Schminkbar by Bea Petri Much more than a beauty salon

"Do something good for yourself, even if there’s little time", firmly believes Bea Petri, founder of Schminkbar, her beauty salon, which brings together her principle. A beauty treatment together with the enjoyment of food and drink. Or "Beauty for within and out", which Bea calls the "Schminkbar boxes" on offer.

For ladies as well as gents, the choices are a number of original combinations such as the "Wake-up" with Bircher muesli, juice and coffee, in which the mind is awoken with a foot spa and massage or a quick pedicure. Or "After-work", where the day finishes with a beauty program with wine, tapenade and pita bread is served. Also very popular is the "Healthy", a treatment for the hands and feet, including vegetable dips and fresh juice, and the "Happy man," in which a beer and three varieties of nuts is served with a haircut and quick manicure.

In an interview with Bea Petri I learn how she came up with the idea of Schminkbar. It was at the beginning of the millennium in New York in one of the typical small nail studios. Next to her sat an American lady who drank coffee in a paper cup and was pampered with a neck massage after her pedicure. That's it exactly, Bea thought at the time. We need a place where you can just run in and be pampered - without much effort and planning - without an appointment, bathrobe and subsequent blow-dry. A place that is dedicated to outer beauty as well as the inner needs of food and beverage.

The idea was born. A beauty studio, where food and drink in an attractive and comfortable atmosphere is offered. It's like an all-in-one pampering program. In 2003 she implemented her concept and opened Schminkbar with eight employees at Beatengasse near the Bahnhofstrasse. Today there are 80 employees spread across numerous locations that attend to around 200 clients daily and put a smile on the customers faces.

With Schminkbar Bea has created a very successful approach to life, and was awarded the title "Swiss Entrepreneur of the Year" from the champagne house Veuve Clicquot in 2012. With that she should be more than proud! Furthermore with her commitment in Africa. As a result of a request by Swisscontact in Burkina Faso she committed not only to training in cosmetic and makeup - her own expertise - but built a whole school, where barbers, hairdressers and makeup artists are trained.

Why are these professions trained in one of the poorest countries in the world? A question often posed to Bea. Well, the majority of films are produced in India and Africa. Hollywood comes only in third place. The school "Nasmode" is now a hotbed of locally developed talent, which offers graduates real future perspectives. Bea’s entrepreneurial spirit is inspirational! And Schminkbar, of course, is always worth a visit.