Cooning Espace Beauté

Cooning Espace Beauté is a beauty studio at Faubourg du Lac 9 in Neuchâtel, run under the name of Cynthia Gerber, which the contact page gives beside the studio's name. Its services include makeup, waxing, diode laser hair removal, facials, lash and brow tinting, foot care, massages, radiofrequency and a skin treatment called TouchSkin21. The site is in French, and it publishes a full price list, including the bridal makeup: "maquillage mariée (essai + jour J)", a trial plus the wedding day, for 190 francs.

For a couple planning from abroad, that single line answers the usual first question. The bridal price is fixed, includes the trial, and appears on the site before any contact.

The bridal makeup

The makeup page explains the structure in one sentence: "Le maquillage pour la mariée comporte 2 rdv." Bridal makeup involves 2 appointments. The first is a trial, to find the colors, the gradations and the intensity of the makeup for the wedding day; the second is the wedding day itself. The page gives the time as "1h30 ou plus" (1h30 or more) and the price as 190 francs.

For anyone else in the wedding party, the same page lists day or occasion makeup ("maquillage de jour ou d'occasion") at 100 francs for 1 hour. The price list repeats this as "maquillage d'occasion" at 100 francs. A mother, sister or bridesmaid can therefore be priced from the site as well.

A makeup lesson

The studio also offers a makeup course. The makeup page pitches it at the woman of the 21st century, whether active, sporty, fashionable or a stay-at-home mother, who wants to learn to do her makeup at home as she would have it done in a salon: for everyday, for work, for time with friends, or for evenings out at a restaurant or the cinema. Within an hour, the page says, you will know how to apply foundation and eyeshadow correctly to bring out your best features, with tips and tricks along the way. The makeup page gives the price as 135 francs for 1 hour; the price list shows a "cours de maquillage personnalisé" at 130 francs. The two figures differ, so it is worth confirming the current price when booking.

Hair removal before the wedding

The price list is detailed on hair removal, which is useful for a bride planning ahead. For waxing, the upper lip costs 17 francs, eyebrows start at 18 francs, underarms cost 22 francs, a normal bikini 27 francs, a high-cut to full bikini 42 francs, half legs 51 francs and full legs 65 francs. Combinations are listed too: full legs, underarms and a high-cut bikini cost 106 francs.

Diode laser hair removal is priced by zone: underarms 90 francs, full face 120 francs, a normal bikini 120 francs, a Brazilian or full bikini 200 francs, half legs 220 francs and full legs for women 300 francs. The price list offers 10% off for 2 zones and 20% off for 3 zones. The site does not say how many laser sessions are needed or how far ahead of a wedding to start, so a bride considering laser should ask about timing well in advance.

Facials, tinting and massage

The facials are listed by audience. A deep cleansing facial for all ages, men and women, takes 1h30 and costs 142 francs; a facial for ages 20 to 45 takes 1h30 and costs 132 francs; an anti-aging facial for 45 and over costs 142 francs; a men's facial of 1 hour costs 120 francs; and a special facial for teenagers, who are asked to arrive without makeup, costs 115 francs. The price list does not name the product lines used.

Lash tinting costs 34 francs, brow tinting 20 francs and both together 44 francs. Foot care costs 65 francs, and a callus peel costs 50 francs alone or 98 francs with the foot treatment. The studio lists three massages of 1 hour each: a Mahana massage at 112 francs, a relaxing massage at 102 francs and a hot-stone massage at 132 francs. TouchSkin21, which the price list says addresses brown spots, wrinkles, scars and stretch marks, is priced on discussion; that description is the studio's own. The menu also lists radiofrequency among the services, with its own page, and offers gift vouchers (bon cadeau), which a friend or relative could give a bride for a treatment before the wedding. The price list is the most complete part of the site; the individual service pages, such as the makeup page, add a short description of each service.

Booking and contact

The contact page gives the address Faubourg du Lac 9, 2000 Neuchâtel, the phone number 079 483 78 86 and a contact form asking for name, email, mobile number, subject and message. Every page has a "Réserver maintenant" (book now) button. The contact page has a "Où sommes-nous" (where we are) section, but the site gives no directions, transport details or parking information in text.

What the site does not settle

The site does not publish opening hours. It does not say whether the studio does makeup away from Faubourg du Lac, at a hotel, a home or a venue, or what that would cost. It does not state whether English is spoken; the site is in French only. It does not say how far in advance to book the bridal trial or the wedding day, or give a deposit, payment method or cancellation rule. It does not say whether more than one person can be made up at the same time on a wedding morning, which matters if the bride and several guests all need makeup before a ceremony.

Who it suits

Cooning Espace Beauté suits a bride marrying in or around Neuchâtel who is happy to come to the studio and wants a clear, fixed price: 190 francs for the trial and the wedding day, and 100 francs for each guest who wants occasion makeup. The long price list also makes it easy to plan waxing, laser, tinting or a facial in the weeks before.

The caveats are the French-only site, the lack of opening hours and the absence of any statement about working on location. A couple from abroad should confirm by phone or through the form that the studio can take the wedding date, in which language, and whether the bride and guests will be made up at the studio.