AT-HOME ESSENTIALS
THE ROYAL FAVOURITES
We’re too discreet to divulge all, as are they, but should you wish to be treated like a princess, these facialists regularly tend the skin of Royal families both in Britain and abroad.
DEBORAH MITCHELL Found in Shropshire, as well as London and Dubai, Mitchell is known for her famous ‘bee sting’ facial that uses the anaphylactic effects of bee toxin to temporarily improve circulation (it sounds dramatic, but feels like any other slightly tingling cream, I promise). ‘Your skin completely changes; it becomes luminous, the contours are sleeker, the eyes look wider and fine lines freeze and diminish. My clients have also told me that they are incredibly relaxing,’ she says. From £200 at Heaven Skincare (01952 462505; www.shop.heaven skincare.com).
SARAH CHAPMAN With a sumptuously expansive clinic just off Sloane Square in London, Chapman offers facials that are both relaxing (lots of massage) and effective (fillers, Botox, laser and mesotherapy), all of which use her own luxurious skincare line. From £150 at Sarah Chapman (020 7589 9585; www.sarahchap man.com).
AMANDA LACEY Perhaps London’s best-kept secret, Lacey has a jewel of a treatmentroom in Chelsea, all flickering candle-light and hand-ironed linens, and international Royalty and top executives beating a path to her door. Each session is entirely bespoke, and an old-fashioned high-frequency machine is about as modern as it gets, as she delivers glowing skin using her skilled hands and elegant eponymous product line. From £350 at Amanda Lacey (07590 436029; www.amanda lacey.com).
THE HI-TECH FACIALISTS
For those seeking a results-driven facial, this trio of experts are among the capital’s finest, pairing the latest technology with a wealth of knowledge.
KATHARINE MACKENZIE PATERSON Sometimes you just want to hand your face over to someone else to sort out. Enter Katharine Mackenzie Paterson, whose treatment-rooms at the top of a narrow staircase a stone’s throw from bustling Oxford Circus are a haven for stressed-out skin, rejuvenating it via all manner of gadgets and a broad selection of highperformance or more naturally inclined skincare brands. From £120 at KMP Skin (020 7971 1321; www.kmpskin.com).
JOANNE EVANS A facial with Joanne Evans in her new Notting Hill clinic is equally restorative – but not necessarily relaxing. I found it – how can I put this? – scratchy at the beginning, and I was desperate for more of the massage at the end, which may have been my fault as I turned up late. My skin, however, really appreciated it, and looked shiny afterwards, thanks to a proper cleanse, steam, peel and extraction session including milia removal, which can be hard to find these days. From £160 at Skin Matters (07483 323523; www.skin-matters.co.uk).
TARRYN WARREN Recently returned from a stint at Vivamayr, Tarryn Warren now gives facials at Notting Hill’s Bodyism, where she combines acupuncture and gua sha with lymphatic draining and micro-needling to boost the skin’s overall health, working with brands such as Wildsmith, Niod and Omorovicza, as well as using professional peels. From £145 at Bodyism (020 3327 4640; www.tarryn bespokeskincare.com).