Saint Beauty’s Inspiring Founders On Growing And Evolving, While Enjoying The Ride
An advanced skin and beauty salon located in the heart of Saint Heliers, Auckland, Saint Beauty offers a high performance treatment menu focused on skin health in one of the city’s most relaxed beachside locales.
With a focus on cutting-edge treatments, personalised care, and holistic wellbeing, the clinic offers a range of services that enhance natural beauty while nurturing overall self-care, and founders Bex Hunt (R, above) and Emma Hughes (L) are devoted to providing a haven of luxury, results, innovation, and tranquillity for Saint’s valued clientele.
Since first opening their doors their growth has been exponential, so we asked the dynamic pair about securing top level talent and how to stay calm amidst the chaos of the upcoming silly season.
How long has Saint Beauty been officially open now, and how does your extraordinary success feel as founders? I feel like you really hit the ground running!
B: Thank you! We’ve been open for just over two years now, which feels wild, it’s gone by so fast! It’s honestly been the most rewarding journey and lots of fun to do it all with Emma. Seeing the vision we had for Saint come to life, and to have it so warmly embraced by our community, has been really special.
E: It’s definitely been a whirlwind! From the beginning, we had a really clear vision of creating something elevated, modern, and genuinely client-focused. We wanted to offer something results-driven yet still deeply relaxing. Sometimes we forget to pause and look back on how far we’ve come, because we’re always focused on what’s next.
How long was it before you recognised that you needed an extra pair of hands?
E: Within a few months of opening, our books were pretty full and we realised we couldn’t keep up on our own. It was such a great problem to have, but we knew to maintain the level of service and care we wanted, we’d need to grow.
B: It was really important to us that every client experience felt unrushed and personal. Bringing in extra hands early allowed us to keep that standard while welcoming more clients into Saint Beauty.
How big is the team now?
B: We’ve grown to a team of five incredible women, each with their own expertise and flair plus our nurse Louise Greer that comes on Wednesdays. It’s such a supportive and passionate group we’re really proud of the culture we’ve built together.
E: It’s honestly the dream team. Everyone brings something unique, but we’re all aligned in our love for skin, results, and creating a beautiful experience for our clients.
Every therapist at Saint comes with a wealth of experience, some local and some international. Is that imperative to you when looking for new members of the team?
E: As we’ve grown so quickly, we’ve really focused on finding experienced therapists who can hit the ground running. Having that foundation of skill and confidence means our clients always receive the level of care and results Saint is known for.
B: We’re both still in the treatment rooms ourselves, so it’s really important to us that our team feels confident in the services they deliver and genuinely loves what they do. Experience is key, but just as important are personality and creating a warm, friendly environment that’s always at the top of our list.
Is ongoing training a key part of what you do, and if so, what is the latest new discovery that you can share?
B: Ongoing training is very important to us. The beauty and skin industry moves so fast, and we love being at the forefront. We invest a lot in education and best technology especially with our Sciton BBL and Moxi treatments, which continue to blow us away with the results we’re achieving.
E: We’re constantly learning whether it’s new techniques, product innovation, or ways to refine our client experience. That’s what keeps the work exciting and ensures we’re always offering the very best to our clients.
Heading into the busy summer months, what is a piece of advice you’d give clinic owners to stay cool, calm and collected amidst the chaos?
E: Preparation is key! Make sure your team feels supported, your systems are solid, and your clients are well-informed. A bit of planning goes a long way when the calendar fills up.
B: And don’t forget to enjoy it! The busy season can be full on, but it’s also the most rewarding time. Take a moment to look around and appreciate what you’ve built because it’s easy to forget in the rush.