Saint Beauty is a premier destination for top-notch beauty services in the heart of Auckland’s Saint Heliers suburb. This luxurious salon offers essential beauty and transformative skin treatments, tanning and indulgent spa body packages. The salon recently introduced the Fire & Ice Facial, also known as the celebrity favourite ‘Red Carpet Facial,’ to its treatment menu.
Co-founders Emma Hughes and Bex Hunt met eight years ago while working at another salon. They bonded over a shared dream of opening their own beauty haven in Saint Heliers, where they both reside. “Seven years later, the timing was right, and we’ve made our dreams a reality!” says Emma.
Their persistence paid off when they secured the perfect location, previously occupied by a frequently closed salon. Despite warnings about the looming recession, Bex and Emma’s clear vision and determination led them to success. “We had a clear vision of our salon and could visualise it becoming a success. It’s all turned out how we had planned,” Bex says.
Working together has been a dream come true for Bex and Emma. “Emma is the best business partner a girl could dream of,” Bex says. We have a similar taste and style of beauty therapy and a very high standard. We both dream big, go above and beyond, and have a good laugh between all the hard work.”
Emma echoes this sentiment: “I couldn’t ask for a better business partner than Bex. Not only do we share plenty of laughs, but we are also both deeply passionate about what we do,” she says. “We’re dedicated to the success of our business.”
Award-Winning Excellence
Saint Beauty has achieved remarkable recognition in just five months, winning three awards at the Orakei Business Awards: Best in Beauty, Best New Business, and the overall Supreme Award. “It was such a great start to our business and really helped get our name out there,” Bex shares. The awards are judged on a combination of public voting, a secret shopper evaluation, and an assessment of business growth, future goals and sustainability.
What sets the salon apart is its commitment to holistic skincare. It takes pride in being a stockist of high-quality brands like iS Clinical, Skin Better Science, Ultraceauticals, Revitalash, and Aspect, alongside beloved New Zealand brands, including Tronque, Bestow Beauty and Lyttleton Lights.
Saint Beauty offers a diverse range of treatments, from brows and spray tans to massages, spa treatments and peels. It also provides injectables through its experienced nurse, Louise, from L & O Aesthetics. The salon’s most popular treatments include the iS Clinical facials, Saint Duo and Saint Trio facials and the world-renowned Fire & Ice Facial, aka the Red Carpet Facial.
The latter brought me to Saint Beauty on a sunny Monday afternoon. I immediately noticed the calming atmosphere and luxurious interiors when I walked into the salon. Emma and Bex greeted me warmly at reception, introducing themselves with sunny smiles.
I completed the new client form and enjoyed a refreshing glass of sparkling water. Then, it was go time and Bex led me to the tranquil treatment room for my Fire & Ice Facial.
Fire & Ice Facial Review
The renowned Fire & Ice ‘Red Carpet Facial’ has become a perfect pre-event prep and favorite among top celebrities, including Selena Gomez, Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, and Jessica Alba, due to the instant radiance to their skin, so they’re ready for the spotlight.
According to Bex, the luxurious facial’s popularity among Hollywood celebrities has made it a highly sought-after treatment at Saint Beauty. As an avid skincare enthusiast, I was excited to experience the treatment and see if it lived up to the much-publicised hype.
After I was settled in the soft and inviting treatment bed, Bex talked me through the steps behind the Saint Fire & Ice Facial. She explained that the dynamic 60-minute treatment promises to quickly and safely rejuvenate the skin. It promises to diminish fine lines and wrinkles, smooth and soften texture and stimulate cellular renewal. This treatment also incorporates LED light therapy. The ‘fire’ phase includes a warming glycolic peel, followed by the ‘ice’ phase, featuring a soothing masque with hyaluronic acid and aloe, complemented by a cooling massage with ice globes for an instantly refreshed look.
Step 1: The Cleanse
Bex started Saint Beauty’s Fire & Ice Facial with a warming honey massage cleanse with steam to deeply cleanse, hydrate and soothe my skin. This was followed by a second cleanse to prepare my skin for an LED light therapy treatment that can be customised to treat many concerns. She recommended focusing on hydration for my skin, explaining that there was some surface dryness. During the LED light therapy treatment, Bex and I chatted about the salon’s impressive Orakei Business Award wins as she helped me unwind and melt into the treatment bed with an incredible shoulder and neck massage.
Step 2: Turn Up the Heat
Next, Bex applied an Intensive Resurfacing Masque for 3-5 minutes. She told me that this fiery treatment would gently resurface and soften fine lines and wrinkles, giving my skin a natural, radiant glow. Bex advised me that she’d only leave the masque on for 3 minutes because I have slightly sensitive skin. I enjoyed the mild tingling sensation, envisaging all the fine lines and imperfections being obliterated by the active ingredients glycolic acid and retinol.
Step 3: Time to Chill
After removing the masque, Bex applied a rejuvenating mask with aloe and hyaluronic acid to cool my skin, telling me it would hydrate and refresh. Next, she massaged soothing ice-cold globes over my face, and I immediately felt the calming effect. She ended with a scalp massage. To finish, a selection of active products, including the Eye Complex, Pro Heal Serum, and Hydracool, was applied to my face, completed with the Reparative Moisture Emulsion and SPF.
Fire & Ice Facial: Final Thoughts
So, the (ahem) burning question is: Is the Fire & Ice Facial worth the hype? After the treatment, my skin felt deeply cleaned and nourished. There was a definite reduction in fine lines and I had a luminous glow. I’m prone to some redness, but there was no noticeable change in the color of my complexion. In the days that followed, my skin continued to glow, and several people commented on how good my skin looked. In this editor’s opinion, yes, the Fire & Ice Facial definitely lived up to expectations.
Book your Fire & Ice Facial at Sain Beauty here.
Saint Beauty is open six days a week, with late nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 8 p.m. They also offer beautiful gift vouchers, the perfect surprise and delight for loved ones. Thanks to Emma and Bex for the experience.
