Natural Cosmetologist

Beauty
Begins Within.

Aveda-trained cosmetologist and mother of two. I help women — especially busy mamas — feel radiant through their cycle, clean skincare, motherhood, and nourishing food.

Vancouver Island, BC
Mel Deveny in a black dress holding her sun hat
Aveda Trained
New York Fashion Week
TV & Film
Etalk
Oliveda Consultant
Mel and her daughter in a wildflower field
Mel and her daughter under cherry blossoms
Mel styling a bride
Mel in a meadow
Mel on set

More than beauty —
it's how you feel.

For 25 years I've helped women look and feel their best — from the runways of New York to wedding mornings on Vancouver Island. Aveda taught me to see beauty as a whole-body practice, and becoming a mother taught me how much we need that care for ourselves.

Today my focus is beauty within: honouring our hormones and cycles, clean skincare, and food that nourishes — gentle rituals that fit real life, toddlers and early mornings included.


25
Years in Beauty
2
Little Ones at Home
NYFW
Lead Stylist
∞
Textures & Skin Types Welcomed
Mel with her son and daughter in a field of daisies

The Four Pillars

True radiance starts within. How we rest, nourish and care for ourselves shows up in our skin, hair and energy — and everything I share comes back to these four pillars.

01

Hormones & Your Cycle

Living with our infradian rhythm — understanding each phase of your cycle and working with it, not against it.

Read My Story
02

Skin, Hair & Body

Clean, waterless skincare, natural hair care and gentle body care that nourishes rather than strips.

Shop Oliveda
03

Motherhood

Natural birth, nourishing traditions and raising little ones intentionally — because caring for ourselves is part of caring for our families.

My Births & Philosophy
04

Nourishing Food for Beauty

Beauty elixirs, recipes and whole foods that feed your skin, hair and hormones.

Get the Recipes
Mel Deveny

I70 The Beauty Molecule

My all-time favourite Oliveda product. Made from the olive tree, it's the one I reach for when I want my skin to feel calm, hydrated and glowing — no matter how little sleep I got.

Want 15% off? Send me a message on Instagram @meldeveny and I'll share my code.

Visit My Shop

Psst — my shop shows my legal name, Melissa Leach. Same Mel, just pre-wedding! 💍

Six beauty elixirs

Simple drinks I make at home to nourish skin, balance hormones and bring a little calm to busy days. Pop in your email and I'll send the guide straight to your inbox.

You'll also get occasional beauty tips and offers from me. Unsubscribe anytime.

Nourish the woman
you are now.

Questions about skincare, your cycle, or beauty within? I'd love to hear from you.

Cosmetologist,
Mother &
Lifelong Learner.

Born and raised in Powell River, I built a career that took me from Vancouver to the runways of New York and beyond. After falling in love and starting a family in Campbell River, I stepped back to focus on what mattered most — being a mom. Now I'm sharing what I've learned about beauty that begins within.

Mel in a meadow below the mountains

My love of beauty began early. I trained with Aveda at 18, where I learned hair, makeup and skincare through a holistic lens — considering the whole person: your personality, your lifestyle, and the way you want to feel.

That training took me to the biggest stages in the industry. As a Lead Stylist at New York Fashion Week, I worked at the highest level, and my TV and film work — including a feature on Etalk as a wedding hair specialist — made me a trusted name for brides. I've had the privilege of working with brands like Aritzia, Lululemon and Native Shoes, and my editorial work has been published in print.

But behind the scenes, the industry didn't always align with my values. I chose to step away and refocus on what I believe beauty really is: something that grows from how we care for ourselves, from within.

Then life took a beautiful turn. I fell in love, moved to Campbell River, and became a mama to two little ones. Motherhood showed me how easily we forget ourselves — and how much a few simple, nourishing rituals can bring us back.

Today I share beauty within for women and mothers: living in rhythm with our cycles, clean waterless skincare through Oliveda, and nourishing food for beauty.

Mel's engagement ring

A little note about my name

You may see Melissa Leach on my Oliveda shop and paperwork — that's me too! Deveny is the name I'm growing into, soon to be official when I marry my partner. Melissa Leach on paper, Mel Deveny at heart. The paperwork just hasn't caught up with the love story yet.

Career Highlights

🗽

New York Fashion Week

Lead stylist at one of the world's most prestigious fashion events — runway-ready looks at the highest level of the industry.

🌍

International Work

A career spanning New York, Milan, Australia, and across Canada and the United States — a truly global perspective on beauty.

🎬

TV & Film

On-set experience in television and film production, bringing technical precision and creative vision to every project.

📺

Etalk

Featured on Etalk as a wedding hair specialist, sharing expertise with audiences across Canada.

📖

Published Work

Editorial work published in print — recognized artistry that speaks for itself.

🫒

Oliveda Consultant

Sharing clean, waterless, olive-tree skincare that I use and love every single day.

A Holistic
Philosophy

Aveda shaped more than my technique — it shaped my whole approach. Rather than imposing a look, I listen first. I consider your lifestyle, your season of life, and how you want to feel.

The result is beauty that doesn't just look good in photos — it feels like you. Nourished, authentic, and completely yours.

Aveda Trained · Holistic Approach

"How we feel on the inside shows up on the outside — in our skin, our hair, our energy, and our confidence."

— Mel Deveny

A Path to
Healing

My training with Aveda didn't just shape me as a stylist — it opened the door to a much deeper understanding of wellness. Aveda's roots in Ayurveda sparked a curiosity that would eventually become a defining chapter of my life.

After years of alcohol abuse that took a serious toll on my gut health, I made the decision to heal from the inside out. What began as a personal necessity became a dedicated path of education — studying detoxification, gut health restoration, and hormone balance.

That journey transformed my understanding of true beauty. I learned firsthand that how we feel on the inside shows up on the outside — in our skin, our hair, our energy, and our confidence.

It's why everything I share today — from skincare to beauty elixirs — starts with nourishing the body first.

Mel with her daughter under cherry blossoms

"Aveda set the stage for everything. Learning about Ayurveda opened my eyes, and healing my body gave me a depth of understanding that I carry into every part of my life and work."

— Mel, on her wellness journey

Let's create something
beautiful together.

Skincare, your cycle, motherhood or nourishing food — reach out anytime.

Mel in a meadow below the mountains

I didn't learn about my cycle until I was 33.

Nobody taught me how my hormones worked, or how much they shape our skin, energy, mood and fertility. Here's how I found my way, and why I'm sharing it with you.

Mel at 18 in an Aveda t-shirt
Age 18

I trained as a cosmetologist with Aveda.

We learned to see the body as a whole. What goes on your skin matters as much as what goes in your body.

My Early 30s

Single, and dreaming of being a mom someday, I started learning about my cycle.

Then I read WomanCode by Alisa Vitti, and it changed everything.

Mel and her partner by the lake
Age 37

Met my man. Pregnant with our daughter that same year.

At 41, our son surprised us.

Mel pregnant at 41
Age 41

Beautiful pregnancies, births and postpartums.

Mel with her son and daughter in a daisy field

What I believe made the difference for me

  • 20+ years of clean, low-tox products
  • Living in rhythm with my cycle
  • Eating & moving for each phase
  • Supporting my body's natural detox
  • Quality supplements
  • Filtered water
Mel holding her daughter in a wildflower field

Nobody taught me this.
I'm here to teach you.

Follow along, mama. I share what I've learned about living with your cycle, nourishing food and clean skincare.

Follow @meldeveny
Mel with her daughter in a daisy field

Birth, babies & doing it differently.

I've been studying birth since my early 20s, and I raise my children in a way that's a little unconventional. Here are my births, what shaped me, and how we live day to day.

Where It Started

My early 20s, and one documentary that changed everything.

I watched Ricki Lake's The Business of Being Born and it shifted how I saw birth completely. From then on, I always planned on having my babies at home.

Mel and her daughter under cherry blossoms
My First Birth · My Daughter

Three days of labour at home, and a change of plans.

I laboured at home for three days, fully planning a home birth with my midwife. I'd also taken the Pain-Free Birth course, which really helped. Looking back now, the energy just felt off.

On the third day I decided to transfer to the hospital, and 45 minutes later my daughter was born. I had a little laughing gas, though at the time I couldn't tell you whether it helped.

Mel pregnant with her son
My Second Birth · My Son

Four and a half hours. The home birth I'd always dreamed of.

This time I did one thing very differently: I leaned into the uncomfortable. I sat on the toilet, lay down with a pillow between my legs, and kept living my life until I couldn't anymore. In early labour I was out planting our vegetable garden.

This time I could say for sure that the laughing gas took the edge off. It was the birth I had always planned for.

"You could teach this."

— What my midwife told me when we first met

Raising my children intentionally

It isn't perfect, but these are the things that guide our home.

01

Nourishing Traditions

I follow Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions as best I can. We're not perfectly aligned, but that book has gotten me through a lot.

02

Natural Remedies

Homeopathic remedies, essential oils, and plenty of vitamins and minerals are part of everyday life in our home.

03

Faith & the Family Table

We pray, we go to church, and we sit down together for meals. We light a candle and are intentional about how we gather and eat.

04

Our Health Choices

Our family has chosen not to vaccinate. We're grateful for a family doctor who respects the choices we make for our children.

Rethinking education.

Our daughter turns five next year, and we've decided not to go the public school route. I've always been interested in how we educate our children, and this year I'm leaning fully into finding the right path for her.

Unschooling

Child-led learning through everyday life, curiosity and play. I've done a lot of research here.

Nature-Based Learning

A few days a week at a nature school, with homeschooling the other days.

A Homeschool Community

I'm surrounded by amazing mamas who want to homeschool too. We may just create something of our own.

We'll see where it leads. Stay tuned!

Mel with her son and daughter in a field of daisies

Expecting, or raising little ones
your own way?

I'd love to hear from you. Send me a message and tell me where you are in your journey.

Oliveda · Waterless Beauty

Skincare from the Olive Tree.

Clean, waterless skincare made from the olive tree — the products I use myself and share with the women in my life.

Simple rituals,
real results.

As a cosmetologist, I've tried just about everything. Oliveda is the first line that truly matched how I think about beauty: nourish the skin, keep ingredients clean, and make it simple enough to actually use every day.

As a mama of two, simple matters. A few minutes in the morning and evening is all it takes.

I70
The Beauty Molecule — my all-time favourite
15% off
DM me on Instagram @meldeveny for my code

Starting again —
for real this time.

I first tried Oliveda for one month, and within those four weeks my skin felt noticeably more hydrated. Then life got busy, I didn't reorder, and I let it slide.

But I've seen what 90 days has done for women I know personally, and I want to see it for myself. So I'm recommitting: 90 days, start to finish, shared honestly here and on Instagram — the good days, the busy mama days, and whatever my skin decides to do.

Day 1
Starting now · bare-faced before photos
Day 30
First check-in · coming soon
Day 60
Halfway reflections · coming soon
Day 90
Before & after · coming soon

This is my own experience, not a promise — every woman's skin is different. Follow along on Instagram @meldeveny.

Shopping with Mel

01

Visit My Shop

Browse the full Oliveda collection through my personal shop link.

02

Ask Me Anything

Not sure where to start? Message me and I'll help you choose based on your skin and your routine.

03

Save 15%

DM me on Instagram for my discount code before you check out.

Visit My Oliveda Shop

My shop shows my legal name, Melissa Leach — same Mel, just pre-wedding! 💍

Questions about
your skin?

Send me a message on Instagram or through my contact page — I'm happy to help.

Bridal Hair · Limited Dates

Your Wedding Hair,
Beautifully Crafted.

25 years of artistry and international experience. I take on a limited number of weddings each year so every bride gets my full attention.

Vancouver Island, BC & Beyond
Bride in a field
Boho bride by the lake

Every Service, Every Texture

I work with all hair types and textures. No two brides are the same — and no two looks should be either.

01

Bridal Hair

Full-service bridal hair from trial to wedding day. Updos, half-up, flowing waves — every look tailored to you.

Most Popular
02

Bridal Party

Coordinated looks for your whole party. Bridesmaids, mothers of the bride and groom — everyone feeling their best.

Group Rates
03

Hair Trial

A dedicated session to test your look, try accessories, and walk into your wedding day with complete confidence.

Highly Recommended
Bride and groom lakeside
Couple laughing under a driftwood arch
Bridal party on the rocks
Beach wedding collage

2026 Wedding Rates

Invest in How You Feel.

All prices are in CAD. A $175 deposit is required to reserve your date.

The Bride

Hair Trial

Pre-wedding consultation & trial run at a salon or agreed location

$200

Day of Hairstyling

Full bridal hair on your wedding day

$325

Day of Hairstyling with clip-in extensions

Extensions not included

$350

Wedding Party & Attendants

Hair Trial

Bridesmaid or attendant trial

$185

Day of Hairstyling

Per bridesmaid or attendant

$185

Hairstyling with extensions

Extensions not included

$210

Short Hair

Chin length or shorter

$100

Flower Girl Hair

12 and under

$75

Additional Info

Early Morning Start

Before 6am: $150 fee

Travel Fees

Time & gas at $95/hr

Weekend Minimum (May–Sept)

$975

Weekday Minimum

$750

Ferry fees apply as per BC Ferry rates — reservations are mandatory. Accommodations may be required and are the responsibility of the client. A $175 deposit is required to secure your date.

Ready to secure your date?

Mel responds within 24–48 hours

Based on Vancouver Island,
Happy to Travel.

I travel to Quadra Island and surrounding areas for your wedding day. On the water, in the forest, or tucked away in the mountains — if it's local, I'll be there.

📍
Vancouver Island, BC
⛵
Quadra Island
🚗
Local Travel Available

Ready to start planning
your wedding look?

Limited dates available — inquire early to secure your day.

Life, in Rhythm

Motherhood, wildflower fields, and the moments that shaped my story.

Let's
Connect.

The quickest way to reach me is a message on Instagram, or send a note below and I'll get back to you within a few days.

Ways to Connect

📸
Instagram
@meldeveny — DMs are always open.
🫒
Oliveda
Ask me for my 15% code before you shop.
📍
Location
Vancouver Island, BC
I read every message personally
🌿

Thank you, lovely.

Your message is on its way. I'll be in touch within a few days.