Soak Beauty & Skincare — known to half of Wānaka simply as Soak — has been looking after the town's brows, lashes, skin and spirits since 2004. Previously known as Soak Day Spa, the salon sits up on Level 3 of Ardmore House at 80 Ardmore Street, and its motto says a lot about the place: forget aging and embrace pro-aging — and dance like nobody's watching. The team, the self-styled Soakettes, take care of over-plucked eyebrows, the hairy bits, nails in need of TLC and those 'beautiful smile lines' with equal parts skill and humour. Owner Michelle Harraway started her first beauty salon back in the 80s, and that depth of experience shows: Soak specialises in how we age, building clients lifetime skincare plans rather than one-off fixes. The treatment menu is broad — appearance medicine (Botox, dermal fillers, red vein removal), advanced facials with LED therapy and Dermapen micro needling, eyelash extensions, brow tattoo and lamination, waxing and electrolysis, Gel Bottle nails, massage, makeup and tanning — plus Soak Bloke for men, Little Miss Soak for teens, Sparties group bookings and weddings. Shelves are stocked with trusted brands such as Osmosis, esmi, People4Ocean, Vani-T, The Gel Bottle and Brow Code, and gift vouchers are available. Whether you're a loyal local, an out-of-town favourite or a first-timer, you'll be well looked after.
Soak Beauty & Skincare — known to half of Wānaka simply as Soak — has been looking after the town's brows, lashes, skin and spirits since 2004. Previously known as Soak Day Spa, the salon sits up on Level 3 of Ardmore House at 80 Ardmore Street, and its motto says a lot about the place: forget aging and embrace pro-aging, and dance like nobody's watching.
That mix of expertise and mischief runs through everything here. The team — the self-styled Soakettes — handle over-plucked eyebrows, the hairy bits, nails in need of TLC and those 'beautiful smile lines AKA wrinkles' with equal parts skill and humour. Beauty is their passion; making clients feel their best is the job description.
Owner Michelle Harraway started her first beauty salon way back in the 80s — an era of sculptured nails, recycled hot wax, yoghurt-and-cucumber facials and electrolysis as the newest thing in hair removal. A few decades on, that history shows up as deep, practical knowledge: Soak specialises in how we age, and Michelle is known for building clients lifetime skincare plans rather than one-off fixes. Reviews name-check her 'insane amount of knowledge' and a perfectionist streak with micro-blading so trusted that one client says she'd fly halfway across the world for a top-up.
The rest of the team spans ever-evolving apprentices to leaders in their field, with training and skills kept updated by the best in the industry. Locals and out-of-town regulars alike keep coming back — the salon calls its loyal following the best testimony to its work.
Soak covers a lot of ground. On the skin side there are advanced facial treatments with LED therapy, Dermapen micro needling and lymphatic facial massage — one reviewer swears by the hot towels on neck and back. Appearance medicine covers Botox, dermal fillers and red vein removal.
Eyes and brows are a house specialty: eyelash extensions (a genuine local calling card), lash lifts and tints, eyebrow tinting and shaping, laminations and feather-touch eyebrow tattoo. Hair removal runs from full-body waxing to electrolysis. Nails get the Gel Bottle treatment alongside hand and foot care, extensions, repairs and removals, and there's makeup application, tanning, massage and lymphatic drainage for everything else.
There's a men's menu (Soak Bloke), a teens' menu (Little Miss Soak — waxing, eye treatments, facials and general maintenance), and Sparties group bookings where everyone gets a mani or pedi with bubbles and nibbles provided on request. Weddings are catered for too.
Shelves are stocked with the brands the team uses and rates, from Osmosis, esmi and People4Ocean skincare to Vani-T self tan, The Gel Bottle, Brow Code, LiLash and Smilemakers — so whatever your therapist recommends, you can take it home. Gift vouchers make the whole thing giftable.
Soak opens Monday from 10am to 5pm, runs 9am starts Tuesday to Friday with late nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays, closes Wednesday at 6.30pm and Friday at 6pm, and takes appointments Saturday 10am to 4pm. Sundays are closed. Booking online is the easy route, and there's a published bookings and cancellation policy worth a skim before you commit.
Whether you're a loyal local, an out-of-town favourite or a first-timer after a monthly pedicure treat, the promise is the same: you'll be well looked after, you'll leave glowing, and you might just leave with a bit of Soak class.