Aphrodite's Influence

Bellini Literally Means Beautiful

And beauty is what we’re all about—but not in the airbrushed, one-size-fits all kind of way. At Bellini’s, we believe that every one holds a unique beauty within—and we’re dedicated to bringing it out. Our mission is to create an experience that connects you to the beauty you already possess.

As humans, we are all connected via the collective unconscious. This is a shared understanding of feelings, muscle memory passed down over generations, and archetypes, just to name a few. The theory connects psychology and Jungian theory with the idea that people can draw upon past experiences to determine reactions. Even subconsciously, these events can change the lens through which we interpret the world. These powerful inner patterns, or archetypes, can be guiding us without our awareness, and it is important to take stock in order to be your most truest self. We are all capable of a multitude of expressions, and are satisfied by different prospects in life, so it is natural that each of us is spurred on by a different, or varying, archetypes from the collective unconscious. 

"What is fulfilling to one type of woman may be meaningless to another, depending on which 'goddess' is active ... every woman has 'goddess-given' liabilities, which she must recognize and surmount in order to change. She cannot resist living out a pattern determined by an underlying goddess archetype until she is conscious that such a pattern exists and seeks to fulfill itself through her" - Jean Shinoda Bolen, Goddesses in Every Women

In Jean Shinoda Bolen's book, Goddesses in Every Women, Bolen describes Aphrodite as an alchemical goddess, one that possesses qualities of both a virgin goddess and a vulnerable goddess. Aphrodite is in a category of her own because she possesses autonomy, as well as an ability to be attuned to others. Her choices and desires are her own, she does not bow to others for the ease of compliance. Bolen describes these two types of goddesses as:

• The virgin goddesses represent the independent, self-sufficient quality in women. They express the need for autonomy in women, and the need to focus their consciousness on what is personally meaningful. 
• The vulnerable goddesses represent traditional roles, such as wife, mother, and daughter, and express women's need for affiliation and bonding.

Bolen classifies Aphrodite as the only goddess that possesses both these aspects, and her demeanor can motivate women to seek intensity in relationships rather than permanence, value the creative process, and be open to change.

Part of the beauty of life is its ephemeral nature, which allows us to experience and become inspired by others’ ideas. In this way, Bellini’s has developed its brand identity over the past 30 years into the full-service experience it is today.

It All Begins Here

For years, Sonia Bellini had been frustrated with the impossible beauty standards dictated by the media; It was with Bellini's that she took action to address these problems. Originally opening in 1993 as Bellini's European Day Spa, Bellini's was created out of the desire to empower others to feel their best with their own unique beauty. With Sonia's Old World, European approach to skincare, the spa provided a wide range of innovative skin treatments and products. This approach was something Portland had never seen before, and immediately Bellini's gained a large following of loyal clients who have been coming ever since.

We want to take a moment to showcase the changes and milestones we have made at Bellini’s over the years.

1993 - Bellini’s was established as Bellini’s European Day Spa in Portland, Oregon, and provided full body treatments, massages, and facials. YONKA is the first skincare brand to be carried, followed by Jurlique.

1997 - Sonia meets Dr. Sheldon Pinnell and learns first-hand the effects of vitamin C. SkinCeuticals is added to the store shortly after.

1999 - Bellini’s adds Phytomer to the store.

2013 - After a trip to Montreal, Bellini's starts carrying the Renaissance Gant Glove as a physical body exfoliator.

2016 - Bellini’s moves locations and re-branded to include niche perfumes, such as Olfactive Studio, Olibere Paris, and Mad et Len, and refocuses on facial services. RevitaLash and Rahua Amazonian Beauty are introduced to Bellini's.

2018 - Bellini's begins carrying ILES Professional Haircare.

2019 - LUMIRA Atelier is added to Bellini's.

2020 - Bellini’s launches an online store, starts carrying INITIO Prives Parfums, and begins a two-year Aesthetician Apprenticeship program.

2021 - Bellini’s is YONKA’s spa of the month and adds Charles Farris, BabyFoot, and Parfums de Marly to the store.

2022 - Bellini's brings on Van Dang Fragrances, Lola Arnao Beauty, and MoodCast Candle Company into the store.

2023 - Bellini’s becomes a YONKA Diamond Partner.

The evolution of Bellini's Logos: 2007, 2013, 2020, and 2023 respectively.

We’ve Grown Along the Way

For over 30 years, Bellini's has been helping customers unlock their inner Aphrodite. We take the time to listen, understand, and recommend the perfect skin treatments and products so our customers can feel their most be(you)tiful selves. With exclusive brands sourced from around the world, our parfumerie is a sensory playground, offering an array of intoxicating scents. We invite you to come in and discover something that speaks to your individual spirit.

At Bellini’s, no two experiences are alike—each visit is customized to fit our guests’ needs. If there’s one thing that embodies Bellini’s, it’s our commitment to unlocking the power of beauty through personalized experiences. We are inspired by the goddess Aphrodite/Venus, and believe that self care is an essential step in developing and maintaining your personal temple of beauty. Take a little time for yourself and indulge in one of our signature Yonka or Phytomer facials—all designed to pamper and empower you to unleash your inner goddess. Our goal at Bellini's is to provide services and products designed to make you feel confident, empowered, and full of love—just like Aphrodite!

And So It’s Come to This

Let us speak about the original Golden Girl, Aphrodite. Greek Mythology states that Aphrodite (Venus in Roman Mythology) is the goddess of romantic love, sexual desire, female power, the life-giving sea, and bringing love into the world. To this day, she is a cultural icon of love and beauty, and a reminder of the awesome power of female radiance and beauty. Just as the waves lapping on the shore refresh and renew the beach, Aphrodite brings us hope and awareness of the transforming power of love and beauty. Her presence is a guide throughout the beauty industry as we develop our own personal temples of beauty. One of our favorite scents that evokes the presence of Aphrodite is Initio’s Atomic Rose, which uses a variety of pheromones (aka aphrodisiacs) to draw people close to you. 

“Real beauty, the interesting, truly pleasing kind, is about honoring the beauty within you. It’s about knowing that someone else’s definition of pretty has no hold over you.” - Golda Poretsky

We are taking Aphrodite’s inspiration a step further and are incorporating some of the goddess’ symbols into our branding. Recently, we have begun production on our own tissue paper, and the design we have chosen incorporates several of Aphrodite’s symbols, including the dove, the shell, the rose, and the bee. Briefly, these symbols represent purity and a free spirit, the birth of Venus, beauty, fertilization and matriarchy, respectively.

Another interesting note is that some theorize the female sex symbol (♀) is thought to be derived from another of Aphrodite’s symbols, the mirror. The female symbol suggests the top half is a mirror, while the bottom half is the handle. 

These symbols are inline with what we at Bellini’s admire about beauty. We feel that people who become a part of the beauty industry, such as skincare aficionados or aestheticians, inherently have some of these qualities in them. When you are able to see yourself as worthy of love, affection, adoration, and compassion, you are able to live beautifully. Some of the toughest battles in life come to teach us that we are worthy of love greater than we thought. Of course, Aphrodite’s influence is not restricted to gender, it is an influence that affects us all, as we are all capable of love. Love doesn’t have to be sexual, it can be platonic, altruistic, unconditional, and even self love. Bolen describes "platonic love, soul connection, deep friendship, rapport, and empathetic understanding," all as expressions of love, of which Aphrodite rules. We believe in to expanding the notion of feminine attributes to included competency and self-sufficiency, and is why we at Bellini’s feel inspired by Aphrodite. 

From white birds to red roses, the symbols of love and beauty we use today are some of the oldest in the world! The ancient association of red to the goddess of desire continues to this day. Red is associated with both romance, with red roses being a preferred shade to give to a lover, and sexuality. We are so happy to have you along on our journey as we continue to explore this wonderfully whimsy world. 

Peace, Love, and Stardust,

Bellini’s

Resources

https://mythologysource.com/aphrodites-symbol/

https://goddessgift.com/goddesses/aphrodite/#:~:text=It%20is%20said%20that%20dolphins,sparrows%2C%20bees%2C%20and%20goats.

https://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/aphrodite/

https://www.moraybeedinosaurs.co.uk/legends.html#:~:text=Aphrodite%20was%20the%20goddess%20of,who%20had%20served%20a%20goddess.