Beauty spots: these new London parlours are a cut above

We are spending more of our time and money on beauty experiences than ever before. Today's London-based aesthetes want curated experiences, where interactions meet immersive installations surrounding the biggest names in beauty. Check out our pick of the best up-and-coming beauty concept stores in the city...

Radio Hair Salon

Onto its fourth London outpost, Radio Hair Salon has landed in Coal Drops Yard. Around the corner from voguish Granary Square, the Radio salon offers an equally high-tone interior. The studio boasts raw concrete floors and exposed metal joinery while crisp white walls serve as a blank canvas to the eclectic mix of the Radio brand, whether it be as a gallery, showroom, cafe, spa and of course, hair studio.

Imagined by Universal Design Studio, the space is a mecca for both art and hair aficionados alike, with a platform for emerging artists to display their works throughout the hairdressers-cum-gallery space. It’s current display Amygdala sees the works of textile artist Jenny Mcllhatton and photographer Gordon Stabbins, whose collaboration sees an intimate exploration into the contemporary issues of inequality. Now, visitors can stare at artworks rather than their reflections while they get a trim.

Appealing to the audience of design-conscious east Londoners, Radio’s beauty offering sees a new treatment room — which marks Radio’s debut into the wellness scene — using British skincare brand (and Wallpaper* beauty desk favourite) Haeckles.

Harrods Beauty Hall

Following the completion of its first phase of redevelopment in June, the new Harrods beauty hall is perhaps the most anticipated destination for London’s beauty fanatics. Designed by architects GA Group, the beauty hall — purely dedicated to make-up and fragrance only — plays on the original drawings of Harrods’ residence, with a fireplace in each room, including a sweeping staircase, library and dressing room; the space feels more like a stately abode instead of a department store.

For its second phase of refurbishment, the 9,000 sq ft skincare emporium is a mecca for those looking to reach complexion perfection. Nestled among the halls’ clean white marble lines and illuminated art deco skylights, visitors can discover new and cult brands alongside over forty of the biggest names in the beauty business. Dubbed the ‘ultimate beauty sweetshop’ the hall seems reminiscent of a chocolate shop and visitors will be sure to find something sweet, whether it be from Natura Bissé, Shiseido, Decorté and La Bouche Rouge to name only a few.

In addition to skincare, there’s new tech too. Perhaps the most advanced makeup software yet, Harrods’ Magic Mirrors experience uses augmented reality to digitally map facial features so that customers can ‘try on’ lipsticks, foundations, blushes and more without the hassle of taking your makeup off at the counter.

Koibird's Pharmacy K

Korean beauty is seriously having a moment, and it’s industry as been way ahead of its time for many years, with luminous skin being at the forefront of today’s trend. Just as well Koibird’s Pharmacy K has a carefully curated offering of Korean goodies, from cutting-edge serums to stem cell sheet masks, home fragrances and even toothpastes that are inspired by different seas around the world. It seems that Koibird is the destination for a fully immersive K-beauty affair.

Koibird’s founder Belma Gaudio partnered up with beauty agency Talk to Her, to showcase the hero products from Korea’s most sought-after brands. ‘We partnered with KOIBIRD to curate Korean Beauty from skincare and makeup brands we trust. From beloved staples and cult classics to clean beauty and natural products, we selected core items and best sellers from each brand for the London market.’ says Joyce Lee, the founder and CEO of Talk to Her.

In the pharmacy, there's a sense of change in the air, as the Marylebone store gets a total interior overhaul every season; everything visitors experience is for a limited-time only. Clean white tiled walls make a humble backdrop to the series of south Asian products, which are seen stacked like jars and spices in a kitchen pantry. Meanwhile, fluorescent ‘K’ is seen in the front window — far more chic than the banal pharmacy street sign — which is extended onto the tops of the slanted right-angle display cases.

INFORMATION
radiohairsalon.com
harrods.com
koibird.com