About Us
Welcome to The Cambourne Retreat, where the art of beauty meets the celebration of self-care.
I’m Lisa and I started my beauty journey back in 2009, working from home in Cambourne. I have had several locations over the years including St Ives and Bar Hill.
In lockdown, I decided to convert my garage into a beauty salon and have never looked back. I love my new space and being able to give my clients the best service. I have over 15 years of experience and I am passionate about not only giving high end treatments with some of the most trusted beauty products in the industry but also being inspired by your unique stories and sharing our life experiences. You are more than just clients; you are the heartbeat to my business.
In my spare time I like to keep fit, I train in Jiujitsu regularly and I hold a purple belt. I also have personal training sessions and attend bootcamp on a weekly basis.
I love walking and spending time with my partner as well as venturing off on my travels. My recent adventures include Thailand, Santorini, Malta and we are heading to Jamaica at the end of the year.
I look forward to welcoming you in the salon soon.
With Love
Lisa x
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Intimate Waxing
Intimate waxing is one of the most popular treatments in the salon and most clients opt for a Hollywood or Brazilian. A Hollywood involves removing all hair from the front and back and by back I mean the bum. A Brazilian leave a small line and the top, around 2cm wide.
When carrying out a Hollywood or Brazilian wax, we ask the client to remove their underwear and provide them with a wipe to freshen up, we leave the room to allow the client to get ready. Once we return to the room we will ask the client to bend their leg up and out to allow us to cleanse the area, apply jasmine oil and put the wax on. We use Perron Rigot Intimate 4 which is a specialist wax just for intimate areas. It’s called a ‘hot wax’ or ‘strip less wax’ so the wax only grips on the hair and not the skin so therefore when we remove it, it is far less painful then ‘warm wax’ as there is not pull to the skin.
We will put lots of sections of wax onto the skin and wait for them to dry and once ready we will flick the bottom of the wax and pull off. Once we have completed the front we then move onto the back. We will ask you to turn onto your front, get onto your knees and forearms as this way it is easier to see all of the hair and you get a better stretch.
Once complete we will put some jasmine oil onto the area which is used before and after waxing to protect and soften the skin.
The first wax is always going to be the most painful but the more you have done the easier it becomes as the hair gets sparse and finer. I would recommend leaving 4-6 weeks in between appointments.
Please visit our facebook page @thecambourneretreat to see our intimate waxing video.
Eyebrows
Over the years our brows have changed a lot, thick, thin, dark, light. There are so many brow treatments available today with the latest being Brow Lamination (which I think is amazing!) Brow Lamination involves brushing the brow hairs up to and setting in place to make the brow appear fuller and fluffier.
Here are some of the other brow services available-
Eyebrow waxing- removal of unwanted eyebrow hairs from above and below the brow using wax.
Eyebrow Threading- involves removing unwanted hair using a thread from above and below the brow.
Eyebrow tinting- this involves dying the hairs which can make the brow appear fuller and more defined.
Henna Brows- this involves dying the hair with Henna which can make the brow appear fuller and more defined.
Microblading- this is a semi-permanent solution which involves using a tiny blade with small needles on the end to scratch the surface of the skin. This can also be done in areas where there isn’t hair (for those who have over plucked) once this has been completed then pigment is rubbed into the skin. This does need to be touched up 8 weeks later and then a year after that.
I know it can seem over whelming, knowing what to try out and knowing what will work for you. It is all dependant on what you are trying to achieve. I have tried out all the above and the aim for me is fuller eyebrows. Microblading was good for filling in the front of my eyebrows where hair doesn’t grow, and Brow Lamination makes them look thicker and the tint makes them more noticeable.
I would say the best place to start is with an eyebrow wax and tint and move on from there once you are used to your brows being more defined as it can take time to get used to your brows looking different.
Please visit our Facebook page @thecambourneretreat to see our video on how to measure your brows.
LVL Lash Lift Vs Eyelash Extensions
We carry out both treatments in the salon, but an LVL lash lift is more popular than eyelash extensions. This may be due to the fact there is less maintenance with a lash lift (lasts up to 8 weeks) rather than eyelash extensions (refills every 2 weeks) but i think it is very dependent on the condition and length of your natural lashes and what look you want to go for.
For those of you that do not know the difference between the two-
LVL Lash Lift- LVL stands for length, volume and lift. This treatment is carried out to your natural lashes. We pull the lashes back onto a shield and apply a lifting balm followed by a volumising fix which essentially holds them in place. We then apply a tint which darkens the lashes and finish with a serum to release the lashes from the shield and nourishes the lashes at the same time. The aim of the treatment is to make your lashes appear longer, fuller and lifted.
Eyelash extensions- for this treatment we adhere synthetic mink lashes to each natural eyelash. You can opt for ‘Classic Eyelash Extensions’ which is one false lash to one natural lash or ‘Volume Eyelash Extensions’ which is anywhere up to 6 lashes to one natural lash. Volume lashes give a fuller look compared to Classic but it is all dependent on what look you want to go for.
The first thing is that I think it is all dependent on what you want to achieve from your lashes, for me personally I prefer an LVL lash lift as I already have long lashes so it enhances what I already have and the maintenance is easier as you need to leave 8 week between appointments. With eyelash extensions, you need to get these infilled every 2-3 weeks depending on where you are in your lash cycle and also if you lose a lot from one area, you can really notice the gaps.
The thing to remember with both is that you need to make sure you look after your natural lashes and if possible, condition them with lash serum every day.
Hot Stone Massage
Hot stone massage is a type of massage therapy which involves using smooth, flat stones made of balsalt, a type of volcanic rock that retains heat. We heat the stones in a stone heater which we fill with water and put the stones in and heat to around 130 to 150 degrees. We apply oil to the body and use the stones to massage with, turning part way through so the client can get the heat from both sides plus we can use the side of the stones to work on knots. Once they have cooled, we change the stones. We use both our hands and the stones in this treatment by transferring the heat from the stones onto our hands.
The benefits of hot stone massage include-
- Helps relieve muscle tension and pain
- Improves blood circulation and flow of energy
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Promotes better sleep
- Creates a sense of comfort and warmth
- Releases toxins and improves the skins appearance
I personally find a hot stone massage really relaxing, especially in wintertime. The heat from the stones really does help the muscles to relax. We can still carry out a deep massage with the stones incorporating hands on as well as using the stones. I have carried out more hot stone massages recently (pre lockdown 2) than ever before once you have the treatment for the first time you will definitely be back!
PLEASE VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE @thecambourneretreat TO SEE OUR VIDEO ON Hot Stone Massage
