Edinburgh Beauty Quarter ★9.5

About the salon

Edinburgh Beauty Quarter sits on Lauriston Place, book-ended by George Heriot’s School and Edinburgh College of Art and a minute from Quartermile. It is a multi-award-winning salon that took the opposite approach to most: instead of one house brand, it cherry-picked a specialist product or device for each job on the menu.

Services

Facials dominate, split between CACI microcurrent programmes — face lift, eye lift, jowl lift, hydratone and a healing facial — and the Dermalogica range, with age-smart, anti-acne, multivitamin, men’s and teenage options. Beyond skin: peels, dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, phototherapy, waxing including intimate and men’s, body wraps, steam spa, nails, lash extensions and tinting, LVL and spray tanning.

Technology and brands

The brand list is unusually deliberate: CACI for microcurrent, Dermalogica for prescriptive skincare, Perron Rigot for wax, Tibby Olivier for supplies, O.P.I. and CND for nails, Lash Perfect for extensions and St Tropez for tanning. Perron Rigot in particular signals a salon that takes intimate waxing seriously.

Team and stylists

The awards are the practical evidence: CACI programmes and Dermalogica prescriptive facials both require therapists certified by the brand, and the menu is deep enough in both that this is core work. Skin treatments start with a consultation so the right facial is chosen, not the most expensive.

The Space

The setting is quietly institutional in the best sense — a stone-fronted stretch surrounded by schools, art students and the university, so there is life outside and calm inside. Treatments take place in closed rooms, which matters given how much intimate waxing the menu carries. Early opening Monday to Saturday makes before-work appointments realistic.

Who it’s for

Best for people who want a specific result from a facial and would rather have a brand-certified protocol than a generic pampering hour. It also suits students and staff from the surrounding institutions, men wanting a proper grooming menu, and anyone booking intimate waxing who cares which wax is used.

Questions and answers

Can I book online? Yes, and by phone or email; a consultation is advisable before starting a course.

How long do treatments take? Waxing runs from a few minutes to around forty-five, most facials an hour, and CACI sessions about an hour each.

Do you treat men and children? Yes — men’s facials and waxing are listed separately, and there is a teenage facial for younger skin.

Can I combine treatments in one visit? Yes, a facial with nails or waxing is standard. Mention it when booking.

Do you sell gift vouchers? Yes, by value or named treatment, usable across the full menu.

Opening hours