Renaissance Spa's Sharnelle Mitchell gives Cityscape the skinny on how she got her gig as a facialist and how education is important in staying at the forefront of the beauty industry.

Specialty/favourite facial treatment? I thoroughly enjoy performing Ultraceuticals advanced skin peels followed by a relaxation facial massage, so my client gets the results along with the soothing benefits of the massage. Renaissance's mantra is results-driven relaxation so as long as it ticks those boxes I'm happy.

How and when did you get into the beauty business? I was working in a clothing retail store when my boss gave me a gift voucher for a facial. It was my first ever facial and I had no idea what to expect. The treatment was fantastic and exceeded my expectations. This experience inspired me to follow this career path as I loved the way the treatment made me feel and I wanted to give the same experience to my clients. I studied beauty therapy in 2006 and have loved it ever since. I am also a trainer and enjoy sharing my tips and tricks with other therapists and watching them take their treatments to the next level, so on and on it goes, making others look and feel fantastic.

What makes you a great facialist? Passion and the love to help my clients see results in their skin. I believe education is important to stay at the forefront of the industry so I put time aside to further my knowledge and training. I follow beauty and spa trends and often trial new things. I pride myself in offering only the best that the industry has to offer, with integrity and genuine love and care for my clients.

One quirky tip for great skin that most people won’t know about? It's probably not quirky but it’s something I really wish people would take notice of more – wear sunscreen! Your skin is still damaged on a cloudy day. Even through clouds, fog and rain the UV rays from the sun are responsible for the breakdown of collagen and premature ageing. And of course, drink plenty of water and get good quality sleep.

Top tip for someone who’s never been to a facialist? Come and try it out for yourself – you will never look back.

Fave simple self-love treatment? Anything that means you've taken some time for yourself to relax and enjoy without feeling guilty!

renaissancespa.co.nz