Red Ribbon Beauty is a boutique beauty therapy clinic in Caversham, Dunedin, less than ten minutes' drive from the city centre and tucked behind the Forbury Pharmacy at 615A Hillside Road. It is owned and run by Karlee Allan, a beauty therapist with more than 19 years of industry experience gained both in New Zealand and Australia — ranging from beauty basics right through to medical-grade laser and IPL — and holder of an Advanced City and Guilds International Diploma in Beauty Therapy. After years away, Karlee is back in her hometown doing what she loves.
The clinic offers a focused treatment menu covering four core areas: sugaring hair removal, relaxation facials, eye treatments and tanning. The website even features a dedicated Sugar vs Wax page for anyone weighing up the two hair-removal methods, and each treatment has its own page with further information and pricing. Everything is delivered in an elegant yet modern, private one-on-one setting the clinic describes as 'a friendly and private retreat away from the ordinary'.
Hours are built around real life: Tuesday and Thursday run from 11am until late, ideal for after-work appointments, with Wednesday 9am–3pm, Friday 9am–4:30pm and alternate Saturdays 9am–3pm. Appointments outside these hours can often be arranged by contacting Karlee directly. Book via the live online booking system on the website or by phone; payments are accepted by cash, Eftpos, Visa and Mastercard. Note that a 50% surcharge applies to bookings cancelled within 24 hours of the appointment.
Behind the Forbury Pharmacy on Hillside Road, a short drive from Dunedin's city centre, Red Ribbon Beauty offers something increasingly rare: a small, one-on-one beauty clinic where the focus is entirely on you. Owned and run by beauty therapist Karlee Allan, this boutique clinic in Caversham — less than ten minutes from the heart of Dunedin — describes itself as 'a friendly and private retreat away from the ordinary', set in surrounds that are elegant yet modern and private.
Red Ribbon Beauty's menu is built around four core services. First is sugaring, a hair-removal method the clinic clearly champions — there is an entire page on the website devoted to 'Sugar vs Wax' for clients weighing up the two approaches. Then come relaxation facials, delivered in the clinic's calm, private setting; dedicated eye treatments; and tanning services to round out the offering. Each treatment has its own page on the redribbonbeauty.com website with further information and pricing, and appointments can be reserved straight away through the clinic's live online booking system.
The range is deliberately focused rather than exhaustive, covering the essentials many clients return for again and again: smooth skin, a rested complexion, well-groomed eyes and a healthy tan.
Red Ribbon Beauty is very much a personal practice. Owner Karlee Allan brings more than 19 years of experience in the beauty industry, gained both here in New Zealand and across the Tasman in Australia. Her background ranges from beauty basics right through to medical-grade laser and IPL work, and she holds an Advanced City and Guilds International Diploma in Beauty Therapy. After years away, she is happy to be back in her hometown doing what she loves — and she says she looks forward to seeing you.
That depth of experience shapes the clinic's approach. A solo therapist who has worked from fundamental treatments through to advanced modalities knows exactly what she does well, and the tight, four-pillar menu reflects that confidence: sugaring, facials, eyes and tanning, done properly in a private boutique setting.
Hours at Red Ribbon Beauty are tailored to real life. The clinic opens Tuesday from 11am until late and Thursday from 11am until late — ideal for after-work appointments — with Wednesday sessions from 9am to 3pm, Friday from 9am to 4:30pm, and alternate Saturdays from 9am to 3pm. Sundays are closed, and if none of those windows suit, Karlee asks that you get in touch; she will try her best to accommodate you outside normal hours.
Booking is straightforward: use the live online booking system on the website, or call 03 456 4561 (or 027 398 0897). Payments can be made by cash, Eftpos, Visa or Mastercard. One policy worth noting: a 50% surcharge applies to bookings cancelled within 24 hours of the appointment, so it pays to plan ahead or give as much notice as possible.
The clinic sits at 615A Hillside Road, behind the Forbury Pharmacy — easy to find once you know the landmark — in Dunedin 9012. Karlee also posts news and exclusive offers on the Red Ribbon Beauty Facebook page, which clients are invited to follow.
For first-time visitors, the website is a useful starting point: the Sugar vs Wax page explains the difference between the two hair-removal methods before you commit, the gallery offers a look at the space and results, and the online booking system handles appointments directly. Questions or special requests can be emailed to karlee@redribbonbeauty.com, and the clinic says it will do its best to accommodate them.
For Caversham locals and anyone in Dunedin after a personal, unhurried beauty appointment, Red Ribbon Beauty offers an appealing combination: an experienced, qualified therapist, a focused menu of proven treatments, late nights twice a week and a genuinely private setting.