With a passion for helping people feel and look fabulous, licensed master esthetician Mary Brooke-Barger offers a wide range of services and products at Mirabella on San Juan Island.
“It is very individualized care. In fact, even in one person, the needs may change from visit to visit,” Brooke-Barger said.
She has been in the business for nearly 40 years. Esthetician Laura Allen came on board Mirabella approximately three years ago, but has been an esthetician for about 15 years. Tuesdays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Allen focuses on targeted skin treatments, facial waxing and lash and brow tinting. For lash and brow tinting, Allen brushes on the tint, which usually lasts four-six weeks.
“It makes lashes and brows stand out, without changing the size the way mascara does,” Allen said. It has been very popular with her clients she added, especially those who can’t or don’t like to wear mascara.
She also offers complimentary makeup consultations. Tuesday is walk-in retail day, where customers can try and feel the products, as well as buy them.
“Skin Bar,” is also a walk-in service available on Tuesdays. This is a free comprehensive skin analysis and consultation.
“‘Skin Bar’ allows us to customize an at-home regimen for healthy radiant skin,” Brooke-Barger explained.
A care regimen is one of the most important things people can do for their skin, she said. The other is to wear sunscreen.
After extensive research on skin care products, Brooke-Barger selected Mirabella due to its high quality. No other product, she said, has come close, and it has never been animal-tested. According to Brooke, Mirabella was developed as a skin and health care line that addressed the cellular triggers of aging.
Dermalogica, another product Brooke-Barger carries, is a clinically advanced skin care line developed by the International Dermal Institute that is specifically for sensitive, damaged and healing skin.
“I chose it over all the other lines simply because it works so beautifully and offers a wide range of customization for every individual,” Brooke-Barger said.
One of her most popular services is microdermabrasion, a deep-skin polish that, combined with a chemical peel, provides more noticeable results like even-toned, smoother skin.
Manual lymph drainage sounds aggressive, but it is a gentle hands-on approach, Brooke-Barger said, to promote healing from facial surgery. It can reduce swelling, and it also increases the immune system, she explained.
LED light therapy is another favorite. This encourages the skin to create more collagen, the protein in the skin which makes it firmer and smoother.
“All of my technology devices are medical grade,” Brooke-Barger said, adding they are also all manufactured in the United States and approved and registered with the Food and Drug Administration.
Brooke-Barger continues to keep up with the latest technological advances, too, by learning online and in the classroom. This enables her business to stay current, and offer the best options to her clients.
“I love what I do, helping people feel their best,” Brooke-Barger said.
