In its second year, Salon Melbourne returned to Australia’s style capital for an epic hair and beauty trade event. With education the focus of this years’ show, many of the industry’s most respected artists turned up to show off their skills and pass on advice to budding students and even the most experienced beauty therapists and hairdressers.




Held over two days at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, visitors were able to discover the latest in cutting-edge technology, new and exciting products, and invaluable tips for improving their work.

The main attraction was the Main Stage Catwalk, which showcased some of the industry’s finest talents, includiong Sharon Blain, Rae Morris, Brad Mullins, Migel Stanislaus and Caterina DiBiase. The catwalk shows Autumn Armour, Crème Caramel and 60s Ladylike perfectly fused fashion, makeup, hair and nails and showcased key trends for autumn/winter 2011. What’s more, UK celebrity stylist Gok Wan made a guest appearance to support the launch of his friend Rae Morris’ new book Express Makeup.


Rae Morris and Gok Wan

Not only was the Main Stage drawing crowds, so was the Express at Salon Melbourne Styling Bar and the Garden Bar. Express at Salon Melbourne offered visitors blow-dries by the team at Matrix, luxurious 30-minute manicures by Bio Sculpture and makeup refreshers by Gorgeous Cosmetics, all while sipping a delicious Peach Bellini or a glass of bubbly. Close by, visitors, exhibitors, media and industry heavyweights met at the super-sleek Garden Bar, decorated in minimalist white, complete with white leather banquettes.

What made Salon Melbourne just so special this year was the wealth of education it had on offer. Mastclasses were held to help further educate the already-talented and enthusiastic therapists and stylists. The masterclasses featured fashion’s finest Rae Morris, Brad Ngata, Mandi Levanah and Caterina DiBiase and interactive hands-on workshops conducted by beauty school Elly Lukas.


Brad Ngata on stage

Rae Morris returned with her sold-out Advanced Materclass, sharing her tips on not only makeup, but where she gets her inspiration from. She believes if you have no inspiration, it’s almost impossible to do good work. She also focused mainly on makeup texture and gave some valuable advice on wedding makeup and how to handle impossible brides!

Mandi Levanah, well-known nail stylist, presented her Photo Finish Fingernails workshop. She covered the art of back-to-basics nail painting and predicted a huge trend in nude and caramel-coloured nails this year.

The Elly Lukas Beauty Therapy College also conducted several hands-on workshops, including spray tanning, Indian head massage and eyelash extension. The intensive workshops gave students the chance to practice their newly-acquired skills on each other.


Models on show

“I’m in awe of Salon Melbourne this year. The big thing for us in 2011 was to ramp up the education element of the event and I think the demonstrations on the main stage and education sessions have delivered more than we could have hoped for. I think the link between fashion, hair and beauty has been so strong this year and the buzz on the floor has been amazing. I really hope Melbourne has enjoyed the show as much as I have,” said Lauren Ebbeck, Event Director.


Lish Nails nail artist at work

Salon Melbourne will now be followed by The Sydney International Spa and Beauty Expo, which will be held on August 13 and 14, 2011 at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Contact: www.salonmelbourne.com.au