Lush

It starts with a sweet, floral smell. Before you know it, an extremely hospitable staff member with dayglo hair starts plying you with all kinds of magical balms, soaps and face scrubs, promising you they’re going to change your life. You know where we’re talking about. Cruelty-free cosmetics shop Lush has become a beloved fixture on UK high streets since it was first founded in the mid-nineties. 

At its three-floor Oxford Street flagship, you’ll find the usual towers of delicious smelling, neon-coloured cosmetics, as well as the first-floor Poetry Pharmacy, a have of curated poetry and books on beauty and wellness where you can self-medicate with a cosy cuppa and some Emily Dickinson, andone of Lush’s seven in-store spas.

Sure, Europe’s busiest boulevard hardly seems like the location for a day of relaxation; however, as soon as you step into the quaint, country kitchen-styled spa, where you can experience a mineral bath, a multi-sensory massage or a reflexology session all to a tailor-made soundtrack, the street’s shuffling tourists and tooting buses are forgotten. For the ultimate muscle untangler, we recommend stopping by for ‘The Good Hour’.