Couture Aesthetics

Holly is a miracle worker! I feel so extremely lucky to have found her. After trying a number of different facialists and aestheticians in the city, I’m thrilled to say my hunt is over.
Holly takes her time and really cares about the end result. She’s AMAZING at extractions — my skin has never looked better after seeing Holly. Holly’s super flexible about appointments and works around my work schedule which is hugely helpful. Plus she’s a sweetheart. HIGHLY recommend!

I always want do a facial, then I decided start with Holly, I did peeling, and my skin so good right now. I can’t wait do next time, Plus: nice service and environment

Best facial ever! I extremely recommend Holly. First time going to her, she has exceeded my expectations! Her work that she has done doesn’t even come close to other facials i have gotten in the past. Her attention to detail is excellent as well as her customer service. She makes sure you leave very satisfied. I definitely plan to come see her again!

Hollyanne is the best of the best. She is extremely thorough but gentle, calming, professional and really listens to your concerns. I’ve followed her since her days at Gentle Star MedSpa in MintPlaza and will follow her forever. I’ve had mini breakouts, dry skin and other skin issues and she always provides the latest-​in-​technology treatments, effective skin regimens and the highest quality products. She even carries and introduced me to GloMinerals! Amazing stuff! Do yourself a favor and book an appointment with her. She will get your skin to where it needs to be!

I am so grateful that I found Holly years ago back when she was with Gentle Star ! And I have been following her ever since. She is one amazing lady that takes her time with her clients and makes sure you get the best results. I just had my facial yesterday with her and as always she had brought life back to my skin! My skin is not only more radiant but is looking years younger! Holly is so kind, talented, funny and warm. She is in the business to see her clients’ improvement, not for money and her treatment and service is superior !!! Thanks again Holly! See you again soon! — Karen

I have to rave about facial treat meant I had this afternoon with Couture Aesthetics by Holly Anne Alviar. After the treatment, my skin is like reborn, so soft, so smooth. I felt like I could go out without my make up on. Holly just made me so relaxed, comfortable and so trusting. I also signed up for facial treatment for the next 6 months. I feel like that i have so many expensive cloths, accessories but if my skin looks bad, what’s the point. I have only one face, why don’t I invest on the only one I have first.
If you haven’t seen Holly yet, please call her. She’s amazing. She will make your face wonder.
Facial Gift Certificates will be great gift for your girlfriends, moms, sisters, friends or just for yourself. It would be a great gift forever.

Holly is the only esthetician that I trust with my sensitive skin. She is very delicate in her treatment but able to obtain the results that I want and need. I can present all my skin concerns and she is always able to provide recommendations of treatment while being cognizant of my sensitivity. If you have delicate, sensitive, and prone to pigmentation skin like myself, Holly IS THE esthetician to help treat, maintain, and improve your skin.

I’ve been to at least 20 estheticians in San Francisco to help clear up my adult acne. I’ve spent thousands and thousands of dollars on special treatments and products and peels, etc. I came across Holly and because I heard about Glo mineral makeup and she is a vendor. I made an appointment for a color match on makeup and thought I might as well try out a facial as well! She spent two hours on my skin and suggested products I’d never tried before. I’ve now seen her 4 times and my skin is the best it has EVER been. 10 years of bad breakouts and today I went WITHOUT foundation after having a facial with her last night. It’s honestly a miracle and I’m excited to continue treatments and see even more amazing results.
Holly has all sorts of fun machines too and really takes time to understand your skin and habits and recommend products that actually work. And she’s awesome at giving out samples when she can so you can try the product before spending money on it.
She has a really impressive resume and background in skincare and I can’t recommend her expertise enough!

Holly is a fantastic aesthetician. She is very knowledgeable about skincare and skincare product. She has such a relaxing touch and is very thorough with her treatments. I always see immediate results after each facial as my skin is glowing, softer and feels like it is «breathing» better. I always look forward to my visits to Holly and you will too!

My skin is very sensitive and I have always been afraid of getting facials. I was referred to Holly because I noticed how radiant my friend’s skin was looking so I decided to try a facial. Holly did a consultation and asked me what my skin concerns were. She then gave me options and explained realistic expectations which I really appreciated.
The facial was really relaxing but thorough with extractions and I noticed a significant improvement in my skin. It felt smooth, hydrated and had less blemishes. She recommended products but wasn’t pushy. She even checked up on me a couple of days later to see how my skin was doing. I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a trustworthy facialist that really cares about her clients.

I had really bad acne and acne scars after the birth of my daughter. It was so bad and the bumps were pretty compacted. I looked like I had a beard of bumps on my face. Gross, I know. I tried EVERYTHING from natural products to harsh chemicals. I even went to a dermatologist and it didn’t help. Finally, I went on Unilocal looking at reviews for facials hoping that would do something. I found this place and I was so amazed at how my face looked after the first appointment. By the third appointment my face was cleared up. I could not believe it. She is the absolute best at what she does .
It’s very important after the appointment to do what holly says to take care of your skin.
Ps
She is the nicest person ever!

For years I thought I couldn’t do anything about my skin, especially around my eyes. I decided to pay Holly a visit after trying numerous topical treatments. I thought nothing would work.
Holly made sure I was comfortable, did a skin consultation and explained everything she would do and made sure to use products and treatments according to my concerns. The coolest part of the facial was the microcurrent for the wrinkles around my eyes. That also made a huge difference because she does lymphatic drainage before hand to remove toxins and water retention in my face.
The results of the facial were beyond my expectations. I have been going to couture aesthetics every couple of weeks now to finish my skin rejuvenation series.
Make a visit to see Holly and you won’t regret it!

I knew about Holly and Couture Aesthetics for a while now. I’ve just never visited her because I hate driving into downtown and having to keep an eye on the meter.
I did, however, visit her this past weekend. I thought that I would have to spend an extended period of time there. I was wrong, Holly assured me that the process would take less than an hour. Not only was she fast, but she was meticulous as well. Holly is a perfectionist and it shows throughout her work.

Holly Anne is amazing! She is so knowledgeable about skincare and really takes pride in her work. She spends time explaining the different skin care treatments and options, and really strives to make sure clients know what to expect. The product she uses in one of the peels smells really good, leaves the skin feeling baby soft, and infuses lots of moisture. Another one of Holly Anne’s many talents is that she also does great makeup. For my wedding she not only did my makeup, but also the makeup for all five of my bridesmaids. Everyone was really happy with their makeup. I was thrilled that even though it was an outdoor wedding, on a very hot day, my makeup lasted all day. Many thanks Holly Anne!

Holly started taking care of my skin way back when she used to work at Gentle Star Medspa. When she moved to San Jose I did not follow her but only because life got a little hectic and I had to resort to taking care of my own skin. However, now that the countdown to my wedding is on, I decided I needed to get my skin in tip-​top shape in time for the big day, so it was perfect timing when I discovered that Holly had moved back and opened up her very own spot in SF! I was so incredibly proud and happy for her big move and knew that I had to book my reunion with her.
Reconnecting with Holly was indeed like reconnecting with an old friend. She is just as genuine, kind, and professional as I remembered. I had always trusted her with my skin, and I knew that nothing about that had changed. I am currently undergoing skin rehab with Holly– with the mission being to smooth out uneven skin tone and to lighten hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. She has been using her peels on me– something that would be very scary in different situations, but Holly is so knowledgeable and she takes the time to understand each individual face with which she works. I definitely know that what she is doing for me is especially curated and personalized to my specific needs, and is not something that she does for every other client. I saw a vast difference in my skin tone and texture after my first visit!
I always look forward to my appointments with Holly because she continues to make my skin better and better! I have a long way to go but with her expertise I know I’m in good hands!

Holly did a great job with my face. I am very picky about these types of services but Holly truly earned my business and I cannot wait to see her again.
I came to Couture Aesthetics because I was concerned with the milia around my eyes and really dry skin. I had an interview for graduate school and wanted to go sans makeup with a glowy complexion.
Most places will just offer you what’s on the menu without really trying to address your concerns. I appreciate Holly because she made a personalized suggestion for my face. Holly also made me feel very comfortable to ask all the embarrassing skin questions I had, «What’s latisse?» «Do I need botox?» «What’s microdermabrasion?» «What are you doing to my face right now?» She was very patient with me and I could tell that she had many years of experience working in the industry. I left feeling like my initial concerns were addressed and that the facial was money very well spent.
Holly also used very high quality products. The stuff she uses from Jan Marini is amazing and she even gave me some samples to take home without pressuring me to buy everything.
In terms of the facial, it was both relaxing and uncomfortable if that makes sense. I could tell she was really working to pull stuff out of my skin. The space was well decorated and a great atmosphere to relax. The parking to the Union Street location is very easy which was a nice surprise.
The next day, people really noticed that my skin had a nice glow. After falling asleep on my boyfriend’s chest while watching tv, I woke up to find him rubbing his thumb against my cheek because my skin was so soft. He never does that :) A great sign.
Overall, I think Couture Aesthetics is a great place and you should try it. Holly is wonderful and my skin looks great!

Every successful mission has strategic game planning and support. I mean, just look at politicians with their public relation advisors, military branches with their elite generals, corporations with their executive officers, and of course, any person with radiant skin, there’s a tried and true aesthetician behind it all.
Hey. This is serious bidness, folks.
For those who love a good face purge, you’ve come to the right place.
Operation: Seek and destroy!
My skin has always been finicky and sensitive. Prone to acneic breakouts, I’ve seen Holly for years now and each and every time, she goes gangster on my zits. It doesn’t matter how bad of a breakout I’ve had, Holly always has a solution to get me back on track.
With a gentle and empathetic approach, Holly works her magic and utilizes only the highest grade products to get the job DUNZO! I’ve seen positive results in a matter of days after some pretty bad cystic episodes.
I truly recommend coming in to see Holly if you’re suffering with problematic skin. She offers expert advice, skin regimented routines, product knowledge, and she also moonlights as a talented makeup artist.
Not only is she gawwwgeous, dahling, but she also has one of the most beautiful demeanors I’ve ever come across. She truly cares about all her clients and it shows.
So if you’re looking to successfully combat your cray cray skin, look no further. You’ll be glad to have Couture Aesthetics as your secret weapon!

My problem with acne started in high school, which progressively got worse each year to the point where I considered taking Acutane.
I’ve been seen by dermatologists at Kaiser, Sutter, Dr. Kathleen M Welsh in SF, Sue at Your Best Skin, Alisha Valverde at Medical Skin Aesthetics, SKIN Medical Spa in Marina, and many more doctors and estheticians that are well known and have amazing reviews on Unilocal for helping people with acne. I’ve obviously spent ridiculous amount of money visiting these doctors and aestheticians yet I saw no improvement. I even cried in front of a doctor once because it was ruining my life; no exaggeration, my self-​esteem could not have been lower.
After about 10 years into dealing with this f**ing acne, I had sort of given up and believed that I just had to live with it. But one day I decided to give it a try at Gentle Star where Holly was working at that time (I believe this was in 2009) and ever since then I worship Holly like no other because she cleared my skin. I’ve been seeing Holly ever since and even after she left Gentle Star, I’ve been following her everywhere like a crazy groupie because she is the only person who can manage my stubborn skin. (and I guess I have a girl crush on her– she is so beautiful!!)
Holly is extremely knowledgable and skilled at what she does. She is always studying and learning about skin aesthetics and her technique is absolutely top-​notch. Because my skin is very oily and easily clogged, it always needs a lot of extraction. Extraction can leave your skin very red, swollen and beat-​up, but Holly manages to extract without making my face look like a big tomato and there’s almost no downtime, which is just AMAZING.
If you’re having acne problems, I definitely recommend seeing Holly, and of course for regular upkeeps too.

When I turned 35 I made a proclamation to myself that I would go regularly to get facials. I’m not talking about the once a year spa facial you get when you’re on vacation where the esthetician gently caresses your face and whispers to you as he/​she applies a mask to your face. I’m talking about the medspa facials where they extract, peel and scrape. The type of facials that give you results.
Enter Gentle Star Medspa, which is where I’ve been going for several years now. My esthetician Holly and I became friendly, trading stories about our favorite restaurants and talking about life. Then Holly left Gentle Star.
Fast forward two years and Holly has opened her own place on a quiet part of Union Street. I admire and try and support small business entrepreneurs, so I decided to reunite with Holly and try her new spot. The location isn’t convenient for me, but surprisingly finding parking wasn’t that difficult.
Seeing Holly was like reconnecting with an old friend. She asked me about my skin, explained to me about the line of products she uses, and went to town on my skin. Holly’s mix of exfoliation peel, extraction, and mask made my skin less congested and after two days it was glowing. The extraction session is my favorite part because Holly really digs in and gets into the pores and gets out all the gunk that gets trapped in there.
I have complete confidence that Holly is going to do great on her own at Couture Aesthetics. Her attentiveness, attention to detail, dedication to skincare, and wonderful customer service is the perfect combination for success.

I had a facial with Holly.
She did a deep pore extraction facial. She has a good technique and my pores literally got smaller. I am very happy with the result.
She made me so relaxed and I enjoyed the whole moment.