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Behind the Look: Hollywood's It Girls Transformed by Flavia Lanini

By Shanalie Wijesinghe . Jan.11.2024
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Her transformative touch redefines wellness, detoxifying the body and captivating Hollywood's elite
The art and science of massage is capable of some truly remarkable things: enhancing health, encouraging wellness, and building beauty fundamentals. There may be no better example of this in business today than Boulevard customer Flavia Lanini. She has spent more than 15 years developing the Massage Effect, an experience that redefines the possibilities of what a massage is and what it can do.
Beyond the boundaries of traditional massage
Born in Brazil and driven by a deep belief in the therapeutic power of massage, Lanini focused on learning lymphatic massage. This massage technique encourages healthy lymph flow through a patterned series of strokes, reducing swelling. It’s often used to help medical patients but has also become popular in Europe for its cosmetic benefits.
Immersing in hardcore training, she dedicated five years to specialized training in her native country. She explained to Forbes, “To be properly trained and licensed to perform lymphatic drainage massages in Brazil, you have to go to school for five years in a program similar to pre-med students.”
However, when she sought to set up shop and establish those skills in the United States, she found that many massage and wellness studios prioritize speed over expertise. Her goal was to emphasize manual techniques and provide clients with a gentle, pain-free massage, resulting in a deeply relaxing yet profoundly effective wellness experience. Lanini’s Massage Effect was born.
What is lymphatic massage?
Imagine your body as a city, bustling with activity but sometimes accumulating unwanted "traffic" in the form of waste products. That's where the lymphatic system comes in. This hidden highway is a network of vessels and nodes that act as a circulation system alongside blood flow. Lymphatic drainage is like sending in a specialized cleanup crew, gently stimulating these channels to whisk away toxins and stagnant fluids.
This natural detoxification works its magic during each massage, helping combat puffiness, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and even improve circulation. But the benefits go beyond the physical. This gentle yet effective massage relaxes the body and promotes a sense of calm. Think of it as a holistic tune-up for your internal systems, leaving you feeling refreshed, revitalized, and ready to tackle whatever comes your way.
Lanini’s innovative method isn't simply about inducing relaxation, though that's certainly a welcome side effect. This is a journey of rejuvenation, where non-invasive techniques stimulate your body and face, unlocking their natural detoxification pathways. As toxins gently release their hold, a plethora of health and aesthetic benefits bloom: improved circulation, reduced puffiness, and a newfound, radiant glow.
From the massage table to the runway to Hollywood
Once she decided to specialize in lymphatic massage, Lanini soon found herself working with supermodel clients like Alessandra Ambrosio and Candice Swanepoel before fashion shows. As she worked her magic touch to ready women for the runway, demand for her skills spread via word of mouth, and she soon performed the same process on women ahead of the red carpet.
Propelled by the power of Instagram, Lanini was soon in high demand by celebrities seeking out her magic touch. She has since become a staple in the beauty-centric world of fashion and Hollywood. Her client list now includes Selena Gomez, Miranda Kerr, Kendall and Kris Jenner, Vanessa Hudgens, Paris Hilton, Cara Delevingne, Dua Lipa, Busy Philipps, Emmy Rossum, Hailey Bieber, Lily Aldridge, Elsa Hosk, and Sara Sampaio to name a few.
“My girls say that I have good hands and that they feel lighter and happier after a session,” Lanini told US magazine. "They also find that they sleep very well after a treatment and that the overall circulation in their bodies is better because the toxins in their body have been removed and [they] feel like their bodies have been cleaned.”
Since building up her A-list clientele, she has opened the Flavia Lanini Beauty Institute on trendy Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Here, she and her highly-trained staff provide signature sessions along with other procedures, designed to be innovative and personalized to each client.
Find your massage specialty
Lanini’s signature blend of traditional methods, including pain-free lymphatic drainage massage, guarantees a deeply relaxing yet profoundly effective experience. For her, the Massage Effect isn't just a treatment; it's an invitation to rediscover your inherent potential for well-being, one blissful touch at a time.
As you consider how to elevate your massage experience, ask yourself what you provide your clients that no one else can. What benefits do you offer? What’s your approach? What do you want them to walk away with after visiting you, and what will bring them back the next time? What’s your “Massage Effect?”
By focusing her talents and training in one specific area, Lanini could specialize in a specific modality and hone it to perfection. She has also concentrated on making her client experience smooth and memorable, which she has achieved with the help of Boulevard's massage scheduling software.
Though Lanini’s client list is veritably star-studded, she doesn’t just cater to the celebrity set. Locals, visitors, and anyone curious about the benefits of lymphatic drainage massage are welcome to try out her feel-good approach to looking great at the Flavia Lanini Beauty Institute. And with results that speak for themselves, we get the feeling this is still just the beginning of the Massage Effect.

Shanalie Wijesinghe
Content Strategy Director
Shanalie Wijesinghe is the Content Strategy Director at Boulevard. She lends her industry and platform expertise to both in-house staff and partner salons and spas. A salon industry veteran with more than 15 years of experience working for high-end luxury salons such as Sally Hershberger and BENJAMIN, Shanalie was previously Director of Education for Boulevard and blends her knowledge of the beauty and technology industries to help put the company’s partners and employees on the path to success. A Bay Area native and first-generation immigrant, Shanalie is a graduate of the Paul Mitchell School specializing in cosmetology, styling, and nail instruction.
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