A Londoner’s Guide to Party Season Beauty Prep
text Maya Avram
A magical time in the city, the festive season brings a flurry of refined dinners, glamorous parties and exclusive events to usher in the holidays — and soon, the new year. Here, I share the beauty routine that keeps me looking my best, whether I’m dining under candlelight or posing for flashing cameras.
Best Treatment for Radiance
Elenique Skin Clinic Hydrafacial, from £200
Full disclosure, I am very late to board the Hydrafacial train. As someone with sensitive, acne-prone skin, I see facials more as clinical upkeep than pampering, typically opting for the short-term pain, long-term gain of mesotherapy and the like over the enveloping calm of a facial massage.
Well, consider me a convert, because the post-treatment glow-up I experienced at the expert hands of Elena Cudworth, founder of Elenique Skin Clinic, was undeniable. Combining methodologies such as lymphatic massage and LED therapy, this treatment cleanses, purifies and hydrates the skin on a deep level, effortlessly sidestepping any irritation. Add-ons like the Vortex-Fusion serum, which Cudworth recommended for its balancing effect, offer antioxidative protection in addition to infusing the skin with moisturising peptides and hyaluronic acid. By the end, my complexion was visibly sculpted and delightfully luminous, leaving me feeling positively lighter. With no downtime, consider it your go-to pick-me-up for a season of fabulous parties and elegant soirées.
Best Treatment for Balance and Brightness
Thomas Clinic, DNA Essential Skin Grade 1 Laser Treatment, from £160
If you have been in London long enough, you’ll know Debbie Thomas is the undisputed queen of lasers. Her eponymous clinic is renowned for its staggered approach, delivering holistic therapies tailored to your skin type and aspirations.
The DNA Essential Skin Grade 1 treatment is ideal for the party season as it focuses on renewal, delivering instant nourishment and radiance. This is achieved through a medley of mild peels, extractions and microdermabrasion, followed by Byonik pulse-triggered cold laser, red and blue LED light therapy, lymphatic drainage, radiofrequency and ultrasound infusion, plus a suite of targeted serums and masks, which will leave you feeling like a new and improved version of yourself, rendering it the ultimate last-minute party season indulgence.
Best Treatment for Overall Renewal
Strip, Skin Rejuvenation, from £90
This collagen-boosting treatment is another great ‘sit through it and you’re done’ option that delivers instant results with zero downtime. The non-ablative laser gently heats the skin to around 40°, stimulating collagen production within the deeper dermal layers and building results cumulatively over time.
Sensorially speaking, the heat is entirely manageable, and while you may experience some redness under the warm light, as someone with highly reactive skin, I can assure you that by the time you leave, your complexion will be nothing less than plump, harmonised and rejuvenated. Case in point: I went on a full night out straight after my session, minimal touch-up required (although it might be different for those of you who go out with base make-up, which you’ll have to remove ahead of your appointment). The key benefit, however, lies in the fact that this treatment is compatible with other therapies, allowing you to mix and match it with any treatment on this list to amplify its already impressive effect.
Best Treatment for Scalp Health
Taylor Taylor London, Hair and Scalp Analysis, £20
Finally, I can’t talk about party prep without mentioning haircare. Always on the lookout for new ways to help my luscious locks contend with London’s nefarious hard water, I was excited to have this scalp analysis done. Using a small trichoscope, your stylist examines the different areas of your scalp, which are then analysed by the salon’s proprietary AI software — created in partnership with expert trichologist Tiffany Hall — to offer tailored haircare recommendations based on the unique findings.
From hair count and density to excess sebum production and inflammation, the software diagnoses concerns and recommends personalised treatment plans. One of its suggestions to me, for example, was to introduce a weekly scrub to my routine to help clear out product build-up and manage sebum production. The best part? Your stylist will kickstart your scalp health journey right there in the chair, before sending you out with the most voluminous blowout.
