Learning and Enjoying Esthetics

Learning and Enjoying Esthetics

…by  Jane Rosenstein

The 44th Congrès International d’Esthétique Appliquée (International Congress of Applied Esthetics) was held on March 29, 30 and 31 at the Porte de Versailles in Paris, France. This show was great because not only did it provide buying opportunities to get products at greatly discounted prices but also for the learning and entertaining experiences of the programs.

There were many demonstrations of different types of messages, including 4 hands and  career discussions. There was a Big Competition for Make Up Forever to commemorate the company’s 30 year anniversary with prizes including a trip to New York. Other products, hair removal with threads, eyebrow makeup and many of the company’s latest and greatest makeup innovations.

Admission was pricey at 70 Euros for a 3-day pass (reduced to 39 Euros with a discount coupon) and the daily admission of 40 Euros discounted to 16. The expo targeted trade professionals. Given the high admission price the expo was not heavily patronized by the general public aside from those interested in buying large quantities of cosmetics of and skin rejuvenation products.

The expo occupied two levels where numerous booths offering products at tremendous “show-only” discounts could be visited.

The Make Up Forever booth featured a full line of professional cosmetic products that are also available at the company’s boutiques in Paris and online; Getting great makeup at 50% off was a real bargain. The company’s booth was  heavily patronized with eager buyers being assisted by helpful consultants to help them with their selections.

I was amused by the company’s crowd control technique using a man with a microphone to announce customers’ names to make payment. Some special promotions ,in addition to the 50% off deals, sold out quickly. I purchased makeup and a clean-up kit for brushes that quickly sold out because it was discounted much more than 50%.

Minus 417 — a treatment line from Israel, had an attractive lady named Rahma demonstrating their products. Minus 471 is sold on the internet both in the USA and here in Paris. The line is enriched with vitamins and “moisture-balanced minerals” from the Dead Sea. Their slogan is “Changing the Beauty Level.” I learned that “whitening” meant giving the skin clarity. Compounds from the Dead Sea fortified with vitamins, minerals, and unique plant extracts make the skin have a youthful looking appearance according to Minus 417.

The show had many exhibitors. On the second floor were nail care products and also the well  known Peggy Sage cosmetics line. Each year Peggy Sage offers good discounts on its full line of professional makeup and nail care products.

Exhibitors had machines without needles instead of Botox to soften facial lines. Also there were people using threads to shape eyebrows.  Several stands  had skin care products and nail care products. It was a great shopper’s venue.

The three-day program was very informative. I was eager to see the eye shadow demonstration to see the new shades and techniques   but it was cancelled.

I stayed in the auditorium to see and hear the David Palmer, the “father” of “seated massage.” David told the audience it is very important to communicate both verbally and by touch with clients. He guarantees that his clients will benefit from his massages or he  will give them a refund. Naturally he had a massage therapist onstage doing chair massages.

During the demonstration, he explained to the audience that many clients could not afford to pay for messages on massage tables so he created the massage chair.  I met both David and his interpreter after the presentation. David, who is from Florida, told me that he has a lot of success with the chair massages but  they are not intended to replace medical massages by physiotherapists. The interpreter was doing the job free to help David and he did a great job.

Body painting presented by the SLA Academy was well attended.  It was entertaining to see how the students presented their models complete with exotic hairdos and dramatic colors including green and gold.  The attendees seemed to thoroughly enjoy the fanciful aura of this creative event.