After just over a year in business in Damariscotta, About Face Skin Care and Cosmetics Boutique is expanding with an aesthetician on-site to offer face and body pampering services for healthier skin and greater relaxation.
Still located in the Damariscotta Center building, About Face moved to their current location directly at the bottom of the stairs last November. The space began as a small boutique featuring several skin care and cosmetics lines hand-selected by certified aesthetician and owner Linda Forgues.
Forgues said she intends to offer a variety of facials (based on skin type and desired result), exfoliating or hydrating peels, face and body waxing, eyelash and eyebrow tinting, false eyelash application, in addition to make-up application and instruction.
She intends on expanding the product lines to compliment and enhance treatments throughout the year, she said. Forgues is also considering adding microdermabrasion and massage services at some point in the future.
Forgues came to the skin care business with seven years of experience, and a desire to help people, she said. “I’ve always had an interest in skin care, and I love the idea of doing make-up,” said Forgues. “I like to make people feel good. I enjoy the idea of working with people, and being able to help them.”
She completed her education at The Capilo Institute in Augusta, and received her state certification in 2001. She opened her first About Face Boutique in Boothbay the following year.
She said she saw a need for skin care services in Boothbay, but no one was offering them at the time. As her business grew, Forgues decided to open a retail location in Damariscotta.
Repeated customer requests prompted her to offer services there. “I had so many people asking about services,” Forgues said. “I was sending them to my other location in Boothbay for awhile.”
Forgues will be offering services part-time in Damariscotta, starting in February, by appointment, Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays, until the spring. In May, the hours for skin care services will expand, as Jennifer Lewis graduates, and joins the staff, Forgues said.
The retail store is open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The store features Naturopathica and SkinCeuticals skin care, and a high-quality private-label line exclusive to About Face. They also offer Bare Escentuals make-up and skin care.
According to the website, naturopathica.com, Naturopathica’s products contain only top-quality botanical ingredients combined with the latest dermatological technology. Each product is 100 percent natural, contains no petroleum byproducts, or synthetic solvents, Forgues said.
The SkinCeuticals products are another line featured in the boutique. Their focus is on clinical grade ingredients which produce measurable results, their website said (skinceuticals.com).
According to language on the SkinCeutical website: “To maintain and improve skin health, an effective skincare regime must contain three fundamental elements, prevention, protection, and correction. At SkinCeuticals, our product philosophy and educational programs are built around these principles.”
About Face carries Bare Escentuals make-up, Bare Minerals, and skin care, Rare Minerals. Their website asserts all their products are free of preservatives, talc, oil, fragrance and other harmful chemicals.
Forgues said Bare Minerals claims to be the number one selling foundation in the world. She is planning a Bare Minerals make-up event for the spring.
The product cost can seem high for these products, due to the quality of ingredients and reliability of results, according to Forgues. She explained these products will last much longer, and provide better results than something purchased at a local pharmacy for less.
About Face offers samples of all their products, so customers can see if a product works before they purchase it. Once the customer has found a line they like, several trial packages are available, containing multiple products for less cost than the full size products, she said.
To make an appointment for services, call About Face Skin Care and Cosmetics Boutique at 563-3444.
