News: Kate Somerville hits NZ and Australia

On the morning of my birthday last week I was extremely lucky to be invited to Auckland’s Hilton hotel on the waterfront to experience my first Kate Somerville facial – what a way to kick off a big day! And yes, the sun was shining!
The occasion was the arrival of the legendary skincare brand in Mecca Cosmetica, home of what must be one of the best-edited beauty selections around.
The creator and director of her own renowned medi-skin clinic on Melrose in Los Angeles, Kate Somerville has devoted her life to creating flawless faces. In fact, she is personally responsible for the glowing complexions of hundreds of leading ladies, whose livelihoods depend on their looks. When it comes to a clear complexion and a gorgeous glow, stars like Jessica Alba, Katherine Heigl, Selma Blair, and Debra Messing depend on Kate’s clever hands and killer products.
Like me, Kate grew up suffering from eczema, and this was responsible for an early fascination with skincare and what it could do to help her situation. She was one of the first paramedical aestheticians in the business, partnering early on with top dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons. This is where her authenticity lies, as well as her unique understanding of skin and how best to heal and protect it.
Every product in her range began life in her clinic, and was tried and tested for months on end as well as often growing out of client need rather than to fit a marketing calendar. A perfect example of this is her Somerville360 Body Self Tanning Towelettes, which contain a paraben-free self-tanning formula to give you a quick and even application with no streaking. She formulated these after years of despairing over client Paris Hilton’s shockingly fake looking spray tans, and the Hollywood princess was all the better for it!
Other hero products include ExfoliKate, which is her most famous baby and constantly named in celebrity’s “desert island” beauty lists. The Intensive Exfoliating Treatment is Kate's top-selling product, and reportedly the next best thing to seeing her in the clinic yourself! It works both physically and enzymatically to deliver safe, dramatic results in one application, and after experiencing it during a facial can honestly say that it’s a true wonder. It effectively combats acne and blackheads, reduces discoloration, and polishes skin by using fruit enzymes to clarify skin by removing dead cells and eliminating bacteria.
The third hero product I got to experience was Quench, which is the amazing formula that earned her the title of “the guru of glow”. Jessica Alba’s favourite, Quench was developed to help restore, replenish and restructure lipids lost due to aging, stress, environmental aggression and excessive UV exposure. It locks in moisture, helps cells retain water, to ensure well-hydrated skin and a healthier, more youthful complexion. It is non-greasy, has no oils, and makes the skin feel silky with a “signature glow” that I definitely carried with me for the rest of the day and well into the next!
I highly recommend you hit your nearest Mecca Cosmetica store for a taste of Kate’s best – and start putting a trip to that Melrose Place clinic (pictured above) on your beauty bucket list now!