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A Day in the Life of a Beauty Therapist
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Augusta is one of Polynesian Spa's 13 qualified spa therapists. She has worked at Polynesian Spa for nearly four years and shares her job with Beauty Bible…

What made you want to get into the spa therapy industry?
I've always been interested in spa and beauty therapy. The way you look helps you feel confident, and feeling confident helps you in every aspect of your life. I used to work in a government job and was searching for a career that was literally beautiful. Here I am! Everything about Polynesian Spa is beautiful, and everything about the spa therapy industry is beautiful. It truly is.

How did you qualify?
I saw an advertisement for Beauty College in a local paper. I ended up doing two years full time study at the college and qualified in beauty therapy, massage, and spa therapy. It was really worthwhile.

What is a typical day like for you?
It's totally unpredictable - which I love! No two days are the same. Sometimes I do about 7 or 8 half hour Polynesian Spa treatments for clients; other times, for longer treatments, I do four or five. It helps to be physically fit in this job. I'm on my feet most of the day using all those muscles to help people with therapeutic massages.

What are your favourite spa treatments?
Personally, I love Polynesian Spa's manuka honey yoghurt body boost treatment. It starts with a full body skin exfoliation that removes dead skin cells and soothes the skin. It's gorgeous and gentle - even though it scrubs your body clean. (My close second would be Polynesian Spa's warm stone massage!)

What do you think are the best ways to keep skin beautiful and in good health?
There's no doubt that beautiful skin starts on the inside. It starts with what you eat. Juicing fruit and raw vegetables is very good. After that, protecting your skin with a sunblock, moisturing regularly and exfoliating at least once a week makes a big difference - plus, of course, cleansing every night! A total body moisturise on a regular basis is also a must.
What makes a spa a really good spa in your opinion? There's no doubt about it! Great customer service makes the difference. Top class treatments that make people feel pampered. After that, having a relaxing environment is really important. We are lucky at Polynesian Spa to have a wonderful view where you look out over native bush onto the beautiful Lake Rotorua – that is a big plus for us.

What unique beauty aspects of ‘Rotorua’ can visitors enjoy when they come to Polynesian Spa?
Polynesian Spa was voted (many times) amongst the top ten thermal spas of the world by Conde Nast Traveller magazine. It's definitely Rotorua through and through. You get to bathe in some of the 26 piping hot natural mineral spring water pools all of which are in the open air! Some of the waters have been considered therapeutic for hundreds of years. For instance, the really hot Priest's Spa is slightly acidic. It was discovered by a priest in the late 1800s, and he used it to relieve arthritis. Polynesian Spa is located on the shores of Lake Rotorua and offers a unique thermal spa experience – most of the pools have fantastic views over beautiful Lake Rotorua and the complex is fringed with native bush. These are magic, natural surroundings, and the therapies on offer are so relaxing. The Aix therapy, for example, is an historic French water therapy which is rare in New Zealand. You start with a manuka honey and walnut scrub and then warm jets of mineral water wash away the exfoliation. You finish off with a massage. What truly says "Rotorua" is, of course, the thermal mud therapies. They're really popular!

What beauty products are must-haves for you?
I simply can't live without exfoliation products, moisturisers and sunblocks. No girl should have to!

What defines beauty to you?
Good grooming and skincare products help but I believe true beauty comes from within, something you project to the outside world.

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