Spotlight on Valérie Le Gendre

It has been almost a year since Valérie Le Gendre took over the post of Chief International Trainer for Omaré. During this time she has travelled widely and trained Thai, Vietnamese, Russian and French aestheticians in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. In 2008, her schedule promises to be busier than ever with trips planned for the U.S.A, SE Asia, the Baltic States and eventually China.

In addition to her purely education-based work, she has offered valuable input into Omaré’s product and protocol development. Her 8 years of experience working as an aesthetician in France and England with a wide range of high profile international brands has brought a wealth of insight into what really makes Omaré so different from its competitors.

Over the past year, Ms. Le Gendre has worked with Omaré R& D on the development of Omaré’s new signature body massages (Serensis™ / Stimulisse™ / Silhouessence™) as well as on creating new hand and foot care protocols employing many existing Omaré body care products – reinforcing the brand’s commitment to versatile compact line development. These new protocols will be launched in France in the first quarter of 2008 and will be made available internationally from the second quarter of 2008 onwards. An upcoming blog entry will provide more news concerning these versatile and practical protocols.

She has also been instrumental in providing valuable insight concerning service development for French-based spa and salon clients. Having worked for years herself as a client of major brands, she is well placed to know what spa clients are really looking for and how best to serve their needs. The development of new personalised services for French clients has benefited greatly from her experience.

Omaré Head Office would like to salute Ms. Le Gendre’s contribution to the on-going development of Omaré over the past year.

Autumn Activities in the Baltic States & Belarus

This autumn is shaping up to be a very busy one for Omaré in the Baltic States and Belarus. Olga Griscenko, Managing Director of UAB Grozio Technologijos, Omaré’s exclusive distributor for Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Belarus, reports that seminars and trade fair participations are planned all across the region in the coming months.

Ms. Griscenko, a medical doctor and trained Omaré beauty therapist / consultant has just returned from Minsk where she presented a second Omaré seminar last weekend in the Belarus capital. She is currently preparing a third presentation and master class for an upcoming exhibition scheduled for September 20th - 23rd, 2007 and will be participating in Interstyle, Belarus’s largest cosmetics trade fair, at the end of November of this year.

Major activities in the region also include an Omaré treatment seminar at the MasterClass Professional Center at the Baltic SPA Professional Association in Riga, Latvia as well as participation in the Baltic region’s largest cosmetics exhibition, Baltic Beauty World, in Riga from November 2nd to 4th, 2007.

Lithuania, UAB Grozio Technologijos’s home base will be playing host to a seminar / demonstration animated by Omaré’s chief International Trainer, Valérie Le Gendre. Topics will include Omaré’s new massage protocols: Serensis™, Stimuliss™ and Silhouessence™ as well as new Omaré Foot and Hand Treatment Protocols to be launched in late November of this year. Probable dates are now under discussion with Omaré Head Office in France but it is likely that the event will take place in late autumn 2007. Don’t hesitate to contact Ms. Griscenko for all the news related to Omaré in the Baltic States and Belarus at: olga_griscenko@hotmail.com

Environmentally Friendly Plastic Bags

As of September 2007, Omaré France is proud to announce that all Omaré branded plastic carrier bags (used in conjunction with purchases of the brand’s retail cosmetics products), will be manufactured using oxo-biodegradable plastics. This environmentally friendly commitment is made possible thanks to the incorporation of Totally Degradable Plastic Additives (“TDPA™”) technology into the bag production process. It is now widely known that traditional plastics are very stable and not readily degradable and biodegradable in the environment. For this reason, plastic waste represents a major environmental problem.

Developed in Canada by EPI Environmental Technologies Inc., TDPA™ based technology enables products made from various types of plastics (including the material used to make Omaré bags) to degrade into environmentally harmless products within months of having been discarded. The degradation process involves the reaction of the TDPA™ treated plastic with oxygen in the air and is initiated by sunlight exposure, high temperatures and/or mechanical stress.
EPI indicates that research demonstrates that composts made from TDPA™ treated plastics have no toxic effect on plant or animal life.

The move to use oxo-biodegradable plastic carrier bags is another example of Omaré’s commitment to the principles of the UN Global Compact and its 10 defining principles. MacLeay s.a.r.l., owner of the Omaré brand, has been a member of the UN Global Compact since 2001.

Anti-Ageing Body Care

There has been a veritable explosion of anti-ageing face care products on the market over the past several years. Like other professional brands, Omaré has devoted a great deal of time to this particular product / treatment category. However, oddly enough with the possible of exception of hand care, there has been relatively little attention paid to the rest of the body when it comes to anti-ageing protocols.

Omaré’s Rejuvenessence Anti-ageing Treatment Programme has taken up the challenge. Based on our Rejuvenating Body Pack and requiring the use of a heating blanket, this new Omaré spa body wrap treatment programme is designed to offer the ultimate in botanical-rich skin conditioning. The protocol combines the qualities of the green tea, grape, lithothamnium and spirulina algae extracts found in the Rejuvenating Body Pack with the soy protein, ray cartilage, sea lettuce and Centella asiatica extracts found in our Silhouette Firming Cream and the energising mix of 5 essential oils of our Stimulisse™ essential oil blend mixed with the laminaria algae and grape seed oil of our Ocean Oil. Designed particularly for mature skin, a complete programme (ideally, a minimum of 4 weekly sessions followed by regular monthly sessions) contributes to refining skin texture, improving elasticity and increasing suppleness leaving the skin looking and feeling ultra-fresh, firm and revitalised - a veritable sensation of epidermal renaissance topped off with an application of one of Omaré’s deliciously sensual Pearl lotions.

The Omaré Attitude

To really look good, you have to feel good. It is the only way to let the real beauty shine through. As simple as this advice may sound it has many implications for the way spa face and body care treatment protocols are conceived and practiced. In fact, there are a multitude of factors to take into account, factors that go well beyond the quality of the individual products used. High quality products are certainly indispensable but they are far from constituting a sufficient condition for optimal results. This statement might seem odd coming from a brand Product Director, but Omaré’s Eliana de Melo MacLeay firmly believes that to think otherwise is to completely miss the point. It is all about what she calls the “Omaré Attitude”.

Resolutely committed to what she refers to as a comprehensive cosmopolitan approach to professional face and body care, she believes that the products used in any specific protocol “must be conceived to create effective performance synergy via complementary ingredient profiles and innovative application techniques specific to each product or product type. In short, successful spa face and body care is about developing effective protocols and treatment programmes and not simply about aligning a series of individual products. The product line and treatment protocols should be conceived with versatility and flexibility in mind, allowing aestheticians real-time options to best serve specific client needs. In general, rigid protocols that allow for no real-time changes should be a thing of the past. Omaré’s 3 peel-off mask mixing Solutions (EQ / Aloe / Radiance) are but one of many examples of the kind of flexibility to which I am referring. Choosing the right solution to prepare our peel-off masks maximises flexibility and optimal targeting of specific skin care situations. 4 facemasks + 3 Solutions = 12 mask preparation options with 7 products. Our entire line is designed to work in this way. It is an integral part of the Omaré Attitude.”

Spas and institutes have invested heavily in recent years to make their environments more and more attractive with elegant intimate decors and elaborate yet discreet sound systems and lighting installations. Add to this the high-tech treatment machines that are now available for both face and body care and it would appear that it is difficult for things to get much better. And yet, Eliana de Melo MacLeay thinks that as important as these environmental and technological factors might be, “they can never (and should never) replace the all-important human factor. Perhaps it is my Brazilian heritage, but I feel that human contact, emotion, respect and caring can make significant differences in face and body care results in the same way they contribute to improving the overall quality of our lives in general. Focusing on these qualities is also part of the Omaré Attitude and constitutes one of the keys to successful spa and salon sessions. Clients must feel that their aesthetician and/or massage therapist genuinely cares about their well-being. We are treating people not skin conditions and a positive, caring attitude is essential and contagious. Being treated in a truly special way usually translates into feeling good about the treatment, the environment and about oneself.”

True to her Brazilian roots, the Omaré Attitude wouldn’t be complete without a musical connotation. For de Melo MacLeay, “rhythm is a critically important component of any protocol. Not only should individual products be applied in a fluid, rhythmical manner, the entire treatment protocol itself should be structured in a rhythmically coherent way, much like a symphony or a samba on a warm Brazilian beach. To neglect this is to sacrifice a major part of the potential pleasure a successful spa session can offer. It is another reason why we place so much emphasis on the training of our distributors and their staffs worldwide.”

Quality products developed for specific inter-product synergy, rigorous product application techniques, innovative face and body care protocols and the all-important human touch – all indispensable parts of the Omaré Attitude.

Looking good really does mean feeling good.

The Pearl Collection

Omaré is shipping its new Pearl Collection this month to distributors in the U.S., Singapore and the Baltic States. The 3 bi-phase lotions that make up the Collection are bath & body comfort products destined for after bath & after shower use as well as for body rubs and enhancing skin radiance.

The blue-cyan Revitalising Pearls (shown here) are a refreshing mix of niaouli essential oil, laminaria algae extract and Dead Sea salt. They are perfect for after shower or after fitness workout applications. Their invigorating fragrance and refreshing feel make the Revitalising Pearls an ideal choice for men and women on the go who enjoy the pressure.

The sea green Daydream Pearls are an intriguing combination of ylang ylang essential oil, laminaria algae extract and Dead Sea salt and are perfect for after bath applications or for relaxing body rubs. The ylang ylang essential oil combined with a hint of mild vanilla fragrance make the Daydream Pearls a must for those seeking to unwind from the stress of contemporary urban lifestyles.

The golden Sunset Pearls are a sensually fragrant mix of Chinese Wolfberry, Dead Sea salts and laminaria algae extract. Their deep, hypnotising fragrance and the light golden glow they impart to the skin make them the perfect ally when seduction is a must. Like the other Pearls, they can, of course, be used as an after bath or after shower body lotion.

While these three products target the retail market, they are also very useful as an innovative final touch in Omaré body care protocols. Depending on the type of treatment, a light rub down application of the appropriate Pearl lotion is a unique and highly enjoyable way to finish a treatment.

Omarage 21

Omaré has just released its new 21-day wrinkle relaxing face care complex Omarage 21. Packaged in convenient individual capsules, it is designed for intensive anti-ageing programmes targeting wrinkles, particularly around the eye, forehead and mouth areas. Over the years, repeated facial expressions and gestures as well as exposure to the elements contribute to the appearance of expression lines. With age, the repeated muscular contractions generated by facial expressions accentuate the depth, and therefore the appearance, of these wrinkles.

Omarage™ contains skin conditioners and the hexapeptide Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 designed to combat expression lines, relaxing and smoothing them for a fresher, younger-looking skin. Targeting the same wrinkle-formation mechanism as Botulinum Toxin, Omarage 21 is a safe and gentle, topically-applied alternative to Botulinum Toxin injections. Its action profile makes it the perfect complement to our Sunrise / Sunset Rejuvenating Creams, our Eye & Lip Contour Cream and our Lifting Serum. With a host of professional products including our Acerola Multi-vitamin and Rejuvenating peel-off masks and our clay and fruit-based Radiance mask and Radiance Solution, Omaré has placed wrinkle reduction and skin firming at the top of its face care priorities with products adapted to all ages and skin conditions designed to target a wide spectrum of wrinkle generation mechanisms.

3 New Omaré Massage Protocols

Omaré is launching 3 new massage protocols and 3 new Essential Oil blends this autumn:

Serensis™ : ylang ylang, lavender, geranium, petitgrain bigarade, & Camomille essential oils.
Stimulisse™ : lemongrass, geranium, vetiver, niaouli & spearmint essential oils.
Silhouesence™ : criste marine, cedarwood atlas, myrtle, cypress & lemongrass essential oils.

The three massages will be the object of a new Omaré DVD detailing the complete body care treatments : The Sernesis™ Relaxation Massage Protocol / The Stimulisse™ Energising Massage protocol / The Silhouessence™ Modeling Massage Protocol. Our Ocean Oil will be used as the carrier oil adding the powerful cosmetic properties of its high laminaria algae content to the high performance essential oil blends.

Abridged versions of the three massage protocols have been adapted to existing Omaré body care treatments. In addition to their role in the massage protocols, the three blends will also be employed in existing Omaré spa bath treatment protocols as well as in new Omaré foot and hand care protocols. Product excellence and versatility remain at the heart of Omaré product development objectives.

Launching of the three massage protocols and the essential oil blends is programmed for year-end 2007 preparing the way for two new exotic retail face and body oil blends to be commercialised in the first quarter of 2008. These high performance luxury blends will be the object of a detailed press release in the coming months. If you subscribe to this blog, you’ll be among the first to learn all about these exciting new products.

Reach Out to the Children Programme 2007

In 2007, MACLEAY SARL / NOGATEC INTERNATIONAL (NI), continued to expand the “Reach Out to the Children Programme” created in 2004 to accompany the global development of our Omaré brand of spa and thalassotherapy products & treatments. The programme is designed to provide support for non-profit organisations that seek to improve the daily well-being of children, particularly in the fields of health, education and the environment (including HIV/AIDS prevention, actions to abolish child labour, social work for orphaned or abandoned children, human rights questions related to children’s rights in general and educational work designed to make children aware of the importance of environmental protection. Both research work and action of a more practical nature is eligible for consideration.

The programme’s contributions are based directly on the annual sales of the Omaré professional products and treatments. Over the past three years, the programme has been put into place in collaboration with Omaré distributors in those countries where exclusive distribution agreements are in place and fully operational. In these countries, MACLEAY S.A.R.L. / NI, owners of the Omaré brand, make an annual contribution to selected organisations equal to 1% of annual export sales of the previous year. A single non-profit organisation is selected in each country in collaboration with the national Omaré distributor. Contributions to selected organisations are made in the name of Omaré, the local distributor and all of Omaré’s clients.

The first country to benefit from the programme was Singapore in 2005. In 2006 the programme continued in Singapore and got underway in Thailand, S. Korea and Lithuania. In 2007 was further expanded to include the USA and Kuwait.

Improving the quality of children’s daily lives the world implies addressing questions related not only to needs generated by urgent humanitarian situations as well as those related to the sustainability of improvements and their universal applicability, thereby assuring a better quality of life for future generations. The work of both small and large, local and international, charitable organisations is required allowing structures of differing sizes and points of view to offer very different approaches to common problems. The same is true of companies seeking to live productive and socially responsible corporate lives. The flexibility and reactivity of small corporate entities and their proximity to local problems is often a valuable addition to the financial power and international connectivity offered by larger multi-national structures. This diversity of approach can be further strengthened by a strong collaborative framework that permits and promotes co-operation between small and large companies, NGOs and charity organisations As a small company, we are devoted to making our specificity count in the fight for improved child welfare and to promoting the importance of Global Compact in building collaborative bridges worldwide fro the promotion of the principles it defends.

In 2007, MACLEAY S.A.R.L. / NI hopes to enlist the support of new distributors in Russia, Europe and Asia to allow the Programme to expand its horizons worldwide. We will continue working hard to inspire our distributors to make matching contributions annually and will continue speaking out in favour of small business participation in Global Compact.

Omaré Brand Profile and Commitments

A resolutely contemporary line of professional face and body care products steeped in the French tradition of marine-based thalasso and algotherapy, Omaré’s uniqueness resides in a development philosophy that synergizes treatment traditions from the four corners of the globe - from the Orient to the Amazon via Africa. This global approach applies to all aspects of brand development from individual ingredient choices to formulations, application techniques and treatment protocols. Marrying Chinese wolfberry with marine collagen and Amazonian acerola in anti-wrinkle formulations and combining Chinese green tea, French grapes and Spirulina algae for anti-ageing treatments illustrate the cosmopolitan nature of the Omaré line. Far from the fashion-inspired formulations that inundate today’s retail markets, “results” are Omaré’s guiding light - results whose sources of inspiration are rooted in the concepts of Renewal, Harmony and Well-being.

Omaré is a rigorous, technical line that demands the active participation of dedicated aestheticians.. We are deeply committed to offering spas, institutes and thalasso/balneo centres a well-balanced mix of both face and body care concepts that empower aestheticians with real-time versatility and therapy options designed to effectively meet the specific needs of individual clients. Much more than a professional product line, Omaré is a treatment philosophy that elevates contemporary face and body care to a quality of life concept.

The Omaré line consists of state-of-the-art face & body care products in 7 professional treatment categories - Cleansing, Anti-Ageing, Whitening, Protection / Prevention, Moisturising, Slimming / Firming and Hair & Scalp Revitalisation. Emphasis has always been placed on developing flexible professional salon & spa treatments with coherent home-based follow-up programmes. As is the case with daily exercise and healthy eating habits, daily home-based face & body care are essential to maintaining healthier and younger-looking skin. Omaré beauticians are more than beauty technicians, they are beauty and body care guides, committed to helping clients improve the quality of their day-to-day lives by offering concrete advice on how to achieve and maintain treatment results at home as well as in a professional environment.

Stressing the importance of developing effective comprehensive treatment programmes rather than simply creating isolated individual products has resulted in a line that is coherent, compact and versatile, with a minimum number of products offering a maximum number of treatment variations.

This comprehensive approach to product development is also reflected in our commitment to product hygiene and stability. Omaré uses only tubes and high-tech invisible membrane airless flacons for retail packaging of creams and serums, thereby avoiding the contamination and oxidation questions often associated with jar formats. All of our professional creams and serums are also packaged in tubes and flacons while our peel-off face masks are all individually wrapped to maintain freshness.

Omaré is deeply committed to a cosmopolitan collaborative approach to brand development based on a policy of ongoing exchanges with our national distributors and their clients worldwide, exchanges that embody a wealth of learning and experience. We believe that listening and learning reflect respect and that respect assures long-term brand integrity, without which our founding principles of Renewal, Harmony and Well-being are just empty words.