Daniel Galvin at Selfridges nails it

The Daniel Galvin salon at Selfridges is an oasis of calm swathed in luxury in the heart of London’s West End. 

When you want to combine a shopping trip with an hour or two of pampering, this is the place to go. As soon as you step into the sleek salon the pampering begins. A friendly member of staff is on hand to greet you and check you in for your treatment.

Give yourself plenty of time to get to the salon for your appointment as you have to go through Selfridges’ new Body Studio. Wandering through, you are bound to find a few things to entice you. The stunning lingerie is hard to resist as is the sportswear, lounge and sleepwear. If you are heading off on holiday, you will want to take a look at the swimwear as well.

My nails were in dire need of some tender loving care. Having broken one, I decided to file the others shorter to match. Big mistake trying to file them myself. You can never get them even as it is hard to get the right angle and I also ended up with sharp edges. For some reason I find it difficult to get the sides smooth. So, I booked in for a Spa Manicure (£50) and as my toe nails, I hoped, would soon be making an appearance, I had a Spa Pedicure (£60) as well.

It was not until my therapist, Holly Bottomley started cutting my toe nails that I realized how long they were. (It really is hard to keep these looking good yourself.) I hate long toe nails. I always think they should be short.

Holly first asked me what colour I would like. I was pleased to see the salon uses Essie polishes, a favourite with industry insiders and style mavens. The core range has a wonderful selection of hues to choose from. I wanted a nude as it always looks elegant and if it does chip it does not show, so I went for mademoiselle, a sheer creamy white polish with a hint of pink. This also does not go yellow after a few days. The polishes are good quality and last well.

A good tip I picked up from Holly is to use a salt scrub on your feet once a week. It helps to keep them smooth. After having my nails tidied up and any hard skin removed, Holly covered my feet in a lovely scented moisturiser. She then applied two coats of mademoiselle which made my nails look really healthy.

For my hands, Holly said one coat would be enough to give my nails a really clean and classy look. She was right.

Great service, stunning hands and feet, what more could I ask for?

By Daralyn Danns

For more information go to danielgalvin.com//selfridges

A visit to Daniel Galvin at Selfridges

I am sure that if Harry Selfridge could see that underwear is now getting the lipstick treatment at Selfridges he would be beyond satisfied with how his legacy is evolving.

It was he who put a beauty department on the ground floor to entice women through the store’s doors and now Selfridges has opened, in what said to be the first of its kind, a Body Studio entirely dedicated to women’s lingerie, sportswear, lounge and sleepwear as well as swimwear and hosiery. 

There is also a wellness café, Hemsley + Hemsley and to ensure we also look good, Daniel Galvin has opened a new salon – his first with a department store.

Over the years the renowned colourist has tended to some famous heads including royalty, film and pop stars as well as other household names. Now he and his team are bringing their colouring, cutting and styling expertise to Selfridges. So whether you want a quick blow-dry or your highlights done (Daniel Galvin salons have a good reputation for doing blondes), you can combine a shopping trip with beauty.

Besides getting your hair done, there is also a menu of beauty treatments including manicures and pedicures and facials. The salon has two beauty rooms as well as a private VIP room. 

Décor is sleek and contemporary. The reception area is warm and welcoming and relaxing, not like the hustle and bustle you can find with some city salons. I love the way the large windows let light sweep in, especially important when having your hair coloured so you and your colourist can see it in natural daylight. 

My stylist, Evie, sat me down and asked me how I would like my hair done. “Simple without any puffiness,” I replied.

“Bang on trend,” she said. “We are seeing much more effortless hair. It is about more subtle beauty now.”

She styled it sleek with the ends bent slightly under and just the right amount of volume. It was a contemporary look that would work for any occasion.

Feeling good, it was time to flex that credit card.

By Daralyn Danns

For more information visit danielgalvin.com//selfridges