It's British Week right now on ITG. Why? Well, why not! But also to celebrate the UK launch of Glossier. Consider this a warm, editorial welcome to all our new friends over in Blighty. Starting with Victoria Beckham, we'll be sharing stories from our favorite Brits—plus a few discoveries we've made ourselves. Stay tuned... Cheerio!
There are a lot of reasons to take a quick trip to London. The theatre! The history! The rapidly improving culinary scene! But this is a beauty site, so what do you think we're going to talk about? Not the food, that's for damn sure. This mission, should you choose to accept it, is to spend a full 36 hours exploring London's aesthetic relaxation scene to its fullest. A more common assignment than you'd think (check this video from favorite British vlogger Lucy Moon for proof). And, really, is there any more luxurious way to strive for the London Look? So grab your passport or your oyster card or whatever your preferred travel documents are and get going.
Friday
3:00PM: Welcome to London! Not sure where you're coming from or why you've only just arrived at 3PM, but no matter if you're coming in from the suburbs or you finally checked into your hotel room, the clock starts now. There's no better way to kick off a beauty tour than with a beauty floor—and there's no better beauty floor than the one at Liberty London. Right smack dab in the middle of everything, the beauty corridor at Liberty is like an insider's paradise. Biologique! Vintner's! Le Labo! Plus a hefty selection of things you've never heard of (if you're an American) like Ameliorate (check the body exfoliator), Cowshed (for more than just Soho House members), and Dr. Jackson's (read here). From there, wander down to Covent Garden and boutique hop from Charlotte Tilbury to Bloom Perfumery to Diptyque. Luxuriate in knowing you've got two days in front of you to think about nothing but skincare products.
7:00PM: Put your name down at Kiln, a no-reservations Thai place in Soho highly recommended by FOITG (friend of ITG) Tess Ward. Don't like Thai? Round the corner and stand in line at Bone Daddies for Ramen. Both good bets.
10:00PM: Take a bath like a true Brit and go to bed early! You want to be well-rested for all the relaxing you'll be doing this weekend.
Saturday
8:30AM: Good morning, sunshine. You may be on vacation but you are certainly not sleeping in. Because health is wealth, you start your day with a ride at Psycle, a spin studio on Mortimer Street. When you arrive, pre-order a smoothie, which will be ready once you've sweat yourself to near cardiovascular death. But now that you're a schvitzy mess, you're not going to want to beauty tour, right? WRONG. Because right next door to Psycle is Dryby, a handy two-in-one blowdry bar and nail salon. Book back to back appointments and emerge as if you never decided to go spinning in the first place
1:00PM: Head over to the Chiltern Firehouse and post up for a while with some pancakes and a Bloody Mary. Stick around and people watch for a little before popping over to Content Beauty & Wellbeing, Emma Watson's favorite beauty shop. Everything is organic, natural, sustainable, and the like. Ask for Imelda. She knows everything.
3:00PM: In the interest of time, see if you can get yourself out to Face Gym for a quickie microcurrent facial. What Dryby is to hair, Face Gym is to, well, faces. No treatment rooms or dividers here. Just reclining chairs out in the open. Your technician will do a combo of facial and scalp massage, plus the best microcurrent experience for the money. The electrical pulses stimulate muscles to lift and firm—basically like a workout, but without the energy. Love it enough and you can buy their proprietary tool (a NuFace on steroids).
4:30PM: Finish off the day the best way you know how—with an hour and a half body treatment at Gazelli House. Appropriately ensconced in South Kensington, the spa takes over three floors connected by a spiral staircase. Rooms are adorned with hand-painted tiles and the sweet smells of their own product line. Good for massage lovers and skeptics alike (just ask Liv Purvis). Float home and drift off into the deepest slumber you can imagine.
Sunday
10:00AM: Keep sleeping. You deserve it.
12:00PM: Emerge from your Gazelli House-induced chrysalis a butterfly, fully capable of doing more spa treatments. First stop of the day should be The Light Salon, another quick-in, quick-out treatment concept. Usually ITG does not recommend more than one facial in a week—much less a weekend—but The Light Salon is focused on infrared light instead of products or massage. There are spots all over town, but we'd recommend the one at any of the Cowshed Spas. That way, you get to sit in an easy chair with a very soothing pregnancy pillow on your lap while your face gets blasted with therapeutic light. It's more relaxing than it sounds.
2:00PM: Now, if you thread your brows, you owe yourself a trip to Suman Brows London. Over in Chelsea, she's a master of shaping for that fuller look immediately. You'll be in and out in no time—unless you opt for microblading. That'll take two hours. You've only got time for threading this trip, but maybe next time?
4:00PM: Make your second day hair transition easily into third and fourth day hair with a braid (or something) at Hershesons. The true originators of the style menu, they've refreshed their offerings since last time we covered them. Something like the Dirty Ballerina should make for a nice souvenir for a few days to come. Something to remember the longest, most relaxing weekend of your young life.
Photos via Instagram.
