Tucked away in penthouses and high-end clinics, an elite group of ‘super beauticians’ administer treatments that are the equivalent of a white glove service for your skin, hair, nails – and even your eyebrows.
In return, they have become celebrities in their own right.
According to Sukeena Rao, co-founder of beauty and fashion concierge Luminaire, her clients will join waitlists to see one expert – and one expert only.
“There is a lot of noise and there are a lot of ‘experts’, but the true talent is far and few between,” she notes. “Working with well-trusted, long-standing experts is the wise choice and, in some cases, people will join waitlists and travel to see the right person. Luminaire clients want to form a real bond with their beauticians, nutritionists and aestheticians because it is a commitment – a relationship and collaboration – based on trust.”
Residencies are also the biggest trend in experiential beauty right now, as top tier beauty experts take their talents to the enclaves of plush hotels for a limited time only – giving you the opportunity to sample their unrivalled skills as part of your stay.
Meet the exclusive glam squad to add to your little black book for an elevated pre-party prep experience…
The A-list skin whisperers
One of the names Sukeena hooks her clients up with is facialist Melanie Grant. With a client list that includes Victoria Beckham and Nicole Kidman, a slew of credentials follows her name, including official skin expert for Chanel and global advisor for Augustinus Bader. She even collaborated with Victoria Beckham to launch a cleansing duo.
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With facials starting at £750 – and by private appointment only in London (the native Australian also has studios in Sydney, Melbourne and Los Angeles) – Melanie takes a bespoke approach with antioxidant peels, French massage and light therapy.
I've had the pleasure of experiencing a facial with her and in my 12-year career, I have yet to meet another facialist to rival the strength in her hands and the prowess in her sculpting technique. It was like she picked up and repositioned my cheekbones where they had been in my teens.
Another facialist in the raft of ‘super beauticians’ who works off-menu is Keren Bartov. “My approach is to use a custom blend of traditional skin treatment techniques – cleansing, facial massage, lymphatic drainage, peels, extractions – with a combination of medical devices that are clinically proven to give instant and longer-term results without downtime,” Keren says.
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This can include up to five devices in one treatment, including muscle-toning TriLIFT and temperature-controlled radio frequency, to "lift, firm, tighten pores and boost collagen and elastin," she adds.
Unsurprisingly, celebrities including Carey Mulligan, Sienna Miller, Priyanka Chopra, Demi Moore and Jodie Comer – to name but a few – flock to her before a red carpet event. A facial with Keren can set you back anywhere between £400-£700.
The beauty residencies to book in for
Beloved by beauty editors (and Rihanna), Sophie Carbonari, splits her time between a residency at The Twenty-Two hotel in London's Mayfair, and Paris. Book in for her signature SC Synergy Protocol (£500), which famously includes acupressure massage (through the scalp, jaw and even inside the ears), lymphatic drainage and Japanese Kobido, a 500 year-old technique – involving kneading, rolling, tapping, pinching – to get energy moving through your facial meridians for a supernatural glow.
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A plastic and reconstructive surgeon, who specialises in cosmetic treatments, Dr Ashwin Soni is renowned among beauty editors for his gentle injection technique, natural-looking results and extensive procedural knowledge.
Like me, you can visit him within the luxurious confines of The Chuan Spa in The Langham, for polynucleotides, the buzzy collagen-boosting injectable. Rejuvenation is the beating heart of the spa's treatment menu, so skin boosters and dermal fillers are also available, after which you can sink into a bed in the relaxation room nursing a herbal tea.
Everything you need to know.
With over 50,000 hours of hands-on experience as a facialist, and an unparalleled knowledge of skincare ingredients, Teresa Tarmey's residency at The Cadogan hotel offers a full menu of treatments ranging from her Facestim Facial (a skin tightening, muscle-toning treatment involving radiofrequency) and Signature Microneedling Facial to the Rejuvenation Mega Boost (a £600 all-round treatment that combines a light peel with IPL for pigmentation and radio frequency for resurfacing).
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Celebrated British colourist Josh Wood, alongside his hand-picked team of A-list stylists, now offer a by-appointment-only residency at Claridge's. Nestled within the Spa, the chic private space offers a tailored menu of best-in-class hairstyling, where a blow dry will set you back a cool £195 and clients are encouraged to submit photos in order for Josh and his team to mood board a bespoke look.
The manicurist and brow artist with waitlists
Another favourite with Sukeena's clients – and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's manicurist of choice – is Harriet Westmoreland, the self-taught nail artist who became a regular on our Instagram feeds after reimagining the classic French.
A cursory glance at her posts reveal sheer pink nails – so shiny they look like they've been dipped in lipgloss – and her signature fine line of colour on a short square edge. While her reels are devoted to seeing hands being cleansed, exfoliated, moisturised and scented with luxury products including Dior Miss Dior Exfoliating Body Oil With Rose Extract, Dior Oud Ispahan Liquid Soap and Chanel No.5 Body Lotion, taking a run-of-the-mill manicure to spa-like heights.
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Sophia Aziza or, as she’s known to her 45K followers on Instagram, SophiaBrows, operates on an “invitation by introduction only” basis. An early adopter of brow lamination saw demand for her treatments boom. She has since developed her own threading technique for optimal results – counting Maya Jama and Sabrina Elba among her VIP clients – and takes a bespoke approach to crafting brows to suit a client's face shape and aesthetic.
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For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.
