Salon
HAUG LONDON HAUS
Philipp Haug, who, along with his wife Siobhan, has opened Haug London Haus, a cute, sustainable boutique salon in the heart of Fitzrovia. The couple were previously at Toni + Guy working in the education department and have huge reps within the hair industry, though more so with trade than consumers, so opening a new salon was quite the gamble. Luckily it seems to have paid off. As well as access to these two master trainers and a squad of great staff, the salon also partners with Schwarzkopf to provide products and cutting edge tech, which allows you to see the health of your hair and offer a bespoke treatment to suit.
Ultra-convenient for Liverpool Street commuters and Shoreditch office dwellers, Notice is a gender-neutral hair salon just off Shoreditch High Street. The prices here are based on hair length, rather than gender, with services including haircuts and restyling, highlights, balayage, tints, glosses and creative colours. They also have a sustainable ethos, using only natural brands (like Davines) and products free from parabens and sulphates to lower their environmental impact.
TOWNHOUSE
Already a sought after manicure spot in Fitzrovia, Kensington and inside Harrods, nail salon Townhouse has made a move east with a brand new site near Liverpool Street. The stylish spot, complete with minimal glam interiors, is just around the corner from Spitalfields market and Liverpool Street tube station. You can get all the classics at Townhouse’s Liverpool Street location – manicures, pedicures, gel colour and nail art – as well as some bonuses, including a strengthening treatment, massages, nail repair and callus removals. Colours can be chosen via their QR code system, which lets your browse the full Townhouse colour library, with over 150 to choose from. And it gets better: you can sip on a free cocktail while you have your treatment and take advantage of the great WiFi if you can’t afford to take too long of a break from work.
NEIL MOODIE STUDIO
Stylist Neil Moodie has been in the hair game for 35 years, during which time he’s created iconic looks for runway, red carpets and magazine covers. Now he’s opened his very first solo sustainable and inclusive studio on one side of Old Spitalfields Market. The two-floor space takes design inspo from the mid-century modern movement whilst also highlighting the character of the Grade II-listed building, so there’s exposed brick mixed in with lots of light wood, herringbone floors and dark blue tiling, with most of the materials being repurposed and upcycled (and all of those mag covers Neil has worked on are displayed on the walls downstairs too). The salon prides itself on offering a VIP level of service for every single client, whether you’re in for a wash or a full head of highlights, so you’re guaranteed to be well looked after. With gender neutral pricing, a commitment to sustainability (they use eco head taps, compostable hair towels, eco-friendly cleaning products and no single-use plastics or gloves amongst other measures), and top service, Neil Moodie Studio really does tick all the boxes.
LINNAEAN
London’s most Instagrammable spa, Linnaean is a one-stop-shop for all your beauty needs – everything from scalp detoxes to oxygen-infused facials. You’ll def want to try the deep tissue massage which will loosen the tightest knots, the ones we get slaving away in front of a laptop 24/7. And when you’re done, hit up the cafe and check out some of the gluten-free, healthy AF lunch options like the Goodness Bowl with melon seeded crackers, quinoa, guac, beet hummus, mixed salad, watermelon radish pickle, crudités and spiralised courgette topped with cashew lime mayo. Inside it’s a social media influencer’s dream with interiors of pale pinks, baby blues, gold finishes and a roof covered in flowers.
THE BOHEMIANS
If you’re after the chop in Deptford, there’s one place you should head for and that’s The Bohemians. As the name suggests, it’s boho vibes all the way with lots of exposed brick, vintage and repurposed furnishings (in fact 80% of everything in the salon is recycled and their working towards making that 100% by looking at ways to recycle hair), and plenty of foliage. Inclusivity is also big for The Bohemians; they have gender-neutral pricing, so you’re paying based on the work and on the stylist’s time, and they’ve recently introduced the option to book a silent appointment for those who find it difficult to chat during haircuts or for those who just want some quiet time in the chair. They also use Oway colour at the salon, which offers 100% colour payoff and grey coverage whilst also being vegan, ammonia-free and made with biodynamic and organic ingredients
EPILIUM & SKIN
Parisian clinic Epilium & Skin has brought French medical beauty to Marylebone with its cutting-edge surgical and non-surgical treatments, including everything from laser hair removal to coolscuplting to botox. The clinic also does medical grade facial treatments like Obagi Blue Peel, Hydrafacial and Dermapen. It’s not a place to come to feel all relaxed and zen but it is a place to come if you want real results.
STORY
Story is the first face only clinic in the UK and it’s all about accessible aesthetic treatments. It’s also run in partnership with the Harley Academy, the county’s top aesthetic medical school. As all of the doctors are trained to Level 7, the highest qualification in aesthetic medicine, your face is in very good hands. The clinic offers a totally individual approach to treatments, so you get a thorough (and free) consultation before you commit to anything, and they offer 24/7 aftercare with their post-treatment hotline. With treatments spanning fillers, non surgical lifts and skin boosters to dermaplaning, microneedling and skin peels, Story is a one-stop shop for all your facial needs.
Blush + Blow, founded by make-up artist and beauty blogger Bridget O’Keeffe, is Fulham’s one stop-shop for all things beauty. As well as offering blow dries, hair extensions and colouring, the salon does manicures, spray tans, facials, massages, waxing, microblading, IPL, eyelash extensions, make-up and aesthetic treatments so you can treat yourself from top to toe. You can even get piercings done here too.
Chloe & Florence Bellas first launched Clo&Flo in South Kensington, a studio that combines their backgrounds in pilates and hairdressing, and now they’ve expanded to Borough with a second, very Instagrammable salon. It’s a space where you can get your hair done, have a manicure and work out in a pilates session all under one roof making it perfect for busy Londoners.
RAWR BEAUTY
Beauty salon brand RAWR certainly know how to make a statement, all you need to do is look at their decor to tell you that they don’t mess around. There’s an orange floor, blue walls and a strong jungle theme that extends from the palm print wallpaper to the foliage to the swinging monkey lamps above the nail bar. They specialise in brows, lashes and nails but with a team of expert therapists on hand, they also offer waxing, blowdries and massages. RAWR knows we’re all strapped for time, so the salon offers speedy treatments like threading, tints and file & polish manis that are ideal for squeezing in on your lunch break, as well as more intensive options like TLC pedicures and lash extensions for when you want something more glam.
Hershesons has a shiny flagship salon in Fitzrovia and it’s pretty mega. Not only does the 5000 sqft space look great thanks to patterned floors, a real mix of seating, plants, and (of course) lots of lights and mirrors, and the open-plan design makes it feel more like a social space than a hairdressers. A host of top beauty talent has been brought on board, so you can also get your nails done by DryBy, facials from Sunday Riley (their first treatment offering in the UK), light therapy from The Light Salon and brows done by Suman Brows. Hershesons is known for their attention to detail and it’s the same here – when you get a hair wash and scalp massage, the chairs you sit in are massage chairs so your whole body gets a good rolling over, and you sit wherever you want too so you don’t have to move around between cut and colour. They’re all about making you feel comfortable.