Walking up La Trobe St with my Beauty Editor on a freezing cold Thursday night, on our way to the opening of Beauty EDU, I was not expecting such a beautifully designed training academy and definitely not a fully functional salon on campus. And to celebrate the launch of Beauty EDU in Melbourne, the party was as glamorous as a fashion week party. The gorgeous building was remodelled with exquisite care, from the light fittings to the lockers in the lunchroom. Nothing was overlooked.
Our first impression was one of luxury. Flowers, champagne and pink fizzy cocktails were abundant, fitting with the stylish decor of the academy. Students greeted us warmly at the door in their elegant school aprons which were a touch more glam than your standard black apron with a touch of pink with the Beauty EDU logo.
This element of care was not only apparent in the presentation and luxurious boutique feel of the academy, but according to those who had a hand in its creation including Rebecca Judd and Rachael Trainor, this care was extended into every last detail of Beauty EDU including its range of products and curriculum.
Beauty EDU believes it is leading the modern beauty movement and changing the face of traditional beauty education by providing not only the beauty basics, but encouraging creative technique and providing the professional rigour and business intellect for students. The school’s ethos is to provide industry-led learning from leading beauty experts and develop hands-on practical skills, knowledge and experience to make the smooth transition into the workforce.
The course work is focused on training the best students who will later hopefully go on and be the best in industry, which is something Judd is particularly passionate about. The school offers a short course and Masterclass Series, as well as a one year Diploma of Beauty Therapy.
My favourite aspect of Beauty EDU is the product ranges used by the school, which is what makeup and beauty geeks really want to know about, right?! Beauty EDU used nothing but the latest and on trend beauty brands which had all been sourced with health, well-being and the environment in mind.
The makeup brand the students will train with is Young Blood, which is a 100% mineral based, professional quality makeup brand that is truly gorgeous to touch and to wear. It is made with the highest quality minerals and includes no nasty products that could be harsh to the skin or cause allergies or irritation. The range is comprehensive, with liquids, cremes and powders and after my little test run with a few products applied by the green, yet very eager students, I can say it’s definitely a brand to investigate for yourself.
Synergie Skin is one of the cosmeceutical brands the girls will be training with. This brand, is again, free from parabens, harmful preservatives, SLS’s, artificial fragrances and any other questionable and potentially toxic “filler” ingredients. The philosophy of this brand is to protect, change and nurture the skin using naturally derived ingredients. I tested the vitamin B serum, which is a staple in one’s skin care routine. It glided on beautifully and made my skin feel divine. I noticed an improvement from switching out my regular vitamin B and switching in Synergie Skin’s serum. Synergie skin is completely transparent with it’s ingredients and it’s fantastic to know that there are brands out there that can be so transparent about their formulations.
Epicure Cosmeceuticals is a brand I had never heard of before and am so glad that I have now been introduced to it. Their skin care products are so delicious smelling, you are tempted to eat a little. I used the deep exfoliating scrub and nearly died with delight. The ingredients are all naturally derived and potent in their anti-ageing benefits. Epicure Cosmeceuticals are on the forefront of what’s happening in skin care and not only is the product beautiful, it comes in gorgeous packaging. I definitely want to try more from this amazing brand.
For manicures the girls are training with Kester Black. Now, I was truly amazed by this nail polish, not only is it vegan and cruelty free it contains none of the top five most common “nasties” found in nail polish. It went on so smoothly, and the colour was so pigmented after one coat, that by the time I did two, it looked like I’d just had fresh shellac. Then to my surprise it dried in NO TIME at all and when I was done with it it came off with one swipe of remover. I’m stunned. To think all these years of sitting around impatiently with wet nails, I will no longer have to! I should also add the packaging is made from recyclable materials and produced in such a way that minimises harm to our environment.
The other skin care label used in the salon, is the brand we love, by beauty darling Zoe Foster-Blake, Go-To Skincare. It goes without saying that her range is fabulous. It’s natural and organic and “does what it says it will”, which is the famous catch cry. I now am a proud owner of the ‘Lips!’ lip balm (divine) and the ‘Properly Clean’ cleanser. Slowly but surely I will have them all!!
Lastly, Beauty EDU endorses the luxurious endota spa brand. Most people would be familiar with the gorgeous and amazing smelling products and have probably used them, or even visited an endota spa themselves. The body scrub we tried was incredibly nourishing and effective and smelled divine. endota is a favourite through it’s philosophy and brilliant product range. endota uses all natural, organic products to help protect our environment from chemicals that can harm it. This means no pesticides or chemicals used in farming and no GMO’s.
The Salon at Beauty EDU, located at 494 La Trobe Street, Melbourne is open Mondays and Tuesdays and offers a full range of seasonal treatments.
For Beauty School course information and enrolments and campuses visit The Beauty EDU website.