London's Insider Beauty Spots You Need to Visit Right Now

You may have seen London in the headlines recently. But the news isn’t all political. Don’t forget, this is the place that gave us mod, Abbey Road, and Cara Delevingne’s eyebrows. The British capital will always be a hotbed of style.

During my first trip to England, I slept on a fluffy pillow monogrammed with my initials at Claridge’s hotel in London, rode through the countryside on a private train, and sipped champagne in an actual palace with a 50-piece military orchestra and towers of tea snacks.

I realize that none of this is normal. But I was there for the insanely lavish Dior cruise show. On a rainy English day, I sat in a cozy library at Blenheim Palace and watched the collection, which was long on dark, brooding floral prints, float by.

Dior cruise 2017 collection

Mike Marsland/WireImage

It was a glorious excuse to touch down in London, which had always been that city for me—the one I knew an awful lot about but had never visited. I’d been all over Europe (Barcelona, Milan, even the lovely little river town Dinant in Belgium), but I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I’d never set foot in one of the world’s style capitals until this year. My timing was perfect, though: London is having a serious beauty moment.

There are crazy-cool new British brands, like 001 Skincare London, Pestle & Mortar, and Nailberry (believe me, I made room in my suitcase). Trendsetting makeup artists are taking glittery inspiration from the city’s ’80s club-kid culture. And Londoners are even leaning on beauty as a respite from political frustration; demand for calming spa visits and massages spiked after the Brexit vote.

London is a wonderful place to see, shop, eat, and carouse—whether you’re sipping tea from Dior china or not.

Do Like the Cool Kids

Hair colorist Alex Brownsell is the mascot of east London’s trendy Dalston neighborhood. Her secret city guidebook:

Your night out. “Next to my salon, Bleach, is Faulkner’s, which has the most amazing fish and chips. I co-own a bar next to that, Pamela, with cold-pressed cocktails. Next, the Alibi—an underground club full of kids so cool, it’s terrifying—or Visions Video Bar. They don’t have tap beers—only bottles of Coke and gin and plastic cups.”

What trends are coming out of London street style? “Eighties metal and glam rock.”

And out of the salon? “Layers. People are saying, ‘I want a shag! I want a mullet!’ ”

You rock a bit of vintage. Best sources? “Rellik, and it’s relatively affordable. One of a Kind is great for ’70s dresses.”

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More must-visit beauty spots:

1. The Bay Area’s Blossoming Natural Beauty Scene
2. A Guide to Finland's Steamy Sauna Culture
3. Tour the Best Spa in Iceland, the Blue Lagoon

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Your Beauty Itinerary

Two possibly oppositional facts: London worships the dewy-skin no-makeup look, and London is infamously dirty. So the new Pfeffer Sal salon in Fitzrovia offers smog-neutralizing flourishes, like peels and lymphatic massage.

Next on the British beauty-trademark list: Cara Delevingne brows. A Wanted Man, a brunch spot/brow salon, lets you recover from “croiwaffles” (avocado-topped croissant-waffles) at the Browhaus upstairs. They do excellent tinting and shaping.

For a pop of mod, Imarni Nails is the nail-art mecca in Shoreditch. The craziest designs are as bright and riotous as the area’s abundant street art. It’s in a pop-up mall in a park (of course it is), so you can duck next door for matcha soft-serve.

Spots of Tea

Sure, you can still do extravagant high tea where a guy in a top hat brings jam-bleeding cakes to you “by trolley.” But to feel less like the nonagenarian monarch: Lily Vanilli is a ludicrously good east London bakery that serves chocolate-mint-truffle tea and mini strawberry shortcakes. It’s in an alley off Instagram heaven, the famous Columbia Road Flower Market. Cuke sandwiches nonnegotiable? The Ham Yard Hotel in Soho offers traditional (and delicious) tea in a hipper outfit—the scones with clotted cream come on neon Lucite trays.

London's top fashionista Yasmin Sewell shares her style secrets: