Luminous future
We all know about the importance of self care. It can soothe stress, boost energy levels and simply make us happy. But with life getting ever faster, we often forget to seek out these small moments of peace and the little indulgences that can ground and restore.
So, I’m here to remind you that it’s easier to relax than you may think. You can devour a book in the spring sunshine (Helen Garner’s diaries are my current obsession), swim in the sea, or natter away over a bottle of wine with friends. If it calms the mind and stills the soul, anything goes.
But to truly unwind — to feel your breath slow and your body ease — I recommend visiting Lume for 90 minutes of bliss. Lume offers two key things: treatments you’ll remember and a retail space specialising in clean beauty products.
The brand began in late-2016 as ONDA Beauty, a company founded in a New York apartment by three friends: actress Naomi Watts and journalists Larissa Thomson and Sarah Bryden-Brown, the latter a former writer for The Australian and editor of Donna Hay Magazine.
Bryden-Brown says the trio was inspired by the idea that “clean, non-toxic skin and body care products needed to become a necessary part of the development of a sustainable, environmentally sound beauty industry”.
ONDA Beauty was a hit, going on to have stores in New York and Sag Harbour, plus in London and our very own Paddington. This year, the business was bought by Amyris, an American biotechnology company focusing on sustainable chemistry, and the decision was made that the Sydney branch would not be a part of the deal.
Bryden-Brown, who now lives in Edgecliff with her young family, retained ownership of the Sydney arm and began reshaping the Paddington store to reflect a shift towards wellness rather than simply beauty.
The result is a rebranded and reimagined space called Lume — a name inspired by the word lumen, which means ‘the light of life’.
The shop is still dedicated to clean beauty, but focuses even more on the ideas of rejuvenation, restoration and community. The mission, says Bryden-Brown, is “to deliver the best skin care and spirit care through our curated selection of active, clean skin care products, and truly transformative facials and wellness rituals”.
It’s a mission I’m happy to get behind. After all, if we’re lucky enough to be able to look after our minds and bodies — to think about the products we buy and the ways we treat ourselves — then we should embrace experiences that are steeped in the good things: positivity, tranquility and natural ingredients.
The Lume magic begins the moment you enter the Oxford St haven. You’re greeted by sunlight, caramel-coloured wood, flashes of foliage by Paddington florist Bess and the soothing scent of Ayu candles, which are designed to ground, balance, energise, uplift, calm and warm, depending on your mood.
Downstairs, the pearl-white walls of this converted, three-storey terrace are lined with a curated selection of clean beauty products that are free of nasties such as parabens, sulphates and synthetic fragrances.
There are products from Vintner’s Daughter (founder April Gargiulo has a winemaking background), Osea (their organic cleanser reminds me of the sea breeze), Tata Harper and many more. With Bryden-Brown wanting packaging to be “as beautiful as the product”, Lume’s displays are striking. They invite you to ask questions about the brands, their ethos and how the Australian beauty industry is changing.
One of the industry’s biggest shifts is the burgeoning interest in clean beauty.
“It's so wonderful to see growing numbers wanting to learn about the power of plant-based ingredients and approach their skin care from a position of empowerment rather than fear,” says Bryden-Brown.
“Clean beauty supports your skin to first restore its natural barrier and then protects it from the environment and signs of ageing. It is also active, meaning it does the jobs you need it to do as well as being beautiful to use — the scents, which are truly special, are delivered directly from nature and make your skin care ritual as soothing for your mind as it is for your body.”
Heading upstairs to Lume's three treatment rooms, you find fern-hued throws from neighbouring store In Bed, hand-dyed towels from environmentally focused Oello, and an Electric Sun Creatives kinetic mobile — a minimalist, Calder-like artwork that celebrates movement and light.
It’s here that you can experience a Lume signature facial. This starts with a consultation and skin analysis which is done so gently that you barely notice your therapist’s questions, followed by aromatherapy and meditation. After this, things get a little hazy.
On a practical level, the facial stimulates natural healing processes and revives your skin using everything from an LED light treatment to nutrient-rich botanical extracts.
But on a deeper more dreamy level, you find yourself simply letting go as potions are lathered and massages given. Time twists and bends, but while your thoughts may wander, you’re very much in the moment — loving the sensations, the scents, the restorative thrill of being still. Nourished; glowing skin an added bonus.
Lume
72A Oxford St
lumesydney.com.au