The inaugural Skinlympics: a new endeavour for the beauty industry
For the love of competition, for the love of skin, and for the love of the beauty industry.
The world may be counting down to the Paris 2024 Olympics this year, however, many in the realm of skin have been waiting for the first-ever Skinlympics luncheon ceremony, set in the crisp Melbourne winter on a Monday afternoon.
The day was mixed with a true accumulation of the beauty industry - freelancers, clinic owners, education leaders, brand representatives and even small beauty writers (hello, that’s me!), all coming together for lunch, awards, and celebrating accomplishments.
And surprisingly, even the sun made an appearance.
The event started with a lunch and a side of good conversation. Situated in the bright, intimate space on the seventh floor of Le Ciel in Richmond, the tables are decorated with flower centrepieces in glass skincare bottles in place of vases - a simple nod to our line of work.
The ceremony is represented in five ‘events’ - Hydrate, Brighten, Revive, Calm, and Clear. Much like the Olympics, each category awarding bronze, silver and gold.
A surprise award was announced during the ceremony for Outstanding Performance in Product Prescription Award.
Finally, the big award, the Skinlympian of the Year 2024 was picked out from all of the gold medallists of the day, with the winner also receiving a paid press release from Rachel Medlock Copywriting.
Each category had a specific set of guidelines to adhere to, complied with by the diverse judges from all career pathways. The entrants were judged based on treatment, education, knowledge, and overall client experience.
The finalists were displayed with their jaw-dropping before and after photos that they submitted (you can see them all here). And the lucky medallists were fit with a breathtaking trophy, heavy from prestige.
The Skinlympics celebrates industry workers. Before this, only clinics, companies and businesses were fitted for the accolades, rather than the individuals who grow this community. The best therapists also may not have a great support system or great management to applaud their accomplishments. So, this is a way to say thank you to those hard workers across all pathways.
Tamara Reid, the brains behind the operation was the connection between everyone in the room. It’s incredible to think that her devotion to a community stemmed from creating a Facebook group all those years ago and has now turned into an established awards ceremony to recognise talent.
Sitting to my left was therapist Sheridan Rollard, who became the Skinlympian of the Year 2024 and won gold in the revive category. She showed me astonishing before and after photos of her client, Penni: solar lentigos vanishing from the décolletage, a scar near the orbital bone minimised, and skin glowing to the stars.
Penni has been seeing Sheridan at Shine Skin and Body for 15 years, but it was revealed that they started using IPL a year ago. The clinic happens to be three blocks away from the awards ceremony, and now the winner will need to decide where to put both of her trophies.
All attendees left with their hands full, with gift bags courtesy of the sponsors of the event: products from O Cosmetics, Murad skincare, and Elucent.
The event ended smoothly, perfectly timed with the sun setting into the venue. Smiles on faces, and no doubt, with the energy in the room, the next year will be bigger and better.
Submissions for the next Skinylmpics Awards 2025 open on the 2nd of September 2024, so don’t forget to pop it in your calendar.