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Feature: Faye Hellon
LADIES of London, do you like to look luscious?
If the answer is yes, then read on to discover some of the best
beauty buys and boudoirs that the Capital has to offer.
All located within five minutes of Covent Garden Tube station,
this could well become your new favourite place to shop.
Situated in the heart of the advertising and film industry, Covent
Garden offers a real plethora of tempting beauty shops to suit
all tastes. From the minimal and chic, to the all out feminine
boutique, these pamper palaces let you loose yourself in lipstick
and preen like a prom queen.
Treat yourself at…
Pout (32 Shelton St. Tel: 020 7379 0379, www.pout.co.uk)
This flagship store offers a new approach to buying make-up, with
its fun and relaxed atmosphere, in a sexy, ultra-feminine boudoir
setting.
With professionally trained make-up artists (The Pouties) on hand
to assist and provide indulgent pampering services (such as an
eye brow shaping: Get Plucked, costing £12, or a manicure:
Heavy Duty Hand Job, for £20), it's no wonder that Pout
is popular with celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kylie Minogue
and Britney Spears, to name just a few.
Pout exclusively stocks a wide selection of funky and cult brands
of make-up, from around the world, including the fabulous Kiss
Me Mascara and Du Wop's Lip Venom but it's their own brand of
cosmetics that offers a special treat.
Their entire range has earned Pout the reputation for offering
the 'underwear of the make-up world'. The shelves are stocked
with sexy products for the face and body and each one is presented
in deliciously racy packaging, with a naughty name to match.
Try the Light My Fire lip-gloss (£10), as loved by Cat Deeley,
and the cheekily named 32A lip liner (£10). There are also
21 silky eye shadow duos, with names like Miss December and Miss
Barbados (£13), each in a cute magnetic case that any make-up
fan would find hard to resist.
With sultry music playing in the background, Pout offers a unique
shopping experience, with the bonus of fabulous purchases to play
with when you get home.
Shu Uemura (55 Neal St. Tel 020 7240 7635, www.shu-uemura.co.jp)
This Japanese-based company was established in 1967, by Shu Uemura:
the country's first male, make-up artist. In 1983, he opened his
first shop, with a unique selling point; it was the first to put
the products within the reach of the customer.
Today, he has over 200 shops worldwide, but from the outside,
it would be easy to miss this Neal Street store. The simple black
frontage and stark white interior does not hold much curb appeal,
and combined with the presence of a burly looking security guard,
it can look a little intimidating.
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However, don't let that put you off. The trendy looking staff
are more approachable than expected and tend to greet each customer
warmly as they arrive.
Plus, once inside, the narrow corridor opens up to a circular
expanse of the most colourful range of make-up I have ever seen!
For example, with well over 10 shades of green eye shadow (£12.50),
ranging from subtle olive tones through to bright lurid shades
- this is one place that is bound to have the colour you need
to match that tricky pair of shoes or compliment an unusual lipstick.
Shu Uemura stated that: "The true nature of make-up is art."
And this is certainly a shop were you can lose yourself in a pallet
of colour.
The Sanctuary (12 Floral St. Tel 0870 770 3350, www.thesanctuary.co.uk)
Behind a large glass door on this cobble street in Covent Garden,
lies The Sanctuary, a ladies-only spa. Naturally, spending a day
in this oasis of luxury and tranquillity comes at a high price
but all is not lost - if you fancy a taste of the good life at
a more affordable price, then I suggest you purchase some of their
products on sale from their street front shop.
The friendly staff are happy for you to browse through the entire
range and the stylish glass and wood fitted interior, adds an
air of luxury to the atmosphere.
The products themselves are surprisingly affordable, considering
they are spa quality and the Sanctuary Body Lotion in particular
is a real treat.
Containing ginger extract, this divine smelling lotion moisturises
and firms the skin, while also boosting circulation to reduce
the appearance of cellulite. At just £4.50, for 250ml, what
more could a girl want?
The Garden Pharmacy (119 Long Acre. Tel 0207 836 1007, www.garden.co.uk)
This upmarket pharmacy is a real stalwart of Covent Garden. The
usual prescription services and extensive health supplement displays,
pale into the background of the multiple counters including: Clinique,
Clarins, Channel, Estee Lauder, Lancôme & Dior.
With all the charm of a small store, The Garden Pharmacy somehow
manages to fit in a range to match that of any department store
and even hosts a Clarins Treatment Studio on the lower floor.
Perfect for picking up a last minute present, they offer a gift-wrapping
service for the extensive fragrance selection and also stock an
impressive number of salon style branded hair and beauty products:
like the San Tropez tanning lotions and the Fudge hair care range.
Best of all, they stock the hard to find Perfumeria Gal Madrid
Fragranced Lip Balms, £3.50 for 15ml.
Made in Spain, they are delightfully packaged in beautiful round
tins and are available in a range of flavours from Red Currant
to Banana. A top tip for perfect pouts all year round, they even
give the high sheen finish of a lip-gloss.
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