The Treatments, Products & Places Our Beauty Contributor Really Rates

The best spa I’ve ever visited is The Bothy at Heckfield Place. They use Wildsmith products, which I love, and the treatment protocols are unlike anything else I've experienced. The therapists incorporate craniosacral holds and begin at the feet, which is a really grounding way to start a treatment. My requirements for a spa are simple: soothing, nurturing, restorative. If I want performance-driven results, however, I go to my facialist. These are two entirely different needs. 

I'm a nail-biter, so a regular gel manicure is non-negotiable. I go between Swanky’s on Portobello Road for everyday appointments and Angeline's in Tooting (introduced to me by my cousin) for something more creative. The best my nails have ever looked was with Bio Sculpture and I'm slowly being converted to BIAB.

I'm a qualified facialist, which means I am extremely fussy. My first call is always Melinda McKee at Sated Face, who has a studio in West London. If you can’t get a booking, Sarah Chapman is probably the most efficient, with lasers, extractions, peels, recovery all used in one session. You leave looking as though you've had a fortnight’s holiday. Sarah Bradden also has such healing hands – it’s a reset for both your skin and your overall energy levels.

When my hair doesn't feel good, I don't feel good. It really is that simple. I have naturally curly hair and love to move between curly and straight – variety is part of the joy. My first call for treatments and styling is Charlotte Mensah where I book with Kacey. A word of warning: you cannot visit Charlotte's without also having a slice of cake. For colour, Christel at STIL salon on the Fulham Road is extraordinary. Every foil placement is so considered – she’s also obsessed with hair health and responsible for some of the best colour results of my life.

I don't have a single signature scent but I have a very defined scent identity. It sits somewhere between a Middle Eastern spice market and a Parisian bakery – warm, sweet, boozy and very skin-close. Summer shifts things slightly toward something a little lighter but the DNA stays the same. I have an extensive collection but I’ve been reaching for Virgin Island Water from Creed and Impadia from BDK recently. In London, Harvey Nichols, Harrods, and Liberty all have strong fragrance edits. Bloom in Covent Garden is also worth knowing – it’s a beautiful independent perfumery that carries the kind of niche brands you won't find anywhere else.

My everyday make-up is fast by design. I curl my lashes with Shiseido curlers, apply the clear L'Oréal brow gel (my favourite) and add blush. I never leave the house without blush and I’m constantly testing new colours and formulas. Current favourites are ‘Poppi’ by Westman Atelier, ‘Chill’ by Milk Makeup, and Rhode’s ‘Spicy Marg’. Pinks, peaches and oranges make me look alive.

The idea that expensive automatically means better is simply not true. Some of the products I reach for the most are from the high street. L'Oréal and Max Factor both make excellent mascaras – genuinely so, not just "excellent for the price." The e.l.f brushes are some of my favourites full stop and Morphe does a blusher that holds its own against anything five times more expensive. 

Luxury body oils are my indulgence. For a splurge, I'd point someone towards Buly’s without a second's hesitation. There are a plethora of scents to choose from, the packaging is beautiful and it’s the perfect gift for yourself or others. I’ve been dousing myself in Irene Forte’s pistachio body oil too.