A whisper about: London beauty news
Face Gym, the Lanesborough Spa opening, new products and pop ups- in this round up of what's new on the beauty scene, London has never looked better
The antidote to invasive surgery: Face Gym
The 'sculpt' section of the face workout at Face Gym.
"Take your face to the gym". Founded by a London journalist, former 'How to spend it' columnist Inge Theron, this noninvasive but very effective set of exercises has revolutionised face care. Likening itself to exercise routines, therapists warm up, tone, strengthen sculpt and then cool down your face. The flagship studio in Chelsea opened late last year.
The 30-minute massage costs £45 and involves "vigorous knuckling movements and high energy whipping strokes"- sounds painful but is actually vigorous and effective, and comes warmly recommended by Culture Whisper staff. And pretty much every other publication in London. You can see results instantly- your bags minimised, your face feeling firmer.
Fascinatingly, it identifies the kinds of problems the routines can overcome- Vegan face ('Sallow, crepey and lackluster' skin that's us told) and Winter face ('tired and stressed looking' skin) can each be cured with a multiple-step program.
Flagship studio: 352 King's Road, SW3 5EW
The next big beauty venue: The Lanesborough Club and Spa
The Lanesborough dog, Rocco, on Instagram
On 13 March, the Lanesborough Hotel is opening a
new spa set to bring old fashioned English luxury to a market saturated with sterile white rooms. Instead, think panelled
dressing rooms and well -lit vanity mirrors. La Prairie products and Bodyism techniques will be used throughout.
Try the Lanesborough Lather and Absolute Facial, their signature treatment. Ultimately, though, you're going so that you're one of the first to experience it all. Plus, the hotel itself was just named on the Sunday Times' list of where the world's best bartenders drink.
The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London, SW1X 7TA
The best-selling product: Tony Moly Panda's Dream So Cool eye stick
South Korean beauty treatments are having a bit of a moment in the UK. The SoKo market are very serious about skincare- yet the packaging is anything but. Do not be fooled by the cute exterior or the mint green stick inside of this eye stick. The balm is one of the best selling products at Selfridges- and it's a cool £12.50. The bamboo-based formula helps remove fine lines and signs of fatigue. Tony Moly has sixty Korean stores but it was its 'snail lip' treatment that caught beauty blogger's attention last year. Happily, this high-quality moisturising balm put no snails at risk.
Available online and at Selfridges, London
The pop up: Armani Box, Covent Garden
Red as a pillarbox, red as the Armani Beauty Lip Magnet- their signature matte liquid lipstick- the Armani Beauty Box pop up in Covent Garden comes armed with its own scarlet gorilla. You can buy all Armani's top-selling products, aided by experts, and without getting a hassle-induced headache from the ground floor department store. You can also browse their new beauty website, as modelled by everyone's favourite muse, Cate Blanchett. Visit here. The roads around Covent Garden host a collection of great beauty shops- it's all happened rather quietly, but you can now shop Aesop, Nars and Urban Decay - their shops are adjacent each other on King Street, whilst MAC and Dior beauty are jsut around the corner.
Open from 15 February, Covent Garden, London
