With major cosmetics companies focusing their attention on the younger market, it’s no surprise really that today’s ‘tweens’ are gravitating towards ‘sparties’ to commemorate major milestones. Our Under the Dryer team spent Monday last with the über-cute Victoria Loshusan as she celebrated her 13th birthday with six BFFs at The Face Place, courtesy of mum Sharon. The posh locale was closed between the hours of 11:00 am and 4:00 pm to facilitate the girls, who enjoyed personalised facials, manicures, pedicures, and make-up tutorials. There were, too, tasty nibbles — fruit kebabs with a strawberry yogurt-based dip, braised chicken wings, ham and cheese pinwheels with pickles, and non-alcoholic signature mimosas — to make their day all the more memorable. Under the Dryer shares their experience…

Fantastic Facials

After a brief and fun-filled consultation session with The Face Place director Marie-Simone Hall-Smith, Victoria and her friends received one of two (age-appropriate) deluxe treatments — a 24 Karat Gold Facial with balancing pH properties for those with sensitive skin, or a specially designed Moisture Berry Facial, replete with hydrating ingredients. The 24 Karat Gold Facial, where pure gold powder is applied to the skin to clarify, detoxify, brighten, firm and combat ageing, was modified for three of the hip ‘sparty’ attendees, while the others received Moisture Berry facials complete with strawberry essence and enriched with Vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids and salicylic acids, which help to nurture and protect the skin against environmental damage. The facials also contain clarifying and hydrating enzymes that are perfect for growing teens.

The Routine

The girls were whisked away to private treatment rooms to receive their facials. The basic process was similar though the actual treatments differed slightly for each girl. The skin was first cleansed to remove unwanted toxins, followed by an exfoliating surface peel to remove dead skin cells ahead of a facial steam to open up the pores, which facilitates the extraction of comedones (ie whiteheads and blackheads). The skin was then massaged with a customised moisturiser, after which the mask of choice was applied and left to set for 30 to 45 minutes. The mask was removed, and the skin again moisturised to complete the process.

The Reactions

Though the girls found the whole process exciting, lying still for 30-40 minutes proved somewhat of a challenge for them. But once the masks were removed, however, they all commented on how soft and clean their faces felt. “I feel renewed!” a beaming Olivia told our team, while the girl of the hour Victoria admitted, “My face feels clean and pretty, and I felt very relaxed.” Big sis Sarah shared her sentiments too, stating, “It’s true, I even fell asleep,” while Spinner, who was having her very first facial, was astounded at how clean her face felt. It was also Munchie’s first facial, and she thought it was “interesting” and “would try it again”. Victoria Samuels thought the gold mask “felt nice” on her face, and marvelled at how much softer her skin felt after the process. Paige agreed, stating, “I also liked the minty, tingly feeling and the smell of my strawberry mask.”

Happy Feet, Pretty Nails

The sound of giggles and gossiping filled the room as the girls sat in the massage chairs sipping on The Face Place’s non-alcoholic signature mimosas, and munching on fruit kebabs with a strawberry yogurt-based dip as they received OPI ‘mani-pedis’. Though it was not a first-time experience for all, they were all very excited to indulge, and we couldn’t help noticing Victoria’s veritable glow as she revelled in the moment with her BFFs. “This is the best birthday ever!” she declared, “How can I thank my mum?”

The Reactions

Victoria — “I love this colour! It’s great!”

‘Munchie’ — “I like the fact that my dark green nail polish looks like blue.”

Paige — “This is a very pretty colour; I’m happy I chose it.”

Victoria Samuels — “I really like it. I love light, natural colours because they look nice on my fingers and if it starts to peel, it hardly shows.”

‘Spinner’ — “I wanted to do white on the fingers and go light on my toes. I think that’s really nice.”

Olivia — “I love getting French manicures because it looks very elegant.”

All Dolled Up

Most ‘tween’ girls are fascinated by make-up, so naturally Victoria and her friends were thrilled not only to have their make-up applied by a professional, but also to learn D-I-Y tips and helpful hints on complementing colours for their individual skin tones, as well as appropriate products to use during their individual make-up tutorials.

The Routine

As the perfect finale to Victoria’s ‘sparty’, the girls, fresh from receiving their facials, went into the make-up room one at a time and sat in a director’s chair. They each received a dramatic, but age-appropriate look using high-intensity pigments for the eyes, cheeks and lips. The make-up was applied lightly, and did not require the use of products such as foundations and concealers. Naturally, this was the best part of the day for most of them.

Sparty Like It’s My Birthday!

No party (especially one this fab) is complete without a cake, and Victoria’s friends were, to say the least, awestruck when her Nyla D’Andrea-styled Juicy Couture purse — a vanilla cake with white chocolate butter cream icing and strawberry filling — was unveiled. Her sister Sarah and mum Sharon quickly placed the candles on top and the group gathered around as the birthday girl made a wish and blew out her candles. The girl of the moment later told our team that her spa day was “perfect”.

Five essential skincare tips for teens

Most teens are prone to acne breakouts so we’re sharing skincare tips that are also essential for daily practice from The Face Place boss Marie-Simone Hall-Smith.

1 Cleanse — It is imperative that teens, no matter the skin type, cleanse the face twice daily (morning and evening) with a gentle foaming cleanser to remove all impurities from the skin’s surface.

2 Tone — Always make sure you use a mild toner or freshener after cleansing the face to help bring the skin’s pH (potential hydrogen) back to a normal balance — this is especially important for active teens.

3 Protect — Teens are exposed to a lot of UVA and UVB rays daily, so sunscreen with an SPF level of 30 or higher is a must!

4 Keep your hands away from your face — If you have a pimple, do not squeeze or pick it, as this is a sure way to not only make it worse, but to also encourage the growth of even more pimples. Simply follow through with your skincare routine (cleanse, tone and protect), as this will get rid of the pimples.

5 Eat right — Ensure that you always maintain a healthy and balanced diet with sufficient water to keep the skin nourished and adequately hydrated.

You too can customise your ‘sparty’ at The Face Place. The spa caters to a minimum of four and a maximum of six guests — children (no less than four years old), teens and adults too. Adults may enjoy the ‘King or Queen for the Day’ package, which includes a Sothy’s Facial, aromatherapy massage, deluxe manicure and pedicure and a light spa lunch. They have also recently included a ‘Girls’ Night’ package in their offerings – Tuesdays from 4:00pm to 9:00pm. Visit www.thefaceplaceja.com for more details.

The Face Place

3 Carvalho Drive

Kingston 10

929-8356

www.thefaceplaceja.com