No longer is the Kings Road a promenade of loafers and Ralph Lauren corduroys. In the past few years we have seen it flourish into a hot-spot for all of London’s cliques. Filled with unique boutiques, upmarket boulangeries, brasseries and most prominently, a bounty of healthy eateries and beauty salons.
The Beauty Block Chelsea, which opened earlier this year, is the new kid on the block. The concept: a hotbed where ladies (and men!) can come and wax, thread, shape and dine. Cynthia Chua, founder of the Spa Esprit Group is behind the innovate concept, and has seamlessly merged London’s fifth Ministry of Waxing, fourth Browhaus and our first Wanted Man Canteen, answering our calls for a lifestyle hub that offers all the trimmings.
Perched between modish clothing stores and slick Asian cafeterias, it brings a touch of rural edginess to this part of London. Made completely from fashioned wood, the exterior resembles a saloon bar, giving the South West a touch of Wild West fun. The ground floor occupies London’s first A Wanted Man Espresso Canteen. The café is a cosy tavern of Navaho bean bags, wooden tables and cosy cubbies. Most of the people in here are set up on their laptops, on their third almond milk triple shot organic Fairtrade coffee of the morning. And on that note, the coffee is excellent, and to keep the clientele beany happy, it serves bespoke Macchiato, Matcha latte or almond milk Frappucino ensembles. Name it and they’ll make it, without getting your name wrong!
The food is a healthy take on street food, with a bit of East meets West thrown in. Breakfast dishes to choose include a Cripsy Waffled Croissant which oozes with a creamy secret sauce and spiked with salty chorizo. For those wanting something virtuous and low carb there is the Avocado With No Name: a half avocado chock-full with soft boiled egg and topped with bonito flakes and sea salt. It is creamy, salty and satisfyingly fatty all whilst being nutrient rich and good for you. Result!
Meander on upstairs and you will find The Ministry of Wax. One of their popular services is a BBC: Full back and Boyzillian. Don’t ask! At The Ministry, they create their own specialist waxes and are renowned for their pain-free Brazilians. If you are looking for something serious, their IPL laser is unparalleled in its results and offers not only hair reduction but also a reduction in fine lines, stretch marks and pigmentation patches. Prices for waxing start from £9 and laser treatments from £31 per session.
If you are looking for more of a face pleaser, then BrowHaus is for you. Four sectioned off areas are available for treatments, each one dressed like a Western movie set with white floral lace windows, multi-coloured patched cushions and cowboy motifs. Forget the run of the mill pluck or thread: the treatments here go above and beyond, with exciting techniques such as 24-hour eyeliner, eyebrow extension treatments, shaping and colour tweaking, semi-permanent eyelash sets and lash curling. Their Brow Resurrection is their signature advancement which offers a strand by strand eyebrow filling for longer lasting eyebrows. So if you suffer from eyebrow envy, get yourself resurrected at Browhaus, but pack your wallet as the treatment is priced at £550 for a full set. Prices for other eye brow services start at £16 and eyelashes from £40.
The Beauty Block in Chelsea is a refreshing addition to the area, thanks to its friendly service, top-notch treatments and sensible prices. It is the perfect spot for a quick pep-me-up beauty session, or a lazy day of laptop surfing and macchiato drinking – oh, and their cakes happen to be pretty fantastic too!
For more information check out their website at www.awantedman.co.uk and for treatment information visit www.browhaus.com and www.ministryofwaxing.co.uk.