Athena Hewett is all about zen vibes, even when she's prepping the biggest of clients (say, the iconic director who understands the trials, tribulations, and nuances of teenage girlhood more than anyone, Sofia Coppola) for the biggest of nights (the Venice Film Festival). Other things important to the It-girl esthetician: feeling and guided by a client's energy, and ensuring that they leave with skin that feels healthier than when they came in.
It's the philosophy behind her natural, healing-based skincare line Monastery, which takes a minimal approach and aims to maintain the balance of your skin's natural microbiome. Her website says it best: "Monastery is made to help your skin do what it does best: Heal."
This week, Hewett seized the opportunity to escape the tech-heavy San Francisco for the canals, gondolas, bridges, and iconic red carpet moments of Venice, Italy to help Sofia Coppola, Chloë Sevigny, and Maggie Gyllenhaal with all of their skin prep needs. And as she traveled back to California, we got the opportunity to pick her brand about skin care, essential products, and working with stars.
Athena Hewett
Athena Hewett
Athena HewettHow did it feel being at the Venice Film Festival? What makes it special?
“It was a dream to be at the Venice Film Festival. It’s one of my favorite cities in the whole world. Venice is so uniquely beautiful for the obvious reason of being on the water but it’s also just brimming with history, great food and incredible shopping. Getting around by boat can lend itself to some challenges but I think that being surrounded by water has a good way of calming the mind. For that reason what might typically feel like a stressful situation feels enjoyable in Venice. Getting to see Sofia’s documentary screening and then attend the after party at DVF's house was just next level."
”When working with a new client, what's the first thing you do or take note of?
AH: "I take note of their energy and their possible personality type. From there, I can decide what kind of energy they may want or need to be receiving from me."
For the Venice Film Festival, what was the essential ingredient you used to prep skin?
AH: "A blend of a light AHA with Raspberry seed oil (Monastery's XX and Gold). The AHA gives the exfoliation needed for quick absorption and the Raspberry seed oil de-puffs and brightens. A really great combination for event ready skin."
Athena Hewett
Athena HewettCan you describe, step-by-step, the skin prep process for your Venice Film Festival Clients?
AH: " When I enter their room I am first looking for the best place to set up. Outlets, where they will lay down, surfaces for putting product; that kind of stuff. When I find my work station, setup can take less than 10 minutes. I make sure they are comfortable in their spot and usually reconfirm what time hair and makeup are entering the room. The schedules are so tight day of, and you don’t want to stress out hair and makeup in any way as their jobs are already super stressful! Once that's sorted, I'll check in with the client about how they feel like their skin is feeling. Puffy? Dehydrated? Are they feeling sensitized? Have they used any actives or had any treatments super recently? Are there any allergies? I take a quick look at their skin to see what I'm seeing and then we begin."
Athena Hewett
Athena HewettWhat's it like working with Sofia Coppola?
AH: "Yes, I work with Sofia pretty consistently (we live in different cities). We have made changes to her routine over the time that I’ve been seeing her and I love witnessing how hydrated and luminous her skin has been looking. She loves skincare and really follows her regime which is a dream client for any esthetician. She’s a dream in all ways though, not just that one. We all take stress from travel and it shows up in our body and skin so it’s nice to be able to be there for her for events like this."
Athena Hewett
When prepping skin at the Venice Film Festival, what was the energy like in the rooms?
AH: "I interact a ton with the client. It is a very intimate service and I get to be in the room with them one on one. It’s a low stress zen moment for the client (and for me) if I’m doing my job right. The energy post facial or skin prep really depends on the client and the beauty team or the schedule. The energy with makeup, hair and styling can feel more stressful, rightly so. Those things are outwardly personal expressions of the client. I'm not dealing with presenting a person in the right way stylistically, I'm just making sure their skin looks as good as possible."
Favorite funny Venice Film Festival memory?
AH: "We were eating at Harry’s Bar and my friends mentioned to me that Paul Dano was sitting next to me. I happened to look to my left and thought I was sitting next to Paul Dano. *I want to preface this with the fact I absolutely know what Paul Dano looks like, I swear. I think he’s an incredible actor. But this guy just happened to look a lot like him but maybe a little change (like a beard) for an upcoming movie. At the end of the night we shared pics and I said 'oh look Paul Dano is in this pic' and my friends died laughing, like, 'What?! That is not Paul Dano; he was sitting three tables behind you.' There may or may not have been Paul Dano 2.0 jokes the rest of the trip."
