It’s not beauty treatments, beauty procedures or beauty time…it’s beauty therapy; and there’s a very important reason for that. A Beauty Therapist sees you at your most vulnerable – everything from breakouts to hairy patches to the full-nudity of a wax or spray tan – and somehow leaves you feeling amazing. Whatever happens in that hour is pure magic and is the reason you need one in your life.
Now you’ll recall I have a Facialist however it’s the nitty gritty, everyday beauty where I seek the skills of a Beauty Therapist – one so wise, so magical, that she’s friend, mentor and counsellor all in one. Meet Kate Fontes of Dolce Vita Beaute who I have been going to for years. Kate has seen me through many a relationship and career change but of course, it all started with a chat.
“What got me into beauty was actually all practical stuff. I wanted to be in a job where I was on my feet, could talk to people and where I could start my own business,” explains Kate. “Once I studied, I realised how much I loved the other aspects of the industry so it all went hand in hand. I love making people feel good and I love all the attention to detail!”
Kate says approximately 90 per cent of her clients feel comfortable enough to open up, talk frankly about their lives and ask for advice – and that this aspect of the job is just as important as the ‘trained’ role of a Beauty Therapist.
“Anyone can get a leg wax anywhere but if you can get a leg wax and a gossip about your new fling, you’re going to choose that place – so I try to be that place.”
“I am my clients confidant, their space to vent, the person they feel comfortable being naked in front of, the person they can have a laugh with or a serious conversation with. Sometimes I am that person they know they can talk to because I am disconnected from their family and friendship groups. Clients know what they say is safe and sometimes I am the only person they can vent their problems to,” says Kate.
What I share with a Hairdresser is very different to what I share with a Beauty Therapist and it’s definitely the intimacy factor at play. You’re naked, on a treatment bed, with your legs thrown back over your head…kinda doesn’t get more intimate than that…but chatting helps to build trust and yes, Kate has been there through a lot of my ‘life changes’. I often wonder how she deals with the energy zapping effects of client chat and if she realises how much she is appreciated – she is.
So next time you make that appointment with your Beauty Therapist, know you’re getting a skin and soul therapy session but be mindful, gracious and kind. They love what they do, you love what they do, and your skin really doesn’t want that to change.
Kate Fontes is a beauty therapist and owner of Dolce Vita Beaute. #skinfitsister
