Best beauty salons in 2023: Nails, facials, brows and more
Browfique
Where: Eccleston Yards, Victoria
Eccleston Yards is the trendiest area in Victoria, complete with Amie’s wine bar, a Barry’s gym, boutique shops and most importantly, Browfique.
Browfique is the ultimate central London hub for self-care maintenance, offering brow laminations, threading and eyelash lifts, alongside manicures and pedicures and hair styling, all offered in stylish, welcoming surroundings – think pale pink detailing, brushed gold fittings and airy, fresh-feeling seating areas.
While Browfique’s brow technicians are the best in the business, transforming even the most unruly brows into natural, full face framers, it was a manicure that we booked in for – and our nail technician Demi proved that Browfiique is about to become London’s newest must-visit nail bar.
We arrived with nails in need of serious shaping and TLC, and left Browfique with our cuticles in their best condition ever and our nails painted to perfection – three weeks on and the gel is still firmly in place, with no chips to be seen.
Broqfique has endless colour options when it comes to nails, and Demi is also a wizard when it comes to nail art, with many of her fellow technicians sporting incredible designs that she had painted. Next time, we’ll be opting for her chrome creations!
Reviewed by Melanie Macleod, Wellness Editor.
lash+browlab
Where: Clapham, London
Launched in 2020, lash+browlab has already established itself as one of the most loved beauty salons in South West London. Located in the heart of Battersea, I went down to try two of the most popular treatments – brow lamination and eyelash extensions – in preparation to be a bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding this summer.
I like my eyebrows to look full but natural and I’ve had my own at-home routine since leaving far too many salons with brows that wouldn’t look out of place in 2005. With minimal shaping, plus dying them every couple of weeks and filling them in when I wore makeup, I thought I was quite low maintenance, but lamination is a dream. Now all they need is a quick brush with the oil wand at night (which is provided at the appointment) and a slick of brow gel in the morning to look exactly how I want them – no pencil or powder needed.
Like a Brazilian Keratin treatment for your eyebrows, lamination involves softening, straightening and restructuring the hairs to leave your brows looking fuller and more defined. It’s a fairly quick process (taking around 30 minutes) and can last up to six weeks. Loved by the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Molly-Mae Hague, even Princess Kate is rumoured to be a fan.
Eyelash extensions are a far more lengthy process. As it was my first time I went for the most natural option – the Classics. I was in the chair for almost two hours but opening my eyes to super long, fluttery lashes was so worth it. Each lash is applied individually to your own and the attention to detail is so impressive. You will need to brush them through and clean them every night, and you can’t use anything oil-based, but waking up looking like I’d already applied a really great mascara was a game-changer.
For me, they lasted around three weeks, but this can vary depending on your natural lash cycle. I’ve also experienced zero damage to my natural lashes, which was my one reservation, so I’d highly recommend it for beach holidays or big events.
Reviewed by: Hollie Brotherton, Lifestyle & Commerce Senior Writer
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