Facing Inwards

From then until now… WHOA! The first photo was in 2013 over 10 years ago now 🤯 and on 1/10/23 it was 1 year of 😊 I didn’t know how much of my heart would feel enlivened and enlightened by owning my own business! It is an experience like no other! I know other business owners will know exactly what I mean in a way that is difficult to explain to others. It is an extension of yourself, your innate expression, blood, sweat and tears included. However it is your love, joy and for me it is and always will be the people ♥️♥️♥️
The connections that have grown from friendship to family. I feel so bloody lucky to have community in a way that I know is quite precious and rare.
is all about how beautiful you feel 😍 inner before outer. Harder to show but easier to grow 🌱
I have been finding my rhythm again with all the social media and Instagram things… but for right now I just wanted to acknowledge how far I’ve come and how excited I am for the future 🌳 and what is to come
A big thank youuuu to .beauty.au +
for their love + support! Roots are established in a healthy, diverse + well tended garden 🌺🌻🌷🌸🌹

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 📣 📣📣
I’m so stoked (as you can see in photo two 😆) to be working alongside this gem of a human Jen
It’s a gorgeous new space and special new chapter 📖 for which I wanted to offer the warmest of welcomes to my new followers (you beauties! 💜) to make the welcome even warmer I wanted to offer EVERYONE these angelic package treatment combinations (one session is never enough) so I have a package for TWO organic customised facials, a gentle peel, facial, scalp, massage + reiki ✨ for $333 (usually $400)
OR
TWO beautiful organic facial + reiki treatments as above AND a back, neck + shoulder massage for $444 (usually $550)
Limited to the first 10 people… get snappy 🫰
I will still be at the amazing .beauty.au every other Saturday. Can’t wait to meet you and treat you! Follow booking and purchase links via https://facinginwards.com/
💜✨💜✨

How delicious is it to feel the seasonal shifts? In Australia (in Queensland) it is with greater subtlety but there is something special and intangible when we are stepping from one phase of the year to another.
The air changes ✨colours seem to change and as a result we have an internal change (and/or we dye our hair purple 💜😆)
It reminds me that in nature regeneration, growth and renewal is often super-ceded by degradation, dormancy and/or destruction.
What is seemingly “dead” is actually made anew. Life cycles include death… they must. Western society, modern culture and life do not feel comfortable with this ultimate truth. We must acknowledge the darkness, sit in it and turn to face our shadow to be in our light 🌟
We are not one thing, nor should we want to be. Nature knows this and just IS. It can be as brutal as it is beautiful… how awe inspiring and wild is it?

Grounding, getting grounded or earthing is a term you’re probably familiar with and have heard often but what does it mean? Grounding, getting grounded or earthing is (in my understanding) getting back to your core nature which IS nature 🍃
You are not seperate to but a part of ALL that is… all that is pure, wild, free, untamed and uncomplicated. We have resonance with Earth’s frequency and energy and when we place our bare feet on the ground whether it is grass, sand, dirt, rock or mud free electrons are taken up into the body ✨✨✨
Giving a tremendous enhancement and boost to our ability to heal and harmonise. My Reiki treatments are often focused on grounding your energy too, this is a common theme for most clients. Modern life takes us away from ourselves and our sensory experience.
In the meantime, kick off your shoes and get down and dirty 👣

Being embodied is about being in your body and taking up the space of your skin & truly feeling yourself.
We have so much in our lives and environments that take our attention away from our innate ability to sense and feel how we truly are. We dissociate and disconnect with our core nature.
Which means more often than not we don’t give ourselves time & space to just be, to feel ALL the feelings.
They sit buried in our joints, our chests, our throat just waiting, wanting to be expressed.
My work is in assisting you to feel peace and comfort enough to easefully access that which is locked away. You may have heard about somatic work? Which is connecting mind and body as they in fact are. This is what it is, in a safe space. Can’t wait to see you 💙💜💙

Gosh she’s warm! 🌞 while I’m not doing my beauty/counselling/Reiki thang I am on dog sitting duty with this furry friend, Leo 🦁 (the cutest/sweetest dog!) he has so much energy and is so fun! 💛 To keep this good energy flowing and to start 2023 off right I want to extend a special offer to you of $99 for 1 hour of Reiki + Massage for the first 5 people to book 🤗💜 jump on it and take the time to paws 😆
Booking link here ~
https://www.mademoisellebeauty.com.au/s/appointments
And through DM (one per client and not redeemable with gift vouchers)

We are so close now! 😅🤪🎅 but don’t stress and let me play Santa this year! Link for gift cards in bio for your last minute gifts of relaxation and pampering 🎁🎁🎁

It’s full moon time and I feel like this nebula looks like a beautiful, psychedelic, butterfly 🦋✨ butterflies can represent duality, symmetry and mirror image… just as the star sign Gemini ♊️ does… this full moon energy is a time to look at and quite literally reflect on ourselves and the lives we have created. Particularly our shadow aspects, those deeply rooted, darker aspects that we try to hide but inevitably carve out our reality, whatever that looks like. This is sometimes hard to face but let yourself be seen and dare to look closely at yourself and let go of stories, people, habits and heaviness that no longer serve you.
Be brave! 💪
To mark this occasion of introspection you can partake in a full moon ritual… this is all about intention and whatever feels right for you… so you might want to…

~ write it out, write, write, write! Your fears, your sh*t list, who you need to forgive/release, anything/anyone restricting you… then burn it! 🔥

~ find some water and bathe (a natural body) or shower and wash away your current pain and/or frustrations… let it flow away! If tears come up let them, they are cathartic.

~ and lastly pop some music on and dance your little heart out ❤️‍🔥 feel yourself and get weird… shake your b***y 💃

Be the alchemist of your life and transform and transmute what has been challenging into diamonds 💎 💎💎 cos you’re as resilient as f*ck

I want to be honest; the beauty industry, for the most part, does not care about your wellbeing, personal fulfillment, and happiness. It represents what we perceive we lack. It needles and pokes at our biggest insecurities, our perceived flaws and it encourages us to do as Narcissus did, fall into our own reflection and die obsessing over our own image. Perfection may be the end goal, however in and of itself is an illusion. Perfection has never truly existed, its pursuit keeps our hands tied, our eyes blind and ears closed. It stops us from growing, evolving, and having the courage to see the truth. The truth being that our real value is being more than perfect it is in being ALL of who we are AND sometimes being human is ugly, it is painful, it challenges us... it reveals itself to be complex, nuanced and far from easy.
I want everyone reading this who is feeling insecure, unsure, ugly, not enough to know that you are more than enough as you are, in fact you already are beautiful and precious. Do not let anyone influence your love of yourself or take it away. Stop dedicating vital mental energy to how you should be and dare to be who you are RIGHT NOW. I am going to be bold and say that in your last moments here you are not going to be worried or remorseful about not having the smoothest butt, clearest skin, straightest smile, most popular Instagram post, highest follower count or friend count (will you be on your deathbed trying to take the faultless selfie!?)
Your value is not determined by the right numbers or fitting into the image of what you think ANYBODY else will approve of, like and/or love. When you are at a beauty counter, salon, spa in the care of beauty therapist or aesthetician (me included!) care less about what we might think and focus more on how you feel. It is imperative that you NEVER feel judged or criticised. Approach any beauty treatment as the additional glitter or to add sparkle to who YOU ARE.
I want to be the exception to the sometimes-vapid industry pressure and to feel completely safe. Somewhere you can say F*CK it to the haters (particularly your own most critical voice). Life is too short to not love all of who you are. I write this post for you as much as I do for myself (especially the insecure, awkward, bullied teenager) and everyone that I love (especially all the amazing, genuine, caring other women in the beauty industry). I see you and I am so grateful 🙏💙

We often forget how much we can convey through our words. They can cut through to our deepest insecurities or give us a complete sense of love and belonging. The language we use when speaking to others and perhaps more importantly the language we use when speaking to ourselves is POWERFUL. We all have days when our inner critic is louder and is telling us the worst about who we are, being so cruel, saying we are unworthy, stupid, fat, ugly, a failure, weak, a waste of space… could you imagine speaking to a beloved friend or family member that way? You would never. So please stop speaking this way to yourself. An excellent little exercise is to think of the 3 best qualities/traits of someone you LOVE… if you are able to see these qualities in them you have these beautiful qualities in yourself 💕 tell people you love why you love them because it’s pure, BIG, special magic that feels so good to express ✨✨✨

Sooo, just a little reminder that I do most of the other beauty things that are offered at .beauty.au, scroll to see the different menu options 💖

I am unsure if many of you know about Maslow's Hierarchy of needs? In 1943 Abraham Maslow proposed that we are motivated by 5 core needs, the base level of the pyramid, the foundation is our most basic physiological and safety needs being fulfilled. These include - shelter, food, personal security, safety, resources, air and property. The very things that have become more costly and out of reach for so many. Now more than ever it is necessary to recognise the heightened stress and anxiety ALOT of us are experiencing in meeting these core needs. When we have been unable to satisfy this base level that Maslow termed "deficiency needs" we are likely to experience health problems, particularly in relation to our mental health, these include but are not limited to depression, loneliness, anxiety, illness and social isolation. This is a natural reaction to untenable circumstances and much of this is unfortunately out of our control and that bloody SUCKS! I am so sorry that this is the state of the world and I just want to put this out into social media land where we are so bombarded with "think positive always and forever" messages. If you are struggling it could be more than likely that you are reacting in a reasonable way to what is an unreasonable current situation. There is a growing issue of increasingly worse mental health but perhaps it is in direct proportion to the current, growing crises. I just want you, at the very least, to know you are not alone and you sure as hell aren't crazy. The higher levels of the pyramid are about love and belonging, self-esteem, self-respect and ultimately self-actualisation. SO, I love you, you belong here, you’re bloody amazing and your feelings are SO valid. 💜

What the heck is Reiki? Some of you may be clients but still unsure about Reiki is, so let me explain it in a bit more detail. Reiki is an ancient energetic medicine discovered in Japan, it is a beautiful and gentle way to lighten, unblock and enhance energy by connecting you to vital life force, clearing built up pain and residual negative feelings ✨
Reiki doesn’t require any action or thought from you, just your permission! I am attuned to the Reiki energy and act as a conduit and do so by hand placements on particular points on your body. It is deeply relaxing and I benefit just as much as you do. I love it and I am sure you will too. 💛

The countdown is officially on! We don’t like to be the bearers of bad news foisting the fact that Christmas is closer upon you BUT we also don’t want you to miss out!
Our appointments before Christmas are already being snapped up with limited availability. So make sure you get your beauty, tattooing, self-care and wellness bookings in, we love you deerly 😉🦌✨
Alsoooo, don’t forget we have Santa covered with gift vouchers for purchase on our website.

When and where should our kindness, our compassion extend? Kindness and compassion needs softness, openness and space to BE… this energy cannot be restricted or shut down, shut in, judged or criticised. When it is met with disdain or resentment it may create magic that is real however your ego cannot be dependent on it. Kindness and compassion is not extended from a place of lack it is extended from a place of courageously pure love. That pure love that has been grown and shown over time from deep within your marrow, it is the realest and the REALIST. You are so deserving of it. To know the sting of rejection, the frozen fear, the need to run and hide, the want to curl your hands into fists and fight, with all your might and believe the feeling of emptiness, pain, anger and pure sorrow left behind. Re-centre to find your glow ✨it is not seperate or other, you will not find it by searching. You WILL find it by daring to sit still and listen…. with your hand on your heart. Feel it all. Be brave enough to hear your loudest whispers. 💗

💕 GIVEAWAY TIME 💕
There’s too much decisiveness in the world and it’s time to share some love around! I want to offer a treatment to you and somebody who you think deserves and needs a pamper and some special TLC 💗 there’s SO many beautiful, giving souls out there and you need the love back! To be in the running to win, tag the person who you feel needs this and either share or follow my Instagram (they will need to do so in return) you and the person you nominate will receive the best combination of a Facial + Massage + Reiki ✨Mary Sullivan

It takes an enormous amount of courage to stay heart centred 💜
Strength is rarely what we may have traditionally been taught to believe, it is not brute force, violence and aggression. In my opinion it is the ability to show humility, kindness, gratitude and compassion in the face of adversity and challenges. To be strong in our expression of truth, from the heart. 🦁

Gosh feelings can be overwhelming, all engulfing and powerful… not all emotions are the positive end of the spectrum, naturally. Try to hold space for yourself when you feel those uncomfortable, icky, tricky emotions. Let them be as they are, talk to them, feel where they are in your body, take time to understand what they are teaching you and they will pass. I promise 💜🤍💜😊

They look so damn cute but did you know that fawning can be what we develop as a survival response to perceived danger or harm? Just as we can react with fight, fly or freeze we can fawn. Fawning is an engrained desire to create safety by being pleasing, agreeable and placing others happiness and fulfilment above your own needs. This is often a coping mechanism developed in childhood and can be insidious and erosive over time. People who fawn often are by nature incredibly empathetic so can find it difficult to differentiate between their emotions and feelings and the feelings of people they are close too. The most important part in healing this is by firstly recognising that this is what we are doing and secondly creating healthy boundaries. Knowing and learning more about yourself is where healing can begin… what and who bring you joy/peace/nurturance/safety and on the flip side what and who bring you anxiety/turmoil/drains you and feels threatening? Your purpose is not to make others happy but rather to make YOURSELF happy. I’m a fawner from way back and this is a daily remembering and practice… go gently on yourself 💜

Another little reminder that this month every treatment is 20% off 💙💛💗
My welcome gift to you!
Bookings available through link in bio

Todaaay is the day 🥳💜 is officially opened and I would love to invite you to come visit me for a treatment with a cheeky 20% off for the month of October (for Reiki + counselling + facials + massage only) 🤗
It is also Mental Health month so what better time to start some self care ✨booking link is in bio.

Comfort feels essential to our feeling of safety however sometimes our constant seeking it out works against us. We feel the need to shelter ourselves and be tucked away, there is a time and place for retreat, to cocoon however this can equal becoming stagnant. We grow mouldy, get cloudy, our joints rust, we become inflexible… stuck and muddy. Life is ever changing, pulsing and moving, we go against our own nature (and nature) if we don’t flow with it… and let it flow through us. We release ourselves from subtler destructive patterns and stories when we are able to be present to each moment. Bringing awareness to our bodies, our breath, the sensations of our skin, within us and the world in which we exist. We liberate ourselves from ourselves. Bringing awareness to our current state is often UNCOMFORTABLE to begin however so is staying in your cocoon for too long. Find comfort in spreading your wings 🦋

Trusting yourself does not always come naturally. We are bombarded by what outside influences tell us equal happiness, joy and fulfilment (hello Instagram!) however chasing the elusive promise of what could be stops us from seeing the promise of what actually IS. Keep your focus on that dear heart of yours and whatever it is telling you, in whispers, in music, in hunches and in BIG bloody bold italics. Let that be your guide and in the meantime… I am here to tell you that who you are is glorious! You are loved, you are worthy and you are seen as you are 💜💜💜

1.10 🤍🤍🤍

What does a treatment look like when you come to visit me ? Well, it is a combination of talk therapy, touch/massage therapy and Reiki. I want you to be comfortable, to feel safe and to express yourself, whatever it might be that’s weighing heavy on your mind and heart. So as soon as you walk through that door know that I am here for you and want to listen and learn more about your needs. I also harness the additional support of universal life force energy in the form of the ancient practice of Reiki, this works by clearing any blocks that may be present and allows for more freedom and relaxation. I carefully choose natural and organic skincare that is best for you and your skincare needs, so you can have a glow up and be revitalised. The other essential part of the treatment is the massage element of the facial… touch therapy is vital for our healing. Our nervous system connects to our emotional expression and feelings, whether they feel good or bad. To create a more relaxed and peaceful state we need to nurture this system. A massage that is focussed on soothing and release makes a massive difference to how you feel, almost immediately. We are our bodies! It is not often enough that we let ourselves be truly in our skin, where we live, where we love.
That is what a treatment with me involves, would love to see you soon! For my launch month I am offering 20% off all my treatments 💆‍♀️ as a welcome gift to you 💕
DM me to make an appointment or follow this link ~
https://www.mademoisellebeauty.com.au/s/appointments

I wrote this post back in 2016 and it still resonates and means as much to me now where I stand with and what matters most to me… First and foremost, I love people & hearing their stories. I want to make sure that everyone who walks through the door feels comfortable & beyond that, special.
Beauty Therapy is something I've fallen into but real conversation & heart connection is what I value the most.
The world we live in seems to be becoming more & more superficial & surface based with less & less opportunity to be authentic. We've become more distant & detached from our core humanity & true values.
I believe that Facing Inwards offers an environment that's your safe haven away from the modern, critical noise. I do realise this is seemingly a contradiction... A beauty service not solely being about image but it is true, Facing Inwards is a holistic space.
I'd like to think the little girl in this picture(me) and other little girls & boys AND all the fully grown amazing humans KNOW that you are beautiful for simply being you! And expressing every magical part. That you are so much more than your appearance. You are your beautiful brain, infinite imagination, big beating heart, unique voice, colourful creations times infinity & more ✨✨✨

Facing Inwards is a conception from a profound pain and grief. In April of 2021 I lost a beautiful, special friend to su***de, Michelle. This was inexplicable, the darkness was all encompassing but at the same time it cracked me open and let new light in. This hurt provided unexpected inspiration and fuel to get back to doing more of what I love, for enriching others mental health and wellness as well as mine. I know and trust that Michelle has found her peace now. I also know that she cared deeply about others, she gave so much of herself, in her life and work, she was a naturally gifted healer. Facing Inwards is in her honour and for anyone going through what she was challenged with.
I think of her standing alongside me in creating a new heart centred service, that is an evolved version of the OG, The Lily Lounge, for people to come to reconnect to themselves and to feel safe and held. And in Michelle’s words –
“You know what I think? F*ck it, that’s why we’re here for, to feel it all and when you finally work out why you do things it makes it worth it.”
So, here is to a place, where you can say f*ck it and feel it all! Your birth right is to express yourself and be who you are. I would love to invite you back to see me. I am now an officially qualified counsellor and Reiki practitioner, and this is what I am now so very excited to offer you! A healing treatment that combines holistic counselling, facials, and reiki. I will be taking bookings from the 1st of October there is a booking link here in bio (Instagram) or this link ~
http://www.mademoisellebeauty.com.au/s/appointments
I will be working alongside the amazing Sarah .beauty.au in Norman Park. I feel so grateful to be able to be in this beautiful workspace that reminds me so much of Lily Lounge in how it feels and cannot wait to share more with you! 💓 Mary

Poetry for a rainy day ☔️ for anyone feeling sad or grey ~

You are such a precious and glorious thing!
Do not throw your heart at shadows,
Nor muffle words you know how to sing.
Do not stay safe and dry in shallow waters,
Watching rain hit the window from closed quarters.
Trust and deeply know at your very core, that you are seen, you are dear, that all you are is worth more!
Elevate and meditate, be sincere and true. What you are seeking is trying to find you!
Stay guided by the golden thread of your own weave.
Real magic is conjured by what you believe.
It flickers, fires and enfolds,
Be the centre that holds.
✨

By Mary Sullivan
For you especially Amy Hig 💜