Everyone wants gorgeous, glowing skin – but sometimes you have to put yourself in the hands of an expert to get it.
Pamela Bunte is one of those experts, having worked on skin and perfected her technique for the past 20 years for top beauty companies including Chanel, Estee Lauder and Elizabeth Arden. Her cozy salon, Pamela’s Exclusive Skin Spa, is nestled between Hyde nightclub and Greenblatt’s deli on Sunset Boulevard, and has long been a secret hideaway for the many celebrities she counts as clients.
Once ensconced in her treatment room and under a skincare microscope, she’ll evaluate your skin and get right to work– with a multi-step cleansing, toning and masque treatment with concoctions that she’s tailored just for you. It’s a seriously results -driven facial, among the best we’ve ever had. It feels like a great workout for your face, and Pamela stays with you the entire session.
Pamela told us what we were doing wrong with our skin: putting too much stuff on it it night and therefore clogging it up– a common problem for people who feel that more is better. Her philosophy is that simpler and cleaner is better, and she will evaluate what you use and tell you how to do so more effectively.
Pamela also has her own skincare line, which she can guide you through and recommend what to get, but will not pressure you like so many places do to buy the products. We’ve already tried some of the serums and cleansers and have been very pleased with the results. (You can get her product line at the shop or online.)
With summer upon us, Pamela has some tips for healthy skin. “As the weather changes and becomes warmer, you want to use a higher SPF,” she says. “There are many good ones on the market. I like to use sunscreens that are made for babies and are a 70 SPF or higher. I always think the higher the better when you’re in the sun. I know there is a lot of controversy about this, but I always say: Why take that chance?”
She says summer is also a good time to clean out your old makeup, brushes and sponges. “Mascara should be thrown out and replaced. I do this four times a year to make sure I am always using clean make-up and product. You don’t want to chance the spreading of bacteria,” she says, noting also that when you check your makeup on a plane, it goes through temperature changes that may shorten its shelf life. Ideally, cosmetics should be kept at about 72.°
Pamela also advises that summer is not the time to get broken capillaries zapped, laser treatments, peels or photo facials, because skin does not recover as well after these treatments under the hot, beating sun.
She advocates treating any pesky, unwanted blemishes with a warm washcloth and a combination of alcohol and then hydrogen peroxide on the breakout.
She’s happy to share other tips and techniques to keep skin at its finest and healthiest. It’s her passion– and it will be your benefit.
Pamela’s Exclusive Skin Spa, 8027 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles (323) 650-3567 (by appointment only) http://www.pamelasexclusiveskin.com/
