Nestled in the heart of London’s West End, Soho and Covent Garden are a beauty lovers’ haven, where flagship stores, indie gems and heritage apothecaries sit side by side along cobbled streets and bustling market squares. Julia Ferrari shares a curated A to Z Beauty Guide to unlock the area’s most iconic – and most undiscovered – brands and addresses, from heritage apothecaries to one-off perfumes and the now ubiquitous K-beauty meccas. There’s just one letter missing… can you spot it?
A is for Aesop: Offering botanical skincare, bodycare and fragrance in sleek packaging, you’ll recognise this Australian brand’s signature look thanks to its minimalist apothecary-style stores. 📍41 Lexington St, Soho, London W1F 9AJ aesop.com
B is for Benefit Cosmetics: Get your brows done and leave the service-led boutique with the perfect arch. 📍43 Carnaby St, Soho, London W1F 7EA benefitcosmetics.com
C is for Charlotte Tilbury: This celebrity-favourite brand delivers Hollywood-inspired makeup and skincare at its flagship “Beauty Wonderland” store – get ready for a full dose of glam. 📍1 James St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8BG charlottetilbury.com
D is for Dr Barbara Sturm: Get your fix of luxury skincare known for its science-led, anti-inflammatory properties. 📍SpaceNK 5 Neal St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PU spacenk.com
E is for Experimental Perfume Club: A collection of fine fragrances, new perfumes crafted in the shop’s basement, blending consultations, and design-your-own fragrance experience. 📍53 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DG experimentalperfumeclub.com
F is for Ffern: Only 4 perfumes are created per year, produced once only: the ultimate in limited edition status, you have to sign up without having smelled it. Their Soho store introduces you to the world of natural perfumery, where you can sample fragrances from the archives. 📍23 Beak St, Soho, London W1F 9RS ffern.co
G is for Glossier: Cult “your-skin-but-better” makeup and skincare brand, their Covent Garden flagship store has become a beauty destination for beauty-obsessed Gen Z. 📍43 King St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8JY glossier.com
H is for Horace: Get your French fix with this men’s grooming and skincare brand offering simple, effective and inclusive products. 📍29 Neal St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PR horace.com
I is for Innisfree: One of my first initiations to K-beauty over 10 years ago, this precursor in the craze for boundary-pushing Korean skincare fuses active ingredients with the best of nature – sourced from South Korea’s Jeju Island. 📍SpaceNK 5 Neal St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PU spacenk.com
J is for Jo Malone: This iconic British perfume house needs no introduction – its simple yet instantly recognisable cream and black packaging precedes its reputation for producing elegant colognes and luxurious home scents. 📍11A King St, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8HN jomalone.co.uk
K is for Kiehl’s: Monmouth St feels like a mini beauty destination, and this heritage apothecary-style skincare brand offering consultations and targeted treatments has stood the test of time for over a quarter of a century. 📍29 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DD
L is for LUSH: Best known for their multi-coloured quirky bath bombs, Lush’s Covent Garden store is not just a store but also a spa on the lower ground floor. Expect to come out all glowy with a smile on your face. 📍12-14 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9LP lush.com
M is for MAC: Bringing bold, world-renowned professional-grade makeup to this neighbourhood since 1995. 📍46 Carnaby Street, Soho, London, W1F 9PS maccosmetics.co.uk
N is for Neal’s Yard Remedies: Celebrating 45 years of organic beauty and wellbeing in the heart of Covent Garden, this recently renovated flagship store was voted one of the top 10 best stores by Conde Nast Traveller. 📍15 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DP nealsyardremedies.com
O is for The Ordinary: Yet another Monmouth St beauty address, this science-led, ingredient-focused skincare brand delivers potent, transparently formulated products at accessible prices. 📍73-75 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9DG theordinary.com
P is for Pureseoul – 12 Carnaby St, London W1F 7PA: What started as an online platform offering over 2000 K-beauty brands is now a fully-fledged in-store experience, with cult favourites reflecting Korea’s latest beauty trends. pureseoul.co.uk
R is for Rare Beauty: Celebrated for its inclusive shade ranges, skin-like finishes and mission-driven focus on mental health, Selena Gomez’s makeup and skincare brand is not just another celebrity endorsement. 📍SpaceNK 5 Neal St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PU spacenk.com
S is for So.Shell: Your go-to for a manicure, pedicure or eyebrow treatment, for a stress-free break from city life… in the heart of Soho. 📍34 Marshall St, Soho, London W1F 7EU soshell.uk
T is for Ted’s Grooming Room: Celebrating Soho’s rich music heritage with vinyl-covered walls and a jukebox, immerse yourself in the rock’n’roll vibes and come out of this barber’s with a clean shave, beard design or new haircut. 📍42 Berwick St, Soho, London W1F 8RZ tedsgroomingroom.com
U is for Ultra Violette: OK, we’re coming into difficult territory with the last stretch of the alphabet, so I’m relying on SpaceNK to deliver a roster of beauty brands, including this suncare offering fusing SPF and skincare benefits. 📍SpaceNK 5 Neal St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PU spacenk.com
V is for Vaisu Beauty Salon: A little place offering waxing and threading with faultless reviews and bookable on Treatwell. 📍10-11 Archer St, Soho, London W1D 7AZ treatwell.co.uk/place/vaisu-beauty/
W is for Wolf & Badger: At this B Corp-certified marketplace, you won’t just find independent beauty brands but also fashion and homeware, totalling over 2000 independent and ethical brands from around the world. 📍102 Berwick St, Soho, London W1F 0QB wolfandbadger.com
X is for XX Revolution: At X, I’m scraping the barrel with Revolution’s XX range of cruelty-free make-up, offering colourful eyeshadows, full-coverage concealers and foundations in 55 shades. 📍107 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9QL boots.com
Y is for Your Nail Crush: A nail bar run by Vietnamese staff located inside Vaisu Beauty Salon, boasting over 300 5-star Google reviews and offering, you guessed it, manicures in all shapes and sizes. 📍10-11 Archer St, Soho, London W1D 7AZ linktr.ee/yournailcrush
Z is for Zooki: For beauty from within you have Zooki, a British wellness brand renowned for its high-absorption supplements like collagen, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, designed to support skin health and immunity. 📍107 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9QL boots.com
From Aesop to Zooki, Soho and Covent Garden offer a mix of iconic names, hidden gems, and innovative newcomers. Keep this guide close for inspiration and share it with fellow beauty lovers as you explore the area’s must-visit stores, salons, and wellness shops.
Written by Julia Ferrari @freshbeautyfix | This article is part of The Spring Beauty Edit, celebrating the rituals in beauty, the brands, and boutiques that keep our neighbourhood glowing.
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