About Vanessa Muri
Montreal City Editor Vanessa Muri has lived in London and Tokyo, but finds the charms of her hometown irresistible. From the latest scoops to the best deals in Montreal and everything in between, don't miss her weekly take on life in the fair city.
Bella Means Beauty
montreal musings Montreal
(Mar.10.10)
After a crazy few days covering Montreal Fashion Week, a period of rest and respite is not a luxury, it’s a must. Playing havoc with sleep cycles and beauty routines, my face was a little worse for wear. (Blue might be a trend on the catwalk, but it has no place under the eyes.)
Is there a better way to get back in tune with oneself than an afternoon at the spa? I don’t think so (except maybe a full day). Especially when it’s a bright, beautiful spa and the hidden gem of the South Shore.
Enthusiastic partners Jennifer Brodeur and Veronique Martin (pictured below in adorable cartoon likeness) are serious about beauty and came together in late 2009 to open Bella Clinique Esthétique in Beloeil, barely 30 minutes from downtown Montreal. Minimally decorated in soft white and Tiffany blue, the waiting area – that looks like a cocktail bar with beauty products on tap – was as inviting as Patricia, the lovely receptionist.
Ready for my facial, I was placed in the capable hands of esthetician Marianne, who introduced me to 90 minutes of beauty bliss. I had the Essential Treatment ($75) which brings hydration and balance back to the skin. Mission accomplished.
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But equally fun was time spent under the mesmerizing lights of the Max7, one of only a handful in the Montreal area. A special gadget that delivers visible light (not ultraviolet or infra-red) to the skin, encouraging circulation, collagen production and cellular renewal. The experience was altogether hypnotic. (I had a hard time keeping my eyes closed; the light was so soothing to my frayed nerves.)
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Offering the gamut of beauty treatments from massages to instant spray tans (their exotic machine was custom-made in the UK), Bella soon feels like a refuge away from the hustle and bustle, still close and yet now so far away. What, is it time to go already? Sigh. Well, I’ll be back.