Elegance Beauty Therapy

Finding a beauty salon that has stood in the same Canberra CBD address for four decades takes some doing.

Elegance Beauty Therapy, tucked into Ainslie Place in the heart of the city, has outlasted trends, machinery generations, and more than a few nearby competitors, and it has done so with only three owners in its entire history.

Tina Halikiotis has been the third of those owners, stepping back into business in the industry she had trained in some three decades ago after raising her family. Through all those years she kept her hand in the industry and was ready to take on full time beauty again in 2013. Being a busy mother with competing priorities, Tina knows how important time for self-care and being able to recharge is and with her length of time in beauty really understands the changing needs of aging skin.

The longevity of the business is not simply a product of location. Elegance has clients who have been coming since the salon first opened in 1986, and Tina is quick to point out why. Personalised service provided by a sole trader means that Tina gets to know clients’ needs, and can make bespoke adjustments to their treatment regime to ensure long-term clients are always looking and feeling their best.

Facials and the Art of Listening

The salon offers a wide range of treatments, from clinical procedures including microdermabrasion, medical grade LED light therapy and skin needling, through to waxing, massage, body treatments and pamper packages.

Tina is clear about what the business is best known for, though, “our range of facials are designed to match the client’s needs, pigmentation, lymphatic drainage, fine lines, dryness, we are able to cater for them all.” That reputation is built not just on the treatment itself but on the process around it. From the moment a client arrives, the team conducts an indepth skin analysis, listens carefully unpacking lifestyle factors, work and home demands, budget, and builds a personalised programme from there.

“Understand what the client is after, analyse the information and work out a suitable programme and go forward from there,” she explained.

The salon uses Thalgo as its flagship product partner alongside a suite of professional-grade brands, and Tina keeps a close eye on what is changing in the industry. Equipment upgrades are constant. She mentions a new laser machine arriving in the near term, along with an addition that might surprise long-term clients: tattoo removal.

“It’s important to keep up with the trends in this industry,” Tina comments. Tina’s commitment to that resulted in her recent sponsored trip to France to train at Thalgo and her annual sessions at the Sydney Beauty Expo to ensure her services are not only current but also rigorously research based. That approach has earned Elegance Beauty four Best Salon awards from Three Best Rated Canberra, a recognition that tracks with the word-of-mouth reputation that Tina says has always driven the business. When asked what advice she would give someone choosing a salon, her answer was immediate: “Word of mouth really speaks volumes.”

Canberra Facials Built on Confidence and Results

Tina trained as a beauty therapist over 30 years ago and even earned a student of the year award early in her studies. It is the shift in what is now possible that keeps her engaged.

“Especially from my early years when we had no machinery or active ingredients in products,” she reflects. “So much more with skin now. You really need to understand the dermal layers and systems to best meet your clients needs.” Clients who arrive hesitant or self-conscious tend to leave feeling looked after in a way that goes beyond the treatment itself, an experience that attentive, unhurried care has consistently produced across decades of loyal clientele.

“I enjoy it that you’re able to help people get confidence back in themselves. You’re in with the problem and you’ve got the solution to help them.”
~ Tina Halikiotis 

Tina’s vast experience in the beauty industry, and with clients who have been with her for over 20 years, she has demonstrated her understanding of the differing needs of clients as their lives change. She has clients who she has treated as teens, pregnant mothers and now as they enter their 50s and their skin needs have changed again. Her attention to detail, and deep understanding of treatment courses to meet diverse and differing needs of clients is what has kept clients loyal to Elegance and keep them coming back.

Tina’s satisfaction guarantee reinforces that approach: anyone less than 100% happy within seven days can request a full redo or a refund. The mission, as she puts it, is straightforward. “Our job is to give the clients what they’re looking for in a happy, relaxing environment.”

If you have been looking for a facial Canberra locals have trusted for years, or want to explore what clinical skin treatments can do for you, Elegance Beauty Therapy is worth a conversation. Reach out to Tina and the team to find out what they can put together for you.