London Esthetique Student Salon

I've been to the London Esthetique quite a lot since I discovered its existence - in the months leading up to my wedding I had a monthly course of facials, which were fantastic. The 'salon', if it can be described as such, is very very basic. A mini reception leads into a corridor of beds with curtains to protect your privacy. Seriously no-frills stuff, but you wouldn't come here for luxury. The treatments are shockingly cheap, and the trainee therapists are well supervised. They are young, keen and eager to please, tend to be thoroughly charming and their training is still fresh in their minds! My pedicure was fab and lasted for weeks untouched. My massage wasn't hard enough for my liking, the therapist talked too much and then tried to give me her card as a sideline! I really can't complain about the facials though - every time I've been the therapist talked in good detail about my skin, gave well-reasoned recommendations and I've left with deeply cleansed skin. The popularity of the salon means that it is nigh on impossible to get an after-work appointment, but persistence pays off.

Having found a space for me at the very last minute, I was escorted through a corridor of curtained off treatment rooms (reminiscent of spa's in developing countries) and taken into a rather cluttered room at the end. After a few brief questions I was asked to take off my clothes and step into the shower area. The treatment itself was fine and over very quickly and the therapist was lovely, but I felt I could have been given more information about the procedure (how long it would take, what to expect etc) and also offered paper knickers and a cap, which I had to ask for eventually. The therapist gave me some good aftercare advise and her tutor checked with me that the treatment had gone ok and the results were satisfactory... They were largely, however my face came out looking rather speckled which I was unsure about it. I've been assured it will settle and am praying this is the case!
Overall it is a very friendly salon and although the rooms are basic and could do with a little design attention and music would be a welcome addition, it is very good value for money and I would go back for further treatments.

This student salon may be the value shopper's beauty & wellness find in all of London - the treatments are super cheap! I paid £30 for an hour long stone massage treatment (although for some reason the spa menu says its 90 minutes long...but i was in & out in an hour).

I have never had a [http://www.wahanda.com/treatment/stone-massage-therapy hot stone massage], so I was excited to see what is was all about. The therapist rubbed some pre treatment liquid on me (not sure what it was, but it was applied with a semi rough cotton ball of some sort). Then she added oil on my limbs and put four stones on my back while i lay facing upwards, and also one stone on my stomach. She also put two stones in my hands, and also pebbles between my toes - all of them were warm (i have heard of some treatments where cold stones are also used). It was also very relaxing, but the massage itself, first with her hands, then with the stones, was a bit too light in pressure for my tastes. She did not ask if I wanted to have deeper pressure, and never asked what areas I wanted to have her concentrate on more. When i turned over, she used the stones to massage my legs and back, which feel heavenly, but again, I wished she used deeper pressure, and concentrated more on my upper back & shoulders. One other thing - the massage table did not have a face cut out, so i had to keep my head turned to the side instead of facing down.

The place itself is nice enough...but a lot of the treatment rooms are not really rooms but just areas separated by curtains. As you can imagine, there are students & supervisors (and clients) running around, and even though I was in a closed room with 4 walls, there was a ton of hallway noise (things being moved, bumped, falling outside in the hallways). There is also no music playing in the rooms (they really should add this!), so the ambience is not amazing. Definitely no feeling of luxury...kind of feels like a busy hospital. But at the prices they offer, it might be worth it. At the end of the treatment they have you fill out an evaluation form, and a supervisor comes in and just asks you if your treatment went well. Very efficient and formal...the supervisor could have been a little warmer. My therapist offered me a small cup of water at the end of the treatment, then I was on my way.

The salon has everything from manicures to massage and electrolysis, so it has an entire range of beauty & wellness treatments.