY

Get started earlier to ensure you have enough time for the correct treatment plan. In a perfect world, starting treatments a minimum of one year prior helps to create sustainable change.

A holistic approach will see the best results. Take diet, lifestyle, ingestibles and gut health into consideration, in conjunction with skincare products and dermal therapy procedures.

The anticipation and build-up to an event, such as a wedding, can induce quite a lot of stress and anxiety. Focus on self-care, like mindfulness, meditation, adequate sleep, exercise, lifestyle and alone-time in the lead up to the event to help reduce the stress response on the body and the skin. “Bringing the body back to a place of balance supports the skin treatment plans,” says Rose.

An Elixir experience reminds you that taking some time to indulge can leave you feeling great on many levels.

@elixirskinfitness elixirskinfitness.com.au

Each time you walk through the doors, you’ll see a smiling face that knows exactly what your eyebrows need. Our owner-operated studios mean you’re getting the top-quality services from the same technician every time.

Our studios are childfriendly, which means you don’t have to sacrifice time with your kiddos while you get your brows in shape.

It’s a rite of passage. Once you find yourself bingeing The Home Edit and Marie Kondo, you know you’ve hit peak adulthood — and there’s so much to embrace. Everyday little things have you giggling like a schoolgirl, and then you discover Howards Storage World Mile End, with all its clever and quirky products, and it’s go time, baby!

You walk in not really needing anything, and walk out wondering how you lived without the products you’ve found. With over 4,000 items instore, their range of top-quality organisational products will streamline any area of your home, with everything from food storage to the kit to fit out a wardrobe or wine cellar. Touché!

Imagine a knife that cuts tomatoes with precision and never squishes them. A peg basket that keeps pegs dry, suction bathroom caddies that stay stuck, a motion sensor bin (so you don’t have to touch any grossness), storage containers to sort everything from hair bands to mapping out the most handsome pantry you’ve ever laid eyes on, or a spin-mop that gets you in a frenzy about cleaning day! Yep, this is the stuff that excites me these days (and just a few of my recent purchases). I’m totally geeking out over the gadgets Problem solved! Can’t store all your shoes or handbags? Wasting money on takeout when you’ve got a full pantry but can’t see what’s what? The Howards crew is all about helping you to find solutions. “Our team is super experienced — many have been with us for over 10 years — so they’ve seen or heard just about everything! If there’s not an off-the-shelf solution, they can think outside the box and creatively solve your storage issues. And you can DIY, or we can install it for you.”

that help the daily grind run smoothly and alleviate the stress of a messy abode.

Owned and operated by Dave and Briar Strutton for 15 years, the Mile End store has won Howards’ Franchise Store of the Year three times — so congrats, SA, on being the most organised bunch in the nation! They even have a range of products you’ll see on Netflix’s hit show, The Home Edit.

“We use heaps of the products in our own home, so we can genuinely talk about them. Our flagship range from elfa (a Swedish shelving system) is in just about every room in our house. It can be used to fit out a single drawer to an entire wardrobe, is flexible and adaptable (and can even be taken with you if you move), requires minimal fixing to the wall, is easy to install and the quality is guaranteed,” Briar says. GADGETS THAT HELP THE DAILY GRIND RUN SMOOTHLY AND ALLEVIATE THE STRESS OF A MESSY ABODE.

Baby, work it! Between kids, work, friends and fun, life is hectic. Howards Storage World makes sure you can maximise the hours in a day! It can feel shameful to admit, but even the most meticulous of us could use a few hints on running a tighter ship. Becoming a Howards member (it’s free, BTW), gets you invited to VIP and Christmas shopping events and monthly workshops, where you get the scoop on sorting out problem areas in your home or office.

There are workshops on organising your kitchen, wardrobe, shed and garage, and the uber popular Downsizing and Decluttering Workshop. For $20, you get two hours of life-changing advice (plus $20 to redeem instore, a goody bag and tips and tricks to take home).

“Our workshops are about making life easier with a calm and organised space, so you can feel good internally. Decluttering can be quite therapeutic, and sometimes you don’t realise the emotional burden that things have on you until you learn how to consciously choose what you surround yourself with. There’s so much to learn about getting the most from a space and making it right for you. We present different ways of looking at your possessions, and most importantly, how to responsibly let go of things that you no longer love or need.”

Go on! Get on the ultra-organised train at Howards — it’s like the adults’ version of Disneyland and we’re ready to ride!

@howardsmileend hsw.com.au

Sueño Hair might be your forever person. With earthy tones and highend finishings, the European-inspired salon decor is super cool yet refreshly non-pretentious — in fact, it’s quite the opposite.

“People always feel a sense of warmth and calm when they step inside our salon for the first time. I think it’s a mix of our natural colour scheme and also the fact that we all get along so well — there are genuine good vibes here,” says co-owner Lia. And she’s right, everyone is made to feel like Aphrodite!

Husband and wife owners Lia and Jim Kefalianos have been in the hair biz for twelve years; and like perfect mentors, they've passed their skills onto their staff. “We have nine hairdressers and three apprentices, who are all excellent hairdressers, and they fully embrace our unique ethos,” says Jim.

Whether you’re coming in for a cut, colour or blow-dry, you can expect the most luscious locks and the ultimate pampering session where you’ll find yourself questioning, “Am I in a day spa or a hair salon?”

Herbal tea or almond latte? They’re tough decisions as you’re elevated to a place of pure zen — there’s meditation music in the background and your massage chair is switched on, then eye masks are offered to sweeten the experience.

Sueño is fully committed to reducing waste and only uses green haircare. “We’re a sustainable salon that’s proudly eco-friendly and chemical-free! All the brands we use are low tox, PPD free, with low ammonia and no sulphate — even our tea bags are sustainable!” And the salon is almost neutral when it comes to their power bill (which is insane for such a busy space), thanks to the concrete floors, industrial glass windows and 30-kilowatt solar panels.

I was super impressed by their recycling method, too. Ninety-eight percent of their wastage is fully recycled — even the snipped-off hair becomes hair booms, which are used to soak up crude oil out at sea. “Most people don't know that hair is an environmentally-friendly resource that can absorb around five times its weight in oil,” says Jim.

So, if you’re passionate about the planet, why compromise when it comes to visiting your hairdresser? It’s important to know what you’re putting on your scalp, and at Sueño, you know it’s ALL good.

And that's all the boxes ticked for our new love interest!

@suenohair suenohair.com.au