Essence of Beauty

Essence of Beauty is a beauty salon and skin clinic on Triq Clarence in Msida, a busy town between Valletta and Sliema. It offers a full menu of facials, laser and wax hair removal, microneedling, body contouring, massage, nail care and semi-permanent makeup, with prices printed for most treatments. Visitors from the UK will find the pricing in euros easy to compare with a salon at home, and appointments can be requested in advance.

On VisitMalta.co.uk the salon is listed in our directory of spas in Malta. The sections below explain the main treatment families, how consultations and aftercare work, and how to arrange a visit. The price list gives minutes and euros for most treatments, which makes it simple to plan a morning or an afternoon around your appointment.

History and the people behind the salon

The business opened in Qawra in 2001 and added a second salon in Msida in 2002. Since 2011 all beauty services have been provided from Msida. The timeline since then is a record of new equipment: IPL and body treatment machinery in 2013, a website in 2014, diode laser treatments in 2018, and in 2022 an upgraded diode laser and an online shop. Essence of Beauty is operated by Therese Farrugia, who works as a laser and skin specialist and semi-permanent makeup artist, together with Antonella Micallef, also a laser and skin specialist.

The salon reports more than 20 years in business, with clients that include local television, theatre, fashion and political figures, actors filming in Malta and many wedding couples and bridal parties. Therapists attend beauty conferences and product launches each year to keep their techniques up to date.

Facials and skin treatments

Every facial starts with a consultation and a skin assessment, and the programme is adjusted at each visit unless you are following a structured plan. A professional facial every four to six weeks is the recommended rhythm. The salon works with Mesoestetic, Thalion and Dermalogica, and offers advice on home care products afterwards.

Printed prices give a clear picture. The Mesoestetic Deep Cleansing Facial takes 75 minutes and costs €75, while Thalion marine facials start with the 45-minute Customised Cleansing Facial at €50 and include hydrating, brightening, calming and firming options. The Dermalogica ProSkin60 Facial costs €60. Specialised treatments include the Xlase laser resurfacing and peel treatment (90 minutes, €95), dermaplaning (60 minutes, €65), PRX-T Therapy (45 minutes, €120) and Dermapen 4 microneedling (90 minutes, €150, or four sessions for €600). Dermapen 4 with exosomes costs €250 a session, and a course of four is €1000. A PRX-T package of five treatments costs €500.

Peels are a further strand. The Mesoestetic Mesopeel at 60 minutes costs €100, with a pack of three for €260, and the Mesoeclat Revitalizing Peel at 75 minutes costs €85. The Mesoestetic Age Element facial for mature skin is €115, and a Woman Care facial designed for perimenopause and menopause skin is €120 a session. Thalion treatments run from the €60 Algocalm facial for sensitive skin to the 90-minute Ocean Secret Firming Facial at €80. Extra time on any facial, including blackhead extraction, is charged at €5 for each additional 15 minutes.

Add-ons are priced separately: eyebrow tint is €7.50, eyelash tint €8.50 and a dermaplaning upgrade €25. Anyone unable to visit for a first consultation can book a one-to-one virtual consultation with face mapping, or send photographs through the free consultation page. Health and medical questions are asked at the consultation so the therapist can choose suitable products and electrical therapies.

Laser, waxing and hair removal

Diode laser hair removal is a mainstay. The treatment is offered for all skin types from I to VI, including tanned skin, so it can continue through the summer months. A free consultation is offered together with a €10 patch test, which is refunded when you buy treatments. Single-session prices are €15 for small areas such as the upper lip, €30 for medium areas such as underarms, €50 for large areas such as lower legs and €75 for extra-large areas such as a full leg. Packages start at €175 for two hours used within 12 months, with €330 for four hours and €450 for six hours, both to be used within 14 months. Electrolysis sessions are usually spaced a few weeks apart, and other hair removal methods should be avoided between them.

Waxing is priced by zone. For women, eyebrows cost €8, upper lip €5.50, full leg €23 and a Brazilian €20, and for men, a back, upper arms, shoulders and neck session costs €28. Facial hot wax, which is rosin-free and suited to sensitive skin, starts at €8 for the upper lip. Electrolysis, which treats individual hairs, is charged by time from €10 for five minutes.

Body treatments and massage

The anti-cellulite and toning range includes vacuum therapy, ultrasound fat cavitation, the G5 deep tissue massage and the Slim Press 4 in 1 system, which combines pressotherapy, thermotherapy, electrostimulation and an eye mask. Vacuum therapy and cavitation cost €45 a session, with a six-session package available, and the 30-minute G5 session is €30, with an eight-session package also offered. Cavitation usually needs six to eight sessions, and the salon often pairs it with vacuum therapy or pressotherapy. The salon calculates a body mass index and discusses diet and lifestyle before drawing up a package, and the G5 is not used for weight loss.

The Slim Press sessions run for about 40 minutes of pressotherapy, with weekly visits for eight weeks or two visits a week for four weeks as the suggested pattern. The electrical muscle stimulation option tones muscles passively and can be combined with a facial. Disposable covers are used for hygiene, and a consultation covering medical history comes first so the therapist can recommend the right package. If you have a health condition, check with your own doctor before booking.

Massage options include Swedish massage (€60 for a full body hour), hot stone massage (€70 for an hour), Indian head massage (€30 for 30 minutes), foot reflex therapy and ear candle treatment. The salon notes that body treatments and massages are available only to existing clients and their referrals, and it reserves the right to refuse a booking, so build your relationship with a facial or laser course first.

Nails, makeup, lashes and tanning

Further services include manicures, pedicures, gel polish, gel and acrylic nail extensions, infills, lash lifting and tinting, semi-permanent makeup such as microblading, powder brows, hair strokes and blended techniques, and spray tanning. Prices for these areas are listed with the salon directly, so it is best to ask when you enquire. The online shop supplies home care products, and orders over €40 are delivered to your door at no extra charge. A skin quiz on the website helps match products to your skin type.

If you are visiting Malta, a spray tan or a facial can fit around a day of sightseeing. Our Malta weather guide will help you plan for the sun, and our guide to the best beaches in Malta covers the swimming spots.

Finding the salon and booking

The salon is in Msida, a short drive from Valletta and the sights in our Valletta guide. If you are staying in Sliema, see our hotels in Sliema page for places a few minutes away, and for a hairdresser nearby you can also look at AMIS City Spa, Beauty and Hair Salon. Longer-stay readers settling on the island will find our UK guide to relocating to Malta helpful, and for days out between appointments see things to do in Malta.

The salon opens Monday to Saturday, with a Saturday close at 13:30. A free consultation is available in person or online, and a skin test on the salon's website suggests suitable products before you visit. To arrange an appointment, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Essence of Beauty.