London's Best Beauty Experts, Salons & Spas

I have countless friends whose hair has been damaged by the chemicals most salons use to ply hair. But Aveda uses 99% natural hair color treatments, and Gina Conway and the team at her Aveda Lifestyle Salon can custom blend color tones into shampoo and conditioner to keep that honey blond looking, well, honey blond! The custom hair and scalp conditioning treatments are truly effective if done consistently, and Gina, in my opinion, gives one of the best cuts I've ever had. While there you can also get a massage or mani-pedi—they do it all so you can emerge feeling and looking super from head to toe.

Get a Hollywood smile during your lunch break at Umbrella, where cosmetic dentist Dr. Justin Glaister will have your pearly whites sparkling in under an hour, thanks to the Zoom Advanced Power treatment. Perfect for time-starved guys and gals looking for a fast fix that really works. It's also tops for neuromuscular dentistry, which can sort out recurring headaches, clicking jaws or neck and shoulder pains. This is one to sink your teeth into.

At the clinic of TV personality and beauty expert Sarah Chapman, the empasis is on combining the latest advanced skincare technology with deep relaxation. Sarah is widely regarded as one of the UK's leading authorities on facial treatments and is regularly quoted in Vogue, Tatler and many other magazines, and has served as an expert on the UK TV program Ten Years Younger. Her personalized facials give results. She is very well versed in her sector, educating each client during and after treatment for best practices ongoing. Other services include skin peels, de-pigmentation, waxing, eyelash perming and tinting, and brow shaping and tinting. Step out glowing and nip over to Itsu, a nearby Japanese restaurant, for a bite and a zing lemonade to go with your zingy new step!

1 1/2 hour facial from £150.

This was the most unique facial I've ever had. Walk up the non-descript steps to a little jewel of a studio in South Kensington, and melt into the heated down feather bed where Gennie—in her 50's, but looking in her early 40's—assesses your individual needs and starts mixing and rubbing all sorts of potions and lotions. She uses a lot of natural ingredients with effective properties, such as pumpkin seed oil, honey peels, homeopathic tinctures and vitamin C in a crushed form. Beyond her magic hands, she's got a lymphatic machine and a heat light that's meant to open your chakras. Sounds weird? It's not, I promise—this woman cares about your skin and truly knows how to treat it. She's also a pro with eyebrows and waxing.

£110 for 1 1/2 hour facial, which includes an eyebrow clean-up/re-shaping.

Top notch in every way. This do-it-all, no nonsense salon is wham-bam thank you ma'am—a real find in London. I go here for just about everything: hair cut and styling, make-up application and all kinds of beauty treatments. Lynne, the manager, rigorously tests all new techniques to make sure that you're receiving the best. Book Linda for the most fabulous bikini wax in town, or the transforming 1½ hour facial, using the nourishing and anti-aging South African product line called Environ. For the best manicures outside of NYC, try the Bio Sculpture nail treatment with Pauline. Bio Sculpture is a substance applied like polish that stops nails from oiling and prevents cracking. The paint job is perfection and lasts two to three weeks with no chips—no joke. Short on time? Give Lesley's “soft tap” semi-permanent make-up a go for eyebrows, lids and lips. No pain, and the result is amazingly natural and lasts up to one year. In summer months this is especially appealing as you'll need little or no make-up at the beach. (Imagine emerging from the water looking totally intact, save for your hair.) Or for that A-lister look, how about false semi-permanent eyelashes? I could go on (and on) about this buzzy salon…

Ritu Patel is a London go-to girl for eyebrows. Threading has been her passion for more than ten years, and she's the threader of choice for all of those busy business and banking types at Canary Wharf. She's quick, effective, and professional—advising you honestly on shape and thickness. Using thread sourced directly from India, she'll whip out those troublesome hairs quicker than you can say, “hair today, gone tomorrow.” She also offers facials and fabulous head massages.

For perfectly polished brows, head to one of London's most sought after facialists—Vaishaly Patel. One of the capital's finest eyebrow threaders, she shapes brows to complement your face and bone structure, enhancing your own natural beauty. She can also give you a truly effective, professional facial, using only a highly selective range of products. Expensive, but worth it.

This central gem of a spa and salon has quickly become a favorite with London gals. The Marble Arch location makes it the perfect pit stop for post-work decompressing. It gets top marks for attention to detail and service—you can cool off with a bowl of sorbet in between treatments (sweet!). One designated therapist and room is provided for multiple services. When it comes to getting coiffed, forget about hectic, noisy salons; at the Ritual Rooms you get your own private room with music of your choice and personalized, attentive care. I cannot imagine a more relaxing way to have my hair styled. For a true top-to-toe overhaul, try the very effective pedicure which uses an electric buffer, cuticle remover and warming electric socks. If you have a hectic schedule, combine your blow dry with an express manicure, or even better, book the double room for your next all-female business meeting and have your nails perfected while you negotiate. NB: Massages are relaxing but not deep, so don't expect kinks to be ironed out there. I bring associates here for a chat and a treatment...Who said work and pleasure don't mix?