Inside Numa, The New Skin Club Bringing World-Class Beauty To Wellington

Co-founder Kristen Teo’s global beauty tour inspired her to create a Wellington ‘skin gym’ founded on principles borrowed from South Korea, Japan and Australia.

Kirsten Teo is not one to gatekeep.

The beauty entrepreneur has spent the better part of the past decade travelling the world in search of the most groundbreaking beauty treatments, topicals and technology.

Her fervent search saw her try some of the most exclusive treatments across the globe, including Jocelyn Petroni’s signature heart facial in Sydney, an advanced facial at Aman Spa in Tokyo, and combined wellness treatments throughout South Korea.

Armed with her notebook at every appointment, the self-confessed skincare nerd would document her experiences with a view to delivering the same world-class experiences on home soil.

“I wanted to take my favourite elements from each country and spa to bring something new to New Zealand,” Kristen says.

Now, Kristen has funnelled this knowledge into Numa, the country’s first membership-based skin and body club, situated in downtown Wellington.

Named loosely after the Greek translation for “breath of life”, Kristen says Numa doubles as a manifesto for the space in Customhouse Quay, in which clients can seek solace from the pressures of modern life. “I want people to reconnect with their inner vitality – to feel relaxed and restored after each visit to Numa,” she explains.

Her continued travel with The Spa Nomad offers ongoing insight into what clients want, which Kristen says is: “Personalised treatments using high-quality products that can achieve visible results.”

For many people, a spa visit is still an indulgence, but Kristen says she hopes Numa’s membership-based model will help clients reframe skin or body treatments as part of their monthly self-care routine.

“Consistency gives results. Numa isn’t just about a single treatment, it’s about your long-term skin goals and your overall wellness. We want to take people on a journey to feel confident in their own skin,” Kristen says, adding clients will have access to one treatment per month, plus unlimited access to the LED lounge.

“You don’t go to the gym and expect to have a six-pack within a day. It’s the same with having one treatment and expecting to have good skin. We want to take clients on a journey, not a one-off trip.”

And it seems the sentiment is catching on, with 18 members having already signed up for foundational memberships prior to Numa’s official opening on March 25. Memberships can be tailored to suit any budget and preference, with three-month, six-month and 12-month options available.

Unlike other spas that maximise space by including as many treatment rooms as possible, Kristen says Numa is maxed out with seven minimally decorated rooms – meaning each one offers a spacious haven in which to unwind.

“We could’ve doubled our number of rooms, but I didn’t want that. We have four skin treatment rooms, two for body and one for our LED lounge. I changed the concept many times to ensure our reception area could be as spacious as possible,” Kristen says.

This vision included onboarding New Zealand beauty brands including biotech fragrance house Abel and body care brand Embody Me, with products and scents imprinted throughout.

The sensorial experience begins in reception, which is scented with one of Abel’s room fragrances. Here, clients can choose one of four Embody Me Nurturing Body Oils to set the intention for their treatment – be it Courage, Peace, Love or Joy – before being led to a treatment room by their skin therapist.

Head therapist Isa Varga has worked for The Spa Nomad for the past two years before co-founding Numa alongside Kristen, and brings with her 15 years of experience in the industry.

She’s the one to thank for Numa’s speciality face lift technique, designed to energise skin and sculpt facial contours through a series of vigorous movements to reawaken lymphatic pathways and boost circulation.

Face sculpting aside, treatments run the gamut from vitamin infusions, Osmosis face mapping, LED facials and dermal needling, through to bespoke body treatments including massage or wellness experiences like infrared saunas and contrast therapy suites.

More than this, one room at the back of the clinic features a far infrared panel on the ceiling, meaning guests can enjoy a two-in-one treatment for face and body.

“I’m really excited about that room because it help promote overall skin health and boost collagen in the skin. It’s a great additional benefit that I was inspired by when I was in South Korea, because they’re all about combining treatments together,” Kristen says.

“I wanted to make sure that clients would get the maximum benefits from their time at Numa – it’s not just about skin, it’s about body treatments, too.”

Autumn makes for an excellent time to reset and restore sun-ravaged skin, and Kristen recommends treatments designed to infuse skin with hydration and soothe redness.

“The top treatment I’d recommend is the Intense Hydration with Face Lift treatment. For this facial, we use the Osmosis Rescue Me, a product that helps with deep hydration, but we’d customise the experience to ensure we’re using the right products to suit a client’s unique skin type,” Kristen says.

Themes of rescue and recovery run deep when it comes to Kristen’s autumn skin recommendations, adding that LED treatments are excellent to help ease seasonal skin concerns like dryness and dullness, while improving skin tone and texture.

To supercharge results, Kristen suggests a course of dermal needling in the cooler months, designed to stimulate the skin’s natural collagen production, helping improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, scars, stretch marks and pigmentation.

While she has big dreams for Numa’s eventual expansion, Kristen calls the Wellington location her testing ground – in the same way that The Spa Nomad started before expanding to Auckland and Christchurch.

“We want to put our whole heart into it before we start thinking about our next destination,” she says.

It’s all about the journey, after all.

Numa Skin Club, Ground Floor, 93 Customhouse Quay, Wellington. Numaskinclub.co.nz

New openings

Can’t make it to Wellington? Try one of these new beauty openings across the motu instead.

Nail Time, Auckland

Nails in need of a little TLC? Newcomer Nail Time offers shoppers a sense of tranquility in Newmarket’s Osborne Lane with a suite of pampering services ranging from signature, premium and prestige manicures and pedicures, alongside treatments for men and children aged 8 or under. Take your pick from builder gel, soft gel extensions, poly gel or dip powder, in a selection of shades from popular polish brands like Canni.

2/8 Osborne St, Newmarket, Auckland.

Mecca, Dunedin

Mecca’s Dunedin store is the second to open in Otago, following the successful launch of its Queenstown store last year. The beauty giant highlights the same sought-after beauty brands for which Mecca is known, including Charlotte Tilbury, Glow Recipe, Emma Lewisham and more, with in-store services spanning makeup, fragrance consultations and express skin treatments.

248 George Street, Central Dunedin.

Chemist Warehouse, Queenstown

It’s a milestone month for Chemist Warehouse, which is unveiling its 60th store in the heart of Queenstown’s premier shopping precinct. Situated next to iconic burger joint Ferg Burger, the retailer will be open seven days from 8am to 9pm, offering locals and tourists alike the chance to shop for health and beauty essentials at accessible price points. We have it on good authority that this store will also include a new Ultra Beauty department, delivering luxury from cult favourite brands like Byredo, Yves Saint Laurent and Tom Ford to beauty buffs in the deep south.

Shop G1&2 &B1, Mountaineer Building, 32 Rees Street, Queenstown.

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