Fifth Element wins best day spa in Australia

Michelle Pearce, of Fifth Element Day Spa, winner of the Australian Beauty Industry Awards’ ‘best day spa’ category. Picture: Damjan Janevski

A Werribee day spa has been named Australia’s best.

Fifth Element Day Spa, on Watton Street, was recently named ‘best day spa’ at the Australian Beauty Industry Awards, the industry’s ‘Oscars’.

The business, which celebrates its sixth birthday this week, is the brainchild of Michelle Pearce and her partner, Oriano Salvalaggio.

Ms Pearce said she was flabbergasted to receive the award.

“I made no attempt at doing my hair or make-up [for the awards ceremony],” she said.

“You hear these people who get up and say, ‘It was so unexpected’, but it really was.

“To think that an urban spa retreat somewhere in Werribee has been recognised as the best day spa nationally … it sort of made me take a step back and think we’re doing something right.”

Ms Pearce said her day spa background put her in good stead to run her own business, but she admitted even she had concerns about how it would be received in Werribee.

“We felt that Werribee, being a growing suburb and region, needed a day spa,” the 49-year-old Point Cook resident said.

“I was a bit nervous at first.

“Everyone has that perception that Werribee is a less affluent place … but we’ve attracted a beautiful client base.

“I never get tired of hearing people say they’ve travelled and have been to a lot of day spas and we compare to or exceed those.”