WHO: Trudy Murphy and Linh Diep, co-owners of Lush & Lavish Salon Spa (200 Ossington, 647-343-6001), met when Australian émigré Murphy was shopping for an interview suit at fashion designer Diep’s Queen West shop, Huh Boutique (847 Queen W.). The pair ended up chatting for hours and became fast friends. They eventually decided to go into business together, partly inspired by Diep’s frustration at having to run all over the city for various beauty treatments before her recent wedding. “Everyone’s so busy,” she says. “We wanted to create a one-stop shop for hair, nails, skin and makeup.”
Diep and Murphy also wanted their salon/spa to offer wellness treatments such as registered massage therapy and to use natural products, including the Jurlique skincare line from Australia and Sparitual, a line of organic and vegan nail-care products and polishes.
“The key to what we’re trying to create is a self-awareness from the outside in,” says Murphy. “Relaxation is as important as looking good. It’s all about making time for yourself, lowering your stress levels and being happy.”
THE TREATMENT: Esthetician Carol Contant has luminous skin, which is no surprise considering her obvious knowledge and interest in how to care for the outer layer. She discussed the importance of drinking lots of water and getting my B vitamins while giving me one of Lush & Lavish’s “signature organic facials,” the Yam and Pumpkin Enzyme Peel ($80), with an added lip treatment to nourish my skin for the upcoming dry winter weather. The facial, which uses a handmade organic skincare line from Hungary called Éminence, consists of a pro-peel blend of yam, pumpkin, pineapple, papaya, various natural acids and extracts of green tea and willow bark. It smelled like pie and tingled without stinging.
“Our mantra is if you can’t eat it, don’t put it on your face,” said Contant. “The enzymes digest the debris that’s in your pores.”
The peel was followed by a soothing gel mask made from the juice of a succulent cactus called stone crop. The treatment only takes half an hour, but I happily lost track of time as Contant massaged the tense muscles in my hands, forearms and face while the masks did their work.
THE AFTERGLOW: There was no question about the fact that my skin looked tighter and smoother after the treatment. I learned from Contant that my skin isn’t just sensitive, it’s “hypersensitive” — my face flushed a bit even during the light massage — and so I wasn’t surprised that I experienced a little redness after the treatment. It was surprising, though, how minor it was, as I expected to be quite blotchy and I wasn’t at all. Contant recommended a simple regime based on the specific character of my skin and encouraged me to talk to my naturopath about any nutritional supplements I might want to consider.
While skincare is often dismissed as being more about vanity than overall health, the dermis is an important organ and one that often reflects other disorders and deficiencies in the body. I left determined to get back to drinking three litres of water a day.
