Profile: linda meredith
Linda Meredith has established a reputation for her facials worldwide and her clients comprise some of the top names in pop, film, TV and fashion. She opened Linda Meredith Knightsbridge in London's Beauchamp Place in the early 90s. Sasha Lill finds out the secret of her success
I started my career in Estée Lauder's men's division, promoting new products in major department stores throughout the UK. I then went on to Fabergé Cosmetics, with responsibility for managing department store consultants across northern England. I supervised major launches at London trade shows, working with company director and actor, Cary Grant, as well as Farah Fawcett Majors and Margo Hemingway, who were the 'faces' of the company, before moving to London and opening the Linda Meredith School of Make-Up," explains Linda.
"At that time I was selling a make-up line to beauty colleges throughout the UK and abroad, and realised everyone wanted to learn my make-up application techniques," she adds.
The make-up school was established worldwide and led Linda to write books on make-up and articles that were published in leading beauty journals.
However, over time, the make-up business was to change - with no secure jobs.
"I felt there was no longer enough business in the make-up school as all the jobs for the students in that field were freelance - so what would they do when they finished my course?
"I had always been interested in skin because of my work in make-up and was given an opportunity to work in a salon. I loved it - and knew instantly what the next phase of my career was to be," adds Linda.
At that time, Linda worked with therapist Sheiska Ahmed, now the manager of her salon.
"She helped me to build Linda Meredith Knightsbridge. We started with no clients and together built what we have today, through hard work and perseverance,"
she says.
The salon is situated in a listed building and has five treatment rooms and five full-time therapists. In the beginning, with no money for advertising, the business grew by word of mouth. Linda believed as long as they gave the best treatments possible, the clients would keep coming back and recommend the salon to friends.
Linda's first celebrity client was Martine McCutcheon, who had been given a gift voucher as a present. "She had just left EastEnders and was going into My Fair Lady," she explains. "At the time, we had few clients and most would pop into the kitchen, make tea and chat, including Martine. Her success was taking off and she asked me how she could help. I told her to tell everyone where she came for her facials - and she did!"
The next celebrity was Madonna. "A friend of mine, Nicola Clark, was doing the hair for most of the celebrities at that time - and still does. Madonna was getting married and needed someone to do her eyebrows, so Nicola told her to contact me. I went to her home, did them, and then invited her in to the salon for a facial. The media is very small and people talk - and that's how it started. If you are available 24/7 - as I was - they will come, and keep coming. My job is my life," she admits.
celebrity clients
To keep at the forefront of the industry Linda believes you need to be very grounded, especially with celebrities. "I am first their beauty therapist and not one of their friends. I am invited to attend many premieres and parties, but always keep my distance, as I work for them not with them. The celebrity following still goes from strength-to-strength, but I know my place and don't let it go to my head," she says.
Confidentiality is crucial, and Linda's staff have all signed confidentiality agreements. They also work three, 11-hour days to accommodate celebrity demands. Her therapists have to be able to cope with the pace and be adaptable, she explains.
Linda believes to be successful in the beauty industry you need to care about what you do and the clients you work on - regardless of who they are. "They should all get the same care and attention. You need to love what you do. If you treat it as just a job, you shouldn't be in the industry."
She did not start out to specialise in facials, but because she had the first oxygen machine (from Crystal Clear) in London, every article written about the salon was to do with facials.
"I hope our success is down to giving the best results-based facials in town, but our celebrity following certainly doesn't hurt in bringing in new clients," she says.
Most clients have the Haute Couture facial combined with either Crystal Clear Oxygen or CACI Ultra (to work deep in the epidermis and on muscle tone), which gives fabulous results, she says.
"There is no point in massaging creams into someone's skin, particularly if it needs a good clean first. Not many therapists do extraction anymore as they fear damaging the skin, but no one leaves my salon red and blotchy. My clients want results - they don't have the time to lie there and be pampered," Linda adds.
new approach
"From the moment you touch a client's face they should feel you are in control - they should sense your confidence. It is very important to read a client's body language. Some just let themselves go in your hands, while others, like me, want the result but get irritable lying on a bed. I always adapt my treatments to suit."
Linda has seen many changes over the years in facial care - the worst being the training offered.
"Today, some therapists just look at it as a job without regard for the care required to look after a client and don't work with them to get results. A new generation of skin problems requires a new approach to skincare products. Lifestyle, environment, advanced technology and even what we eat all affect our skin," she says.
"If a client needs weekly facials until I get her skin under control, then she comes in once a week. I then spread treatments out to every three or four weeks. I also talk about diet and the way she eats. For example, eating excessive anti-oxidants, such as berries, can cause breakouts on the forehead and chin. Also, eating food too quickly doesn't allow proper digestion and the same thing happens. I am there to give clients the best advice to make their skin glow, so I explore any avenue I can to make that happen.
"The beauty industry has evolved over the past few years where the medical industry has overlapped into beauty. Doctors are getting involved issuing pills for skin complaints that, more often than not, could be dealt with by a beauty therapist. Likewise, I don't agree with salons offering medical treatments; we are not doctors or dentists and do not have the experience or knowledge if something goes wrong.
"Many salons offer treatments such as Botox, dermal fillers or medical-grade peels to make money, not caring if it is good for the client in the long run. This is sad, and, unfortunately, will not change until legislation is introduced to stop it. I would like the beauty industry to be just that - beauty - and work with what we have to get the best results we can," she adds.
SKINCARE LINE
Linda works with Yon-Ka skincare but has recently launched her own facial line - Linda Meredith. The collection comprises cleansers, hydrating mist, collagen gel, serum, moisturisers, night cream, essential oil creams, gommage and eye gel.
"I wanted to create the Linda Meredith brand and produce a skincare line based around my treatments. I wanted to put something together that was better than anything else on the market - products as natural as possible (they do not contain parabens or heavy mineral oils), but which have the added advantage of advanced technology," she says.
The facial products are all water- or essential oil-based (so can absorb deep into the epidermis) and are not based on skin types such as oily, dry and combination. According to Linda, these types don't exist today. "All the creams are for treating individual problems not skin types, and are for all age groups."
Linda launched the brand into award-winning Chewton Glen in New Milton, Hampshire, following its purchase by the husband of one of her clients.
"She adores the skincare range and the treatments we offer, so wanted the results-based facials for the spa. I trained all the therapists in my methods and they are doing fabulously and getting great feedback from their clients.
"I hope to expand the skincare line into other spas around the world, so they can offer the same facials as experienced by celebrities in Beauchamp Place - a great selling point for them," Linda says.
The range is expanding all the time, but the next phase is to have the products available in 35ml travel sizes.
