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The Beauty Edit

Pre-Holiday Prep: Where To Get Beach-Ready In London

The most pampering beauty treatments to book in before your next holiday.

Your Instagram feed is probably currently a merry-go-round of perfectly curated holiday snaps from far-flung locations. If you fancy a little indulgence to get ready for your own trip, these are the best treatments in London to book now. From expert mani-pedis, to facials that deliver instant radiance, and lash extensions with serious staying power… we have you covered.


1. The Holiday Glow Facial – Waterhouse Young

 

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Don’t wait until you get back from holiday for a well-rested visage, the Holiday Glow Facial imbues skin with an instant radiance ahead of your travels. The treatment begins with Waterhouse Young’s new Celluma LED Light Therapy, combining three wavelengths of light simultaneously: blue to clear breakouts, red to increase collagen production and improve fine lines, and near-infrared which penetrates deep to relax and sooth muscles. Obagi’s Radiance Peel is then applied to skin: a hard-hitting cocktail of lactic, salicylic and glycolic acids to refine pores, reduce pigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkles. It gets to work on the uppermost skin layers leaving skin fresh and glowing. With minimal downtime (15 minutes) you are just 45 minutes away from a renewed complexion.


2. The Tan – James Harknett at W 

 

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Pilates sessions aside, if I want to look like the longest, leanest version of myself (particularly when in bikini), I make sure I pop a pre-holiday spray tan session in my diary. Dubbed ‘the Tom Ford of tanning’, James Harknett is known for his ultra-bespoke treatments and magic contouring – truth be told, I won’t go anywhere else. Affable and chatty, tanning sessions pass in the blink of an eye as he not only masterfully creates a ridiculously natural looking tan (to your desired spec) but also adds contoured abs and softly sculpted cheekbones with the swish of his tanning gun, as skilful as an old masters painter. All the while, James dispenses pearls of wisdom as to how to make your tan last as long as possible: be sure to regimentally moisturise daily after 24 hours, and avoid oil-based SPF at all costs!


3.  The Brows – Brow Bar London

 

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Looking to condense your make-up bag and give your complexion a little boost sans make-up? Brow lamination means you can forgo your coterie of brow pencils and gels, with just-so feathery brows with staying power. Like a perm for your brows, lamination involves brushing the brow hairs into formation, then freezing them in place with a setting solution. Finer brows will look fuller, with the bonus of desirable shape and volume. Book in at Brow Bar London for a tint, shape, and lamination. The result? Polished brows you won’t believe are the same ones you walked in with. The studio also offers lash extensions, semi-permanent lashes, perming, and lifts.


4. The Lash Lift – Blink

 

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As much as I try eyelid primer, mascara can run in the heat, and so a tint and eyelash lift at Blink Bar Brow can be an excellent way to add length and curl to lashes, for a wide-eyed effect without the need for mascara. Less time-consuming than lash extensions, this treatment is done in less than an hour, and can last between six-eight weeks depending on your lash cycle. Your therapist will position a soft curling rod at the base of the eyelid and attach your natural lashes to the rod to form a desired shape. Next a lifting solution is applied to scaffold the lashes in situ, a bit like a hair perm. The solution can sting ever so slightly at first, then you can zone out whilst your therapist gently massages your scalp whilst it gets to work. NB: be sure to use the BBBLondon Luscious Lash Oil before bed each night to keep lashes nourished.


5. Shellac for Lashes – Camilla Lashes

 

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Camilla has a very exclusive little black book of contacts, so exclusive you will be Whatsapp’d her address ahead of your appointment to maintain total discretion for the A-Listers and Royalty that pass through the discreet door to her studio. No wonder she is so in demand: her lash extensions have been dubbed ‘shellac for lashes’ for their serious staying power. You see, Camilla caters to jet-setting clients, who will be hopping between time zones (from weeks spent yachting around the Med to setting off on a work trip to L.A.) – they simply don’t have time for bi-weekly lash infills and so Camilla uses a patented technique which offers between five-six weeks of luscious fluttery lashes between appointments. Gel-Lys™ Technology gel curing application means lashes are instantly bonded using LED rather than usual lash adhesive, for serious staying power. Lashes look incredibly natural (if you so wish) and will ensure you look effortlessly polished at all times.


6.The Dry PedicureLondon Grace

 

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‘Nails, coffee, and cocktails’ is the playful neon slogan emblazoned across London Grace, and it perfectly sums up what the salon chain – with outposts across London and Essex – does so well. Interiors are chic and modern, think a melange of grey walls and upholstery. Whilst manicures are excellent, the dry pedicure is the treatment to shout about. London Grace adopt this process to save litres of water, without compensating on results. First you will be offered a drink from the extensive menu, before feet are sanitised, nails are buffed, and cuticles trimmed. They use their own decadently rich foot softener before buffing away hard skin to reveal newly smoothed feet, further hydrated with a coconut-based balm. Polishes are vegan and cruelty-free and can be purchased as you leave, alongside their blended cuticle oil to keep your pedi in tip-top condition for longer.


7. The CBD Manicure – Nails & Brows, Mayfair 

 

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Perfectly positioned on Mayfair’s Berkeley Street, Nails & Brows is a small, elegant, and calming space to happily squirrel yourself away for a little primping pre-holiday. The CBD Wellness Manicure is an indulgent 50 minute ritual that begins with a buff and tidy, enhancing your natural shape, followed by the application of a fragrant orange and ginger sugar scrub. Hands fresh, it’s time to add a pop of colour. Once your technician has applied your shellac (standard nail polish is also available), KLORIS’ CBD products are lathered on: high strength CBD balm, a hand and body lotion infused with CBD, neroli, moss, and cedarwood, and CBD superboost face oil. Next comes the application of warm paraffin wax (an add-on costing £18), with each hand placed in a bag of liquid wax before being wrapped up in mittens and left to work its magic for 10 minutes. In the interim, enjoy a relaxing back massage before witnessing your smooth and soothed hands emerge from their paraffin cocoons. Given that CBD products are generally considered as an alternative approach to ease symptoms of inflammation, and anxiety (whilst also providing calmness and relaxation), we think this mani is the perfect destresser to get you in the holiday spirit.

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