There’s something quietly powerful about the small rituals that shape our everyday lives. A morning coffee from a favourite café, a familiar face behind the counter or the trusted hands of someone who helps you look and feel your best. In a neighbourhood such as Potts Point, those connections run deep, and businesses that understand that rhythm tend to become part of the fabric.

And Glo Haus is exactly that.

Set right in the heart of the action on the Macleay St bend opposite the landmark El Alamein fountain, the boutique beauty studio has built a strong following through a personalised approach and a clear sense of community. At its heart is owner Chanel Corben, whose ties to the area stretch back well before the business itself.

“I grew up in Rose Bay but my grandparents lived on Victoria Street,” she says. “So I’ve always had a connection to the area. It’s changed a lot of course but I still love it.”

Her path into the industry began early. “I started working in beauty in Double Bay when I was in Year 7,” she says. “Cleaning, learning the basics.” After school, she studied journalism and even interned at Channel 9, but quickly realised her direction lay elsewhere. “After a few months I decided I was going to dive into the beauty industry,” she says.

Starting out in the Rex building, the business grew steadily. “Within three years I had five employees,” Chanel says. The move to the current site in 2018 marked a new phase. “This side of the street is a lot busier,” she notes. “It just feels more alive.”

Glo Haus was initially known for its spray tans, still its signature offering, before expanding into a broader range of services. “We do spray tans, waxing, nails, tinting, skin treatments,” Chanel says. “But spray tans are what we’re known for. That’s where the name ‘Glo Haus’ comes from.”

Being such a personalised business by its very nature, Glo Haus’ day-to-day operations are firmly based on the needs of their clientele. “About ninety per cent of our customers are return customers,” Chanel says. “We have all regulars who return all the time and that’s so important.”

That local focus is central to how she operates. “Potts Point is a little community,” she says. “People walk everywhere. They don’t really want to travel so it’s important that the business is right here in Potts Point.”

She recounts a recent moment that captures that mindset. “A client said to me, ‘I’ve got to go all the way to Newtown for dinner,’” she says with a laugh. “And I said, ‘That’s still Sydney City LGA!’. She was shocked that I laughed at her but then realised yes, that is silly. But everything really is here and people like to stay local.”

Directly across the road, the redevelopment of the site of the legendary old Bourbon and Beefsteak is already reshaping the streetscape, and Chanel sees it as a positive step forward.

“The new development is going to be fantastic,” she says. “It’s going to bring more life and energy to the area.”

For Chanel, the strength of Potts Point lies in its people. “All the local businesses are part of the community,” she says. “We all know each other and support each other.”

It’s a rhythm she’s part of each day, whether it’s a coffee from Gypsy Café or dinner at The Apollo, and one that continues to shape Glo Haus as a much-loved presence in the neighbourhood, built on deep beauty-industry expertise, trust, and a genuine connection to the people they serve.

Glo Haus

https://www.glowhaus.co/

Phone: 0413 699 222

By Adam Gibson 

Photo by Simone McAullay