After writing a recent piece naming beautician Amy Jean as the true ‘eyebrow queen’ of Double Bay – not Kristin Fisher – my DMs exploded with readers desperate to know where Sydney’s elite go to get primped and preened.
So I’m letting you in on some of the Emerald City’s best-kept beauty secrets: where the top-tier socialites get their skin red-carpet ready, the person they call for discreet injectables, and the go-to surgeons to consult when gravity starts making its move.
And while I’m no beauty professional – that crown goes to the Daily Mail’s Polished columnist Elise Wilson – I am in the business of knowing other people’s business… including the professionals they rely upon for all their must-have beauty treatments.
When it comes to your face, Merakii Beauty Room in Bondi is highly regarded as the secret word-of-mouth hotspot in the eastern suburbs for facials and skin treatments.
Owned and operated by dermal therapist Sofia Stapic, her clientele includes AFR Rich Lister and White Fox owner Georgia Contos, Justin Hemmes’ model girlfriend Madeline Holtznagel, and PR powerhouse Roxy Jacenko.
Sofia is known for delivering customised treatments tailored to her clients’ skin concerns.
‘Over 24 years’ experience as a dermal therapist has taught me one thing: it’s not about trends, it’s about what works with your skin’s physiology,’ she tells me.
‘There’s no one-size-fits-all, but in the right hands I achieve your skin goals.’
Sofia Stapic, the owner of Merakii Beauty Room in Bondi, has a list of high-profile clients, such as AFR Rich Lister and White Fox owner Georgia Contos and PR powerhouse Roxy Jacenko
Sofia (left) caters to the elite of Sydney’s eastern suburbs, including Roxy Jacenko (right)
AFR Rich Lister Georgia Contos goes to Merakii Beauty Room for her facials
I take her advice seriously given the condition of her flawless face, which actually moves – a rarity on this side of town.
Merakii Beauty Room, run out of Sofia’s modern Bondi Beach townhouse, also offers the kind of discretion you don’t get at a typical high-street salon – eliminating those awkward waiting room encounters we all dread.
A few suburbs over in Double Bay, Sydney’s most perfect brows belong to Amy Jean Linnehan, known as the ‘Arch Angel’ to Australia’s A-list.
Over the years, she’s quietly become a power player, building her presence with clinics in Double Bay, the CBD, Melbourne and Brisbane, and with regular stints overseas where she counts international celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Naomi Campbell among her clients.
Closer to home, radio presenter Jackie O, singer Dannii Minogue, and entrepreneur Alyce Tran turn to Amy Jean for waxing, plucking and shaping their brows.
Even fellow Double Bay business owner Samantha Appel, whose November nuptials were dubbed the society wedding of last year, credited Amy Jean for her flawless brows on her big day.
Speaking of Samantha, her Skin Bar clinics are also a magnet for celebrities, who are drawn to her pioneering ‘Notox’ treatments.
At The Skin Bar, injectables are out, and skin needling – a process where tiny needles are used to create controlled micro-injuries that trigger the body’s natural healing response – is in.
Model Madeleine Holtznagel (right, with partner Justin Hemmes) gets her facials at Merakii
Known as the ‘Arch Angel’, Amy Jean Linnehan is pictured with client Jackie ‘O’ Henderson (left) and The Skin Bar founder Samantha Appel (right)
The Skin Bar founder Samantha Appel has many celebrity clients, including Celeste Barber
Dr Kelly Thornbury is rightly crowned the queen of breasts
Needling boosts collagen and elastin, improving the appearance of scarring, wrinkles, texture and pigmentation for smoother, firmer skin.
The Skin Bar’s client list includes the likes of model WAG Jesinta Franklin, comedian Celeste Barber, surfer Laura Enever, bikini mogul Tash Oakley and Olympian Noemie Fox.
And it’s not just women who love it: British comedian Jack Whitehall visited during his tour last year, and I’ve even spotted Triple M’s Beau Ryan and Nova host Michael Wipfli in her clinic, too.
But for those who want a little more, it’s miracle worker Dr Joseph Hkeik at All Saints clinic who is the go-to for injectables – especially when you want to look like you haven’t had any work done.
With clinics in Double Bay, Darlinghurst and Parramatta, All Saints is unique in that it caters to clients across Sydney, while still remaining a firm favourite of coastal elites.
Notable international clients include Elle Macpherson and fashion journalist Laura Brown.
Amusingly, I know for a fact that there is a secret entrance for the big names who don’t want to get ‘papped’ visiting an injectable clinic.
All Saints clinic is a second home to many eastern suburbs housewives – and even supermodel Elle ‘The Body’ Macpherson is a satisfied customer
Kate Moss is a fan of Dr Joseph Hkeik, who owns All Saints clinic
When it comes to surgeons, confidentiality agreements and pesky matters of medical privacy prevent us from revealing who’s had what done and by whom – but generally speaking, the doctors touted as so-called ‘boob gods’ are almost always men.
However, among Sydney’s most elite housewives, a female surgeon is considered the best in the business. I’m talking, of course, about Dr Kelly Thornbury.
When I spoke to Dr Thornbury about her reputation as the queen of breasts, she was characteristically humble.
‘I do have a range of clientele and yes, I do look after high-profile patients as I offer discreet services,’ she told me.
Another treatment she offers – one that’s quietly surged in popularity in recent years – is labiaplasty, a discreet procedure designed to relieve physical discomfort.
‘Primarily women are considering surgery for functional issues to address discomfort as a result of excess labial tissue. There may also be some aesthetic considerations,’ said Dr Thornbury.
Much like boob doctors, surgeons who specialise in facelifts are closely guarded secrets – and for good reason.
High-profile clients rarely reveal the names of their specialists because discretion is everything when it comes to this particular procedure.
After all, they want everyone to think they’ve simply aged gracefully.
Word is Dr David Moon, newly returned from New York where he’s been training with leading Deep Plane facelift experts, is a firm favourite among high-society types.
Dr Jack Zoumaras of Artiste Plastic Surgery in Darling Point is another go-to for the well-heeled, while Dr Amira Sanki is also known to quietly specialise in facelifts for those in the know.
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