You might feel like a celebrity going incognito at a Harley Street surgery as you head into Linda Meredith. The Knightsbridge beauty clinic is hardly marked on street level, and you enter a non-descript, narrow stairwell that leads you up to a second-floor reception. The layout feels more reminiscent of a smart dentist’s surgery, truth be told. And Hollywood smiles beam down from the walls as signed photographs of clients past show this beauty brand’s sway over the years. There’s a slightly 90’s and 00’s relevance to it (Julia Stiles, Natalie Imbruglia, Claudia Schiffer), but if it’s good enough for Gwynie (who’s mug takes pride of place by the reception desk), it’s good enough for us.
My therapist Kinga made me feel at home right away, and seemed to genuinely revel in the fact that my skin needed a good clean. I was recommended what they call a Haute Couture Facial (an hour-long treatment costing £100) to help clear up congestion, which included a fairly pain-free extraction session and an intensely tingly micro-peel that enlivened my senses. The peace was amped up by cosy blankets and pillows, but hindered by the noise carrying around the building and its slightly crammed-together therapy rooms. But it’s all in the results: within a week, my skin was visibly brighter – to the extent that people were commenting on it – and my complexion since feels softer and more even. It's probably not up to Goop levels yet, but it feels like I might be on track.