The Philippine Star, ALLURE: Saving face (body & hair), Binondo-style

When you’ve been running three brand names for over 30 years, and continue to expand and experience year-on-year growth, you know you must be doing something right.The Marie France Group of Companies has racked up such an enviable history. The first Marie France opened in 1985, the Facial Care Centre is celebrating its 35th year and Svenson has already passed that 35-year milestone. Whether we like to admit it or not, personal vanity is big business, and when one is offering expertise, experience, the latest technology and specialize in noninvasive solutions, it would seem one is loved, and here to stay. That certainly has been the story, so far, for the Marie France Group. In fact, when I got the invite to attend the opening of its ETY Building, Binondo location, I had to think twice because as far as I knew, it already has a Binondo branch. And sure enough, the ninth and 10th floor of the spanking new ETY Building on Quintin Paredes is the bigger, brighter versions of Marie France, Facial Care and Svenson — that all existed a few streets away. In fact, so as not to disrupt or disorient its steady stream of clientele and patrons, both locations were open for a number of days. That’s the kind of value it places on properly phasing in its new location.

For the “kuya” Svenson, it has been the hair loss authority for more than 35 years. Whether the issue be hair loss prevention, hair restoration and now, hair transplant, the brand’s trichologists (hair and scalp specialists) will help guide you to find possible treatments — and this, regardless of gender. In the case of Facial Care, the firming, contouring, tightening and rejuvenating protocols are the most popular among the treatments offered. Skin detox is also a ready favorite while some come in for the more serious condition of acne or skin pigmentation. The “baby” among the three, Marie France, has shaping and body-sculpting programs that address almost any body problem one may encounter. I’ve personally used the TriPollar Radio Frequency machine, which couples deep heating tummy fat tissue reduction with the promotion of collagen production (which helps firm up skin tone). This new location for the Marie France Group is on Quintin Paredes St., one of the main arteries by which one enters Chinatown. On the day of the inauguration and ribbon-cutting, during the hours I was there, I witnessed a steady stream of visitors come by to inquire about the services and book their appointments. Whether it was for that initial body analysis, or to meet with a trichologist, or to “save face,” it seemed there was no shortage of new, eager customers.

Congratulations to George Siy and Renato Reyes, who were there that day to welcome us to their new Binondo home.A Facial Care moment with (from left) NJ Torres-Jacobson, Renato Reyes, Gelli de Belen-Rivera and George Siy.

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