Simply Abu Dhabi XXII

T he Emma Hardie collection first came to my attention about ten years ago when her products were launched into the retail sector. I met the lady herself and was immediately struck by her enthusiasm and incredible knowledge of the face, body, and the structure of the skin. Then finding out that Emma had researched and trained in all of this due to her own personal battle after an illness, it became even more poignant. Using the natural healing powers of ingredients that are readily available to us, carefully selected and blended then applied using her signature techniques, Emma and her products were an instant success. I've been a fan of her cleansing balm since the first application, not only because of the results, but because it’s a wonderful sensory experience: its smell, texture and effect on the mood. The Amazing Face skincare range continues to grow, and now with the Vitamin C collection, we're being treated to yet more power-packed products that deliver impressive results. I went along to the launch in Central London where Emma took us through her concepts of facial lifting and sculpting, as well as what this new line can do for our skin. I then asked Emma some questions and was fascinated by her replies... Tell us a little more about Emma Hardie the woman and what makes her tick. I have a complete fascination with how the human body works, particularly how tissue regenerates and how the body heals itself; either from a bacteria or virus, a physical blow, or how stress affects the biomechanical workings of the body. I’m slightly obsessive but I think this is why my passion and research is so dedicated and unique. I always seek out a solution tomy client’s health and skincare needs. What brought you to create your own range of skincare? I contracted a virus called Epstein-Barr when I was 19 years old; it attacked my central nervous system, liver and kidneys so I was pretty ill until I was 33. I had to learn how to heal myself as the doctors could not pick up the virus in the blood tests, so couldn’t help me. I learnt how to stimulate the body’s self-healing ability, and became fascinated and wanted to teach and empower others. I also discovered the simple benefits of facial acupressure massage for self- healing and facial rejuvenation. I retrained in physiology, health and beauty, studied cell biology and launched my Lift & Glow facial work shop. Then in 2009 I developed my Amazing Face range based on research I have done and still do. What product or technique are you most proud of? My ‘lines, not circles’ facial massage technique is simply extraordinary and visibly demonstrates how the tissue of the body can reorganise itself when stimulated in the correct way. This is all based on the research I have undertaken. Also, my wonderful Moringa Balm with its magical ability to heal and rejuvenate the skin – simple, yet so effective. What do your celebrity clients come to you for? They love the way I sculpt, contour and bring amazing glow, luminosity and plumpness to their skin, naturally. They also really enjoy the healing and relaxing benefits to my treatments, especially because they have such hectic, often stressful lives. Your 'crosshatching' and 'lines, not circles' technique when doing facials is unique. Can you explain the benefits of this movement? Think of the soft tissue of the body like fabric. It has a weave and a weft that’s made up of collagen and elastin fibres that form the skin’s supporting connective tissue system and creates the muscle fibres, capillaries, arteries, veins and lymphatic system. Working in a linear crossed hatched fashion stimulates deep drainage of all the layers of facial tissue and stimulates all aspects of skin health as you are working with the natural grain of a living structure. Getting your clients’ skin red carpet-ready involves what sort of procedures? My Lift & Glow facial is the ultimate red carpet skin treatment. If possible I will do a client on the day of the event, or I will do two or three in close succession on the lead up. I always prepare the skin by buffing with microfibre over the Moringa Foaming Wash. I slather the face with Moringa Balm for a super moisturising cleanse, packing the skin with moisture, then buff again over our Instant Radiance Mask. I leave the skin prepped for the makeup artists by applying our light reflective Midas Touch Face Serum, on top of which I apply our Protect and Prime SPF30 which adds another layer of light reflective particles and acts as a makeup primer. What sets your skincare line apart from others on the market? It’s simple, effective and works. At Emma Hardie we believe educating our customers about skincare and their individual needs is a must. Myself and our amazing team of experts travel the country meeting our customers, giving skincare advice and mini treatments – we give a really hands-on experience and we believe we take an innovative, individual approach to natural skin formulations. The EmmaHardieCollection 2 8 8 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I EmmaHardie