In an era of Instagram and now IGTV, where everyone has the opportunity to have their own personal “channel” to broadcast whatever they want, living your best life (thanks for the payoff line Oprah!) also means having to look your best. And sometimes that means having “work done” but you don’t need to “go under the knife” for many treatments these days.

I recently attended the #MedisculptAestheticsDay, held on Youth Day (pun intended) at the picturesque Featherbrooke Hotel & Spa in Mogale City, (Krugersdorp) where members of the media and Medi-Sculpt clients, colleagues and collaborators came together in an exquisite eco-escape nestled along the Crocodile River.

Hosted by Media Personality, Taryn Louch, the #MedisculptAestheticsDay was all about the art of the ageless and how aesthetics are able to afford men and women the opportunity of being forever young.

Medi-Sculpt Aesthetics & Anti-Ageing Solutions is owned by Dr Anushka Reddy, and the offices and treatment rooms are situated on the same premises, at the Featherbrooke Hotel & Spa.

After enjoying some welcome drinks, I made my way around the enourmous estate. The idea is to make Featherbrooke Hotel & Spa the ideal place to have your non-surgical treatments done, then rest and recuperate, all the while being pampered. The location is partly a construction site at the moment, as the rooms for the hotel are still being built. However the multi-layered eco-estate is breathtaking, and I was struck by the beauty and tranquility of this Buddha.

We were then ushered into a seating area (which will soon be an ideal location for a wedding reception – remember the hotel is still being constructed) where Dr Anushka Reddy introduced us to the latest technology in skin rejuvenation and aesthetics trends. Did you know that the demand for facial aesthetics is on the rise, and that non-surgical treatments, such as injectable facial fillers have remained on the steady increase?

Aesthetics are all the rage, with the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) reporting that Americans spend more than $15 billion dollars on surgical and non-surgical aesthetic procedures, the largest amount spent since the very first survey conducted in 1997. South Africans are following suit, with individuals opting for non-invasive treatments that provide quicker, safer and more natural-looking results than surgical solutions.

This aesthetic empowerment is made possible by the likes of medical doctor, Dr Anushka Reddy, owner of Medi-Sculpt, a non-surgical aesthetic treatment specialist centre on the Featherbrooke Hotel and Spa Estate, focused on anti-ageing and aesthetic treatments. She has more than 18 years medical experience, including 15 years of non-surgical cosmetic experience. Advocating the age of the ageless, Dr Reddy is the Scientific Director of the Cosmetic Congress of SA and has a keen interest in enhancing men and women’s natural beauty using the most technologically-advanced non-surgical procedures. She constantly keeps abreast of international anti-ageing and aesthetic treatment trends, regularly attending specialist conferences and seminars abroad that cover the latest developments in the aesthetic field.

Dr Reddy treated guests to an impressive reveal of her client Desi, on whom she had only performed procedures on one half of her face. The transformation was phenomenal, and Dr Reddy was then joined by celebrity makeup artist Gina Myers to show guests how filled areas on the face can be highlighted using makeup.

While aesthetics may help to stop time or even turn back the clock, conservation is a project in which time is of the essence; and award-winning Entrepreneur, Eco-warrior, Conservationist and Mentor, Adrian Gardiner, understands all too well the importance of time, in light of his work in the arena of conservation. He was the first person to put the Eastern Cape on the map for tourism, with his passion project of Shamwari, followed by founding Mantis in 2000 – a family run, private collection of award-winning, privately owned, five-star properties located around the world.

Mantis will be operating the Featherbrooke Hotel together with their CSI initiative, of which this eco-escape and bespoke boutique hotel is part of. He informed guests of the anticipated collaboration of Mantis with AccorHotels and how he will be bringing the brand to South Africa, as well as the formation of the Community Conservation Fund Africa NGO. Addressing the guests on how they can help to unearth the exceptional and drive this project, the Chairman of the Mantis Group and the Wilderness Foundation Global, Adrian Gardiner, was inspiring with his address on conservation and how as the name Mantis suggests, ‘if you look after the little things, the big things take care of themselves.’

While Featherbrooke Hotel and Spa are thrilled to have Adrian and his team at Mantis on board to manage the hospitality division; what is exceptionally exciting is that the development has been awarded a surgical theatre licence, which is going to be the first of its kind in South Africa. As a medical tourism facility, focusing on international and local visitors interested in surgical and non-surgical procedures, with 52 luxuriously appointed rooms and suites to cater for the discerning patient and traveller on one side, there are also conference and wedding facilities for 500 guests on the other side.

In addition, the world-class Gatsby Medi Spa with tailored packages, ranging from 3 to 30 days, will offer luxury retreats for guests interested in detox, weight loss, executive stress and non-surgical body contouring. Gatsby Medi Spa will enable guests to embark upon a unique journey of self-discovery with a holistic approach to wellness, incorporating mind, body and spirit, to bring a healing balance to lifestyle. Unpacking the essence of what it means to embark upon a journey of self-discovery at Gatsby Medi Spa, Owner and Operator Heidi Gavagnin gave guests a glimpse of mastering the art of detox and the wonders of wellbeing.

When examining the grounds of the Featherbrooke Hotel and Spa, guests could see beauty, ecology and tranquility but for Dr Mahesh Naidu, he visualizes much more than that. He sees a culmination of blood, sweat and tears that have seen a dream realised after 6 years. A Physician with a passion for architecture, Dr Naidu has been the heart and soul of developing this project and bringing it to fruition, alongside his wife Dr Anushka Reddy. As the Architect, Landscaper, Project Manager and Visionary behind the Featherbrooke Hotel and Spa, his dedication, tenacity and drive has been worth every moment as this South African first has started to take spectacular shape, and he was able to give guests more insight into what this world-class retreat is all about.

Guests were bundled up in fabulous fleece blankets as they gathered on the river’s edge to learn more about the eco-escape and to get a glimpse into what the future holds for Aesthetics. These fleece blankets were later donated to a homeless shelter on behalf of Dr Anushka Reddy and Medi-Sculpt, to keep those less fortunate a little warmer this winter.

As the speeches came to a close, guests were escorted by Medi-Sculpt hostesses to five treatment stations, showcasing the latest and greatest when it comes to anti-ageing treatments and solutions in 2018.

The first station was the Glam bar, powered by Glampalm and Skins Cosmetics. Skin Cosmetics offered a Laura Mercier makeup tutorial on how to contour noses, foreheads and jawlines while Glampalm shared tips and tricks on how to dress up or down a narrow and wide forehead; with celebrity Makeup Artist Gina Myers sharing makeup tips and tricks.

The second station featured the coveted Ergon’s Cellurase, offering permanent cellulite removal. Quick, affordable and permanent; Cellurase appears in a number of medical research journals as a tried, tested and trusted permanent procedure for cellulite.

The next station showcased the pelvic suite with BTL. The BTL EMSella™ chair is the latest FDA approved treatment for incontinence, especially after childbirth, weight fluctuation, ageing and lifestyle changes and is the first of its kind in South Africa. Together with the BTL Ultra Femme 360, the fully clothed patients experience 11 000 muscle contractions during a 28-minute session, offering a significant improvement in the quality of life in 95% of treated patients. All patients have to do is take a seat.

The following station was hosted by Intraceuticals oxygen and their LED mask, which provides a perfect solution for dehydrated wintery skin. A very popular treatment in Hollywood, with stars such as Madonna, Naomi Campbell and Kim Kardashian West, as well as The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, guests got to experience this innovative treatment combined with the LED mask. Watch the video below.

The final station featured was the Genop Neostrata luxury hand peel, as hands give age away; and with a passion for skincare, Genop offers clinically proven, innovative aesthetic solutions to reduce the signs of ageing.

Medi-Sculpt also presented the latest version of Visia Complexion Analysis on site, which allows Doctors to customize skincare for their patients’ skin type, and guests were invited to have their complexion analysed.

An urban picnic set in the indigenous gardens, guests including Sarah Langa, Mampho Brescia, Zakeeya Patel, Craig Jacobs, Jay Anstey, Kerishnie Naiker, Ayanda Nhlapo and Karishma Ramdev who had their lunch on beautiful picnic blankets, recycled crates and cushions amidst the white stinkwood and paper bark trees; with migratory Egyptian geese and guinea fowl in the vicinity.

 

 

 

 

Fuelled by a bar of bubbles, courtesy of GH Mumm and a gorgeous gin bar set up around the pool, the afternoon was one of indulgent pleasure and exhalation, with guests exploring the grounds, enjoying massages at the pool, courtesy of Gatsby Medi- Spa, while DJ Kimmy K was on the decks.

A sumptuous urban picnic was served, offering guests a stylish and substantial soup bar, complete with artisanal breads; hearty vegetable pots, fillet mignon with a truffle mushroom sauce, a spicy seafood paella with saffron infused rice, ricotta and spinach stuffed melanzane parmigiana and a selection of seasonal salads, such as orange and pistachio couscous, from the salad bar. For those with a sweet tooth, the nutella and chilli infused macarons were a must with the decadent rocky road fudge pops and baklava wheels hitting the sweet spot; and a heavenly cheese board to finish.

Read more about the treatment options and how to contact Medi-Sculpt here.