My top recommendation of the week? A trip to the flagship store of one of my favourite handbag brands to treat yourself. Set on one of London’s most beautiful shopping streets, this shop is as elegant as the accessories themselves.
And if self-gifting is on the agenda, an after work spa treat for you and a girlfriend, the perfect skin glow for the season, and an immersion into Florentine tradition with this very special perfume brand. Plus, think ahead to ski season to a hotel that has really taken all your needs into account. This is what we’re loving in this week’s Citizen Femme hotlist.
SHOP HERE MISELA, Mount Street
Sophisticated, elegant, and practical, Misela presents bags that never go out of style, to suit the busy, modern woman. Inspired by feminine empowerment, Misela takes its name from creative director Serra Türker Bayır’s sisters – Mina and Lara – and places women at the forefront of their ethos, from the bag designs and shapes to the accessories. Now that December is here, the festive lights are up all across the city, and shopping season is in full swing. Looking for *the* gift for her (or for yourself?) Misela’s flagship store on Mount Street in Mayfair, over 2 floors in a beautiful 19th century French renaissance property, is like walking into your dream boudoir, where you can shop the full range of bags and accessories. Some of our favourites include the useful Deena At Riyadh tote in this season’s trending burgundy/ Bordeaux colourway as well as the Nova at Anatolia weekender bag and matching tote Nora at Anatolia – with a beautiful scarf tied around the handle of course. Head downstairs to see luggage, accessories or indulge in Misela’s bespoke offering. Here you can design your perfect bag and have it delivered within three weeks. Also, in time for Christmas gifting this month, Misela is offering a complimentary monogramming service on all made-to-order pieces. Chic and personalised, it’s hard to imagine a gift that will please as much as this.
STAY HERE Ultima Collection Gstaad
Ski lovers, non-ski lovers, this is one booking you’ll want to make this ski season. Ultima Hotel Gstaad has reopened its doors with a brand new spa with five treatment rooms, a 15-metre swimming pool, yoga studio, steam room, Finnish sauna, indoor and outdoor jacuzzis to soothe aching limbs post-ski after the day’s adventures, and an entire new wellness concept with treatments from Augustinus Bader and Seed to Skin Tuscany. Plus, exclusive to Ultima Hotel Gstaad, new brand partnership with Workshop Gymnasium provides personalised fitness regimes, looking stylish all the while with Sporty & Rich elevated leisurewear to wear. Spanning 3 interlinked timber chalets, the property boasts 11 suites and 6 private residences, each reminiscent of a private chalet with lavish marble en-suite bathrooms, walk-in wardrobes, offices and spacious lounges. To refuel after the day’s adventures, the hotel’s restaurant, Haute Brasserie, serves classic European dishes. Or opt for a more personalised dining experience with a private chef curating a tailored menu within the privacy of their suite. Travelling with kids in tow? Little ones can also enjoy a range of treatments on offer from beauty treatments to playful yoga.
TREAT YOURSELF HERE Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, Burlington Arcade
Florence ranks as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. It’s therefore no surprise that the world’s most beautiful – and possibly oldest – pharmacy, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, which opened in 1612, calls the Tuscan capital home. The perfumery is still attached to the 13th-century Dominican monastery where mediaeval monks concocted fragrances and herbal remedies. Santa Maria Novella’s journey has been intertwined with the lives of royals, nobility, and admirers who’ve helped to bring its Florentine legacy to the whole world. The brand opens of its third London store in the iconic Burlington Arcade, just steps away from the Royal Academy of Arts where Santa Maria Novella is a partner of the exhibition Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504, currently on display. Immerse yourself in Florentine tradition and in the authentic craftsmanship that continues to inspire contemporary luxury, just in time for festive gifting.
ENJOY THIS Après-Work at Away Spa, W Hotel
Après-Work with a difference post work with your girlfriends. The Away Spa at Leicester Square’s W Hotel is offering an après-ski-inspired experience combining ski-inspired drinks, indulgent spa treatments, and cosy alpine vibes for the ultimate post-work treat. Not an obvious choice if you’re looking for calm given its location, but you’ll be welcomed by an unexpected retreat as you travel up to the sixth floor to an entire wellness floor overlooking the street below. Available until 28 February every weekday between 5 and 7pm, enjoy a 30-minute Insta Hydra facial, a cocktail in the Après Lodge and full access to W London’s fitness and wellness facilities.
USE THESE Convié's The Glow Drops
Clever community-built brand Convié releases The Glow Drops, a lightweight, illuminating serum designed to use alone or mixed with your foundation. These drops are perfect for party season, creating a dewy, radiant finish that lasts all day, and well into the night. Like all of their products, this one has been crafted in collaboration with the Convié community. From the initial idea to the final formula, shade, name, and every detail of The Glow Drops was thoughtfully designed with the community, for the community. Use as an all-over glow for face (perfect for no-makeup days) as a highlighter on the high points of your face – cheekbones, brow bones, and cupid’s bow, or as a body glow, mixed with body lotion or oil and applied on collarbones, shoulders, and legs.
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