Beauty, Health & Wellbeing

Five Steps to Glowy Spring Skin with The Skin Culturist

Although April showers are still among us, we can only hope that the sun will begin to shine soon… but how can we begin to prep our skin for when the first signs of spring begin to emerge? I visited The Skin Culturist, a gorgeous boutique clinic tucked away in a scenic side road in Maida Vale. The classic coastal interior aesthetic made me feel right at home, and ready to prepare my skin for spring.  The cold and harsh winter we had meant I was constantly layering on moisturisers and serums, exposing my skin to artificial heat and lacking exposure to Vitamin D. A build-up of dead skin cells led to a dull and dehydrated complexion that was often congested, causing breakouts and other skin issues, so how did we tackle this? My consultation began with Dr Kam, a fantastic and informative dentist and master of facial aesthetics and skin health. Together, we identified my current skin issues using The Skin Culturist’s state of the art technology, and set out a plan of how I was going to get the very best skin. 

The Glow-Up Diaries: The Best Salons, Gyms and Clinics in...

The sun is finally shining, the beer gardens have awoken from their slumber and day-drinking is about to become your favourite weekend hobby again. But after a rather harsh and cold winter, you’re probably not feeling your best. Fear not, we’ve compiled a list of the best spots in London to help you glow-up in time for the summer months.

Meet the Founder of this Popular Celeb Pilates Spot

Discover the Secrets of Chinese Skincare with Ashmira...

Who doesn't long for that inner luminance that prompts your coworker to not-so-subtly ask, "have you had some work done?". Yet, despite being our body's largest organ, our skin often suffers from neglect due to daily encounters with pollution, harsh weather, and the demanding lifestyles many young professionals lead. (Yes, I'm talking about those of you who manage on 5 hours of sleep, subsist mainly on Pret-A-Manger, and perhaps tally only 2000 daily steps.) This is where Ashmira Botanica enters the scene. As a 21-year-old social media editor fresh from an incredibly hectic stint at fashion week, I was yearning for some well-deserved relaxation. A morning at the exquisite Chuan Spa at The Langham sounded like the ideal antidote. My therapist, Tracey (also the founder of Ashmira Botanica), enlightened me about the treatment's personalized approach. Not only would it address my typical skin concerns (hormonal fluctuations, acne-prone tendencies, dryness), but it would also factor in my biorhythms, current emotions, and the prevailing season. In the context of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring symbolises renewal and commencement – a period for purging toxins from the body and negative energies from the mind. It felt only natural that the treatment and products would focus on the liver and gallbladder. To encapsulate, this experience transcends mere skincare treatment. The utilisation of natural plants, essential oils, and clays harmonizes the skin's essential energy, intertwining physical and emotional aspects. This holistic approach alleviates physical tension and fosters mental clarity, offering a comprehensive rejuvenation.

A Q&A with Soori Bali's Spa Manager

The Sybarite had the opportunity to interview Soori's Spa Manager to uncover their spa experience and their most recommended experiences.

Back to nature: low-intervention wine is no longer just a...

In a not-totally-unsurprising-move, given the direction social change has been heading in for the last couple of decades, wine drinkers have been well and truly seduced by the philosophy of natural wine. It isn’t regulated and it’s not very well defined, but the idea behind it chimes with the modern desire for authentic, artisanal products made with respect for the earth and its resources. There is currently no one set of rules that natural winemakers have to follow in order to use the term. However, natural winemakers will almost certainly employ organic farming methods – no chemical fertilisers here thank you. They’ll probably have stripped their processes back to a minimum, as the pendulum has swung from years of highly industrialised intervention to simple, ancient practices. They may even follow biodynamic principles, which bring an almost spiritual element to working with the land. The dominant theme is individualism over industrialisation; character over uniformity. Natural wines celebrate the terroir, the climate, the fruit and the process – and accept the unpredictability that comes with that.

Discotheque - A Bougie New Fragrance in Town

It’s bougie, it’s euphoric, it’s giving ‘70’s and 80’s dance club fever vibes concocted in a series of fragrances that are housed in a three-color gradient glass - a signature touch of the brand. Introducing Discotheque, a luxury and uber chic fragrance brand founded between Los Angeles and London where every candle is hand-poured in Discotheque’s UK atelier.

Geroscience and the answers to ageing

When it comes to staying alive, humankind has made impressive progress since the turn of the last century. We are undoubtedly living longer – on average twice as long, in fact – and many scientists now believe our natural lifespan could be 125 years or more. But along with an increase in life expectancy we’ve experienced an equally sharp rise in disease, and the focus now is on healthy longevity: healthspan as well as lifespan. To this end, the world’s richest are pumping billions into ‘geroscience’; a relatively new scientific field of research that looks at the hallmarks of biological aging and the connections between getting older and succumbing to disease. In just a couple of decades there have been some tantalising breakthroughs, and scientists have already succeeded in extending the lives of mice. As interest grows and the best scientific minds are lured away from academia and into tech-billionaire funded start-ups, translating that success across to humans seems not just possible, but likely.

New Year, New Me, New Skin: The Revive Room

There’s a chill in the air that I happily escape as I step inside Nelsons Homeopathic Pharmacy by Grosvenor Square (which also houses Nazmeen Khaliq’s Revive Room). The nature of the location is a reflection of Khaliq’s ethos of delivering a more natural, holistic approach to beauty and skincare. She first embarked on her beauty journey at the age of 16, working the cosmetic counters at Clarins and Estee Lauder whilst training for her beauty therapist qualifications. Though her first role saw her gaining experience with popular mainstream treatments at a beauty salon, after a few years and an IBS flare-up to boot, she shifted gears and joined a natural pharmacy where she absorbed everything she could from the homeopaths, nutritionists, and herbalists who worked there. She has now branched out and has grown a roster of high profile clients and a loyal following who turn to her for bespoke treatments and programmes fashioned in her own unique style.

Transform the Skin You’re In: The Body Lab in Kensington

Running 15 minutes late, I had already envisioned what The Body Lab would look like - even though I had already seen glimpses of it on my social media! As I breezed down Kensington High Street, I was on the lookout for a small clinic perched amongst the big-branded stores until google maps pinged to alert me that I had arrived at my destination. I peered up to see The Body Lab standing before me, but it wouldn’t be until after I stepped foot inside that all my expectations would be far exceeded. The Body Lab is a unique, ‘new health’ concept, combining science and wellness to elevate their members' health, fitness and lifestyle. Based on three pillars: Fitness, Recovery and Nutrition, inside the lab you will find a luxury, private gym, alongside the expertise of industry professionals, cutting-edge technology and regenerative therapies.

Featuring 15 Best Luxury Couples Retreats in 2023

Couples deserve to get away! They work hard and they play harder. So how do you get away from it all to rekindle that spark of romance which the ennui of everyday life can inevitably smother? By heading off to a luxury couples retreat. We know that setting time aside to clear your mind and recharge is good for your mental health and wellbeing. However, aside from the personal benefits that taking a relaxing holiday can bring, many forget that it can also be healthy for your relationship. Enjoying a long walk on the beach while holding hands and watching the sun go down can help unplug from the noise that distracts you from what matters the most in life — your significant other. Of course, you could do it all on a budget, but why take a chance with something mediocre when you can go for the best, the crème-de-la-crème of romantic getaways where love has been known to blossom? With that in mind, we present our list of the 15 best luxury couples retreats that will undoubtedly make you fall in love with your significant other all over again.

La Dolce Vita in Sicilia: The 5-star ADLER Spa Resort

On a Saturday evening in serene Sicily, my pulse is racing at a rate of knots as sweat trickles down my face and the temperature continues to rise. I feel like I'm sweltering away in a furnace; an exuberant man wafts a towel in front of me as chill-out tunes play in the background. Taking deep breaths as the towel is swung around frenetically to whip my heart rate even higher in searing heat, I know that I am indeed fast approaching boiling point.But just like that, I suddenly feel reinvigorated as I'm presented with a handful of ice cubes that I press against my neck to cool off. I'd been experiencing 'Aufguss', a multi-sensory wellness ritual in which an ‘Aufgussmeister’ douses infused water onto hot stones, circulating fragrant air in a panoramic sauna at the idyllic new Adler Spa Resort Sicilia.