Festive Beauty prep treats.

I’ve always been a bit on the minimalist side when it comes to beauty treatments, but as life marches on and the festive party season approaches I’ve taken a renewed interest in all things skincare and pampering in an effort to get prepped for Christmas.

Facialist and skincare expert Lisa Franklin

First up I headed to skincare expert Lisa Franklin’s private clinic on Sloane Street for a facial and post glow make up treat, followed by a spin in the new Harvey Nichols beauty lounge for a super quick blow dry.

Once in Lisa’s luxurious clinic during my skin consultation, she eloquently debunked the myths about expensive designer moisturisers (which I must admit I’ve been buying into for the past few years) and asked me whether I’d actually seen any benefit? On reflection, I’ve been plastering various products on my face for decades and am still seeing the ageing process continue unabated. With years of experience in the skincare industry, Lisa created a tailor-made treatment for me which left me relaxed and glowing and ready for my makeup makeover with in-house expert Rebecca Mattsson.

Lisa also recommended  Skinade – a tropical drink mixture which is chock full of good stuff like collagen, minerals, and vitamins which feed your skin from the inside out. I’m road testing a 30-day course so will report back on skin glowy effects soon.

Next up it was on to the gorgeous new Harvey Nichols Beauty Salon, a dedicated new space in this luxury flagship store which is open from 8am-10pm with a vast pick and mix array of treatments and fixes perfect for a gal who’s heading out from the office to an event.

When I’d been living in New York, I’d cottoned on to the blow-out bar thing but hadn’t managed to find anywhere which suited my nomadic blogging day in London quite as perfectly as this Harvey Nics spot. They offer all sorts from Blink Brow Bar to Hershesons blow dry bar to a Nails Inc section and even a Nosh Infusion Clinic.

I opted for a blow dry and after picking my look from a convenient menu, was in and out in less than 30 minutes, with just enough time to snoop around the rest of the updated beauty and accessory floor before my next meet up.

The end result? With a little soft lighting it didn’t look half bad… at least Fozzie the dog was keen to scope out the ‘after’ look… or maybe he just wanted his dinner…

So if you are on the lookout for some luxury pampering time, you can find more about the Lisa Franklin clinic privé here. And more on the Harvey Nichols Beauty Lounge here.

It’s amazing how easily a blow dry can fix you up for an event – I’d definitely forgotten how great it feels to be suitably coiffed before heading out. If you’re not in London, I’ve also used Toni & Guy blow-dry service in the past – along the same lines you pick a style from a menu – you can find your local salon here.