Showing skin at Love Renaissance

Nadine Kam photos
From left, Nina Thai, Ritsuko Kukonu and Makamae Kahawai show some of Love Renaissance's products.

There was no sleep, just a lot of laughter, zaps and suds when Love Renaissance decided to host a girls night out “slumber party” to introduce new products.

The beautification ritual is not a pretty sight, and while I’m loathe to go bare-faced in public, Waikiki magazine editor Sarah Honda and I were the first to try the photofacial device promising tauter, glowing skin. Off came the makeup and by evening’s end, even those who at first refused to remove makeup that took much effort to put on were washing their face not once, but twice, to try the various product lines. As one guest put it, “I don’t care anymore.”

Never mind that many of the evening’s photos would end up plastered across several social media platforms!

There were a lot of kabuki faces in the crowd as guests cleaned up with Xtrue 10 PM Foam.

The photofacial machine gave us a good zap with every push of a button. If you've ever had an IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light treatment, that's what it felt like, a jolt of heat and slight sting.

The product lines sampled ranged from the beginner’s Swaness, so named to turn ugly young ducklings into beautiful swans, up through the top-of-the-line Verdi series for more serious facial woes.

Gisele Zelauy was the ringleader for the event, bringing her infectious joie de vivre to the evening of facials, skin treats and sweet treats that included Le Tour Cafe macarons and some of the best chocolates in the world.

Gisele being Gisele.

Sitting on a shelf were dozens of Gisele's modeling photos, singing the praises of Love Renaissance products. Since using the products, she said her skin is so good she wears no face makeup, only eye makeup.

Among of her pearls of wisdom: “If you don’t like what you see in the mirror, look somewhere else.”

“Create the mise en scene; change your lighting, don’t obsess over every spot.”

In other words, don’t take beauty so seriously. The right products can improve the look of our skin, but none of us can hope for airbrushed perfection. She said that if she worried about the size of her nose, she never would have become a model.

Her energy and enthusiasm made it clear why Karl Lagerfeld chose her as muse for Maison Chanel, and the vivacious Brazilian proudly proclaims herself “the original Gisele from Brazil.”

Modern men know they have to keep up with women and were game to try the photofacial device.

We were all squeaky clean by evening's end.

 There were a lot of sweet bites including chocolates, cupcakes and macarons.

Both men and women took turns zapping their skin into shape with photo facials. Maybe women are more accustomed to such treatment, because they took it in stride, while men jumped with early zaps, mentioning it was particularly painful in facial hair areas.

It was entertaining watching the men, who were so random in their approach, compared to women who are very methodical about covering every centimeter of skin.

The party was timed to get us all out the door by 9 p.m. so we could get a good night’s sleep, because sleep is one of the best weapons for fighting signs of aging. And, it’s free.
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Love Renaissance is in the Royal Hawaiian Center, 2201 Kalakaua Ave., Building C, ground level. Call 808.923.0991.

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Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her coverage in print on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.