Presenting: A Beauty Fanatic’s Guide to Los Angeles

Welcome to Marie Claire’s Global Glow Guide, your one-stop-shop to the best beauty destinations around the world. Whether you need to find a bouncy blowout while traveling abroad or the best facial to rehab post-flight skin, we’ve got you covered.

A great beauty product recommendation is a dime a dozen these days, but a trusted tip on a truly transformative facial, lymphatic massage, or spa manicure? That’s worth its weight in gold. In Los Angeles, where surf, sunshine, and celebrity sightings often steal the spotlight, the real magic lies in the city’s sprawling beauty landscape: a vast, ever-evolving network of transformative treatments, next-level scalp care, and restorative bodywork set the standard.

Whether you’ve just landed from a cross-country flight or you’re a longtime local navigating traffic between neighborhoods, LA’s beauty ecosystem offers something for every kind of self-care craving. Consider this your curated map to the best beauty experiences the City of Angels has to offer.

Best Facial

Shani Darden

It doesn’t get much more iconic than Shani Darden. With a roster of celeb clients like Jessica Alba, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Laura Harrier, her Signature Facial is a bespoke hybrid of deep extractions, medical-grade peels, steam, massage, vibration, oxygen therapy, LED, and more—all customized to your skin’s unique needs. Darden stays ahead of trends by emphasizing long-term skin health over social-media quick fixes, and frequently blends microcurrent and vibration (the “exercise for muscles”) for tone and glow.

Signature Facial: 90 minutes

Cost: $600

Joanna Vargas

A fixture on LA beauty lists for good reason, Vargas’s most advanced treatment uses Prime Dermafacial technology with her signature techniques to deeply cleanse, hydrate, refine pores, and leave skin luminous in just 60 minutes. Think of it as red-carpet prep meets everyday glow, making it the ideal treatment before a shoot, event, or anytime you want that impossibly smooth “glass skin” finish.

Glass Skin Dermafacial: 60 minutes

Cost: $600

Julia Barna

A Julia Barna brings a holistic, tension-release vibe with her rooted in manual lymphatics, gua sha, sculptural lifting, and nervous-system-supporting touch. A licensed facialist with certifications in facial gua sha, lymphatic drainage, face sculpting, and Reiki, Barna’s intimate approach blends technique with heart: She spends as much time as needed to get to know your skin, habits, and overall health before creating a customized treatment plan for each client. The result is more radiant, calm, firmer skin that doesn’t just fade away after the first wash.

Classic Facial: Time varies

Cost: Beginning at $200

Best Spa

Wi Spa

This beloved Korean-inspired day spa is the quintessential LA go-to when you want a full spa day without a celebrity price tag. Open 24/7 in Koreatown, it’s an affordable, sprawling bathhouse built for lingering: rotating hot and cold baths, a lineup of specialty sauna rooms, steam, and the kind of low-stakes reset that feels great solo or with a friend. With a relatively affordable $30 admission fee, the menu goes well beyond soaking with body scrubs and scrub/massage combos that are as invigorating as they are relaxing. Arrive early with time to spare.

Wi Spa Access: Open 24 hours

Cost: $30 for admission, plus price of add-ons/treatments

La Prairie Spa Beverly Hills

A classic for a reason: the La Prairie Spa at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is old-school glamour executed with Swiss precision. This is where you go when you want your spa day to feel unmistakably Beverly Hills: impeccable, unhurried, and unapologetically opulent. The luxe experience leans restorative and relaxing, with face and body treatments that pair high-performance formulas with expert touch (read: sculpting massage, deep replenishment, and a “slept eight hours” finish even if you didn’t). It’s particularly ideal if you want a timeless luxury spa moment before a night out or a long weekend reset.

Elevated Rejuvenating Facial: 90 minutes

Cost: $600

Remedy Place West Hollywood

The West Hollywood club positions itself as a “social wellness” destination, which means you can pop in for high-impact self-care without committing to a full spa day. The menu spans ice baths, infrared saunas, vitamin IV therapy (including of-the-moment NAD+), hyperbaric oxygen, red light therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic, all in a sleek, design-forward space in West Hollywood. It’s especially good for the in-between moments—post-flight, post-workout, pre-event—when you want to feel tangibly better fast. They also offer structured plans/memberships if you’re building a routine around it.

Day Pass: 195 minutes

Cost: $275

Best Massage

Spencer’s

Spencer’s has the rare talent of feeling like a sure thing: consistently great bodywork without the guesswork. The signature experience is rooted in rhythmic, flowy massage (often cited as Lomi Lomi–inspired) layered with deeper pressure where you actually need it, plus thoughtful add-ons like aromatherapy and heat that make the whole thing feel more restorative than purely indulgent. Book at least 75 minutes so the therapist has time to properly work through your shoulders, hips, and neck.

Signature Massage: 75 minutes

Cost: $259 ($199 for members)

Wanserene

Wanserene is a strong option when you want a straightforward, full-body reset that prioritizes stress relief over scene. Located in Toluca Lake, it’s an accessible spa-and-massage destination—ideal when you want your muscles handled by someone who knows what they’re doing without making it an all-day production. With targeted tension work, it’s the kind of session you book when your body feels tight from stress, workouts, or poor desk posture. The vibe is calm and functional, making it a reliable go-to for easing physical stress and leaving you feeling lighter, looser, and genuinely reset afterward.

Thai Massage: 60 minutes

Cost: $75

Tania Diaz at Jivy Body

Tania Diaz is known for delivering results that clients can both see and feel immediately. A licensed massage therapist with nearly a decade of experience, Diaz specializes in Brazilian lymphatic drainage and post-operative bodywork, combining skilled manual techniques with wooden tools and, when necessary, advanced technologies like Indiba. Though her client list reads like a who’s-who in Hollywood, her no-frills Mission Hills studio keeps the focus where it belongs: circulation, contour, recovery—all wrapped into what ends up feeling like a much-needed therapy session. Diaz also offers in-home appointments across LA, making her one of the most sought-after bodyworkers for those serious about long-term results.

In-studio Lymphatic // House Call: 60 minutes

Cost: Starts at $150 for in-studio // Starts at $200 for house call

Best Blowout and Scalp

Mare Salon

Mare Salon has long been one of LA’s most respected destinations for thoughtful cuts and exceptional color—and in recent years, it’s only refined its point of view. Founded by celeb stylist Mara Roszak, the salon has evolved organically, attracting top-tier stylists and colorists by focusing on the work rather than the hype. “Our roster has refined over time,” Roszak explains. “We’ve attracted some of the strongest stylists in the industry simply by focusing on the work, not promotion.”

The recent launch of Roszak’s haircare line, Roz, has further elevated Mare’s approach—particularly when it comes to scalp health. “Healthy hair starts at the scalp,” she says, noting that the Roz Scalp Scrub has now been integrated directly into the salon’s service menu. While Roszak herself is often booked, the bench is deep: for major transformations, stylists like Marilee Albin, Bella Sementilli, and Michael Forrey are trusted first-call choices. If there’s one thing Mare is best known for, it’s color—especially effortless, sunlit California blondes that look lived-in, not overworked.

Blowout: Time varies

Cost: Starts at $85

Nick Flores, FLORE Salon

Founded by celebrity hairstylists Nicolas Flores and Paul Perez, the just-opened West Hollywood space has been widely framed as a design-forward destination—and it’s not just pretty. Flores and his team specialize in glossy blowouts, easy-to-style cuts, and color that feels natural and lived-in, and counts celebs like Sofia Richie and Anastasia Karanikolaou as clients. The salon has earned serious buzz since opening, and the team energy matches the aesthetic: warm, dialed-in, and detail-obsessed. If you can’t snag Nick or Paul, book with Jasmine, a senior stylist.

Blowout: Time varies

Cost: Starts at $150

Harklinikken Hair Health

A pioneer in treating the scalp like skin, Danish brand Harklinikken has been around since 1992 and specializes in scalp-first diagnostics for things like hair loss and thinning. Better for anyone looking for a plan, rather than a flashy product haul, the clinic’s approach starts with an in-person consultation where a Hair Specialist looks at your scalp and strands through a microscope, talks through lifestyle and habits, and establishes a baseline (including progress tracking) before recommending a customized nightly regimen.

Hair Specialist Consult and Treatment: Time varies

Cost: $250 for an initial consult and $150 for follow-ups

Best Manicure + Pedicure

Lanicure

Located on Sunset in Hollywood, Lanicure is known for offering a wide range of nail options from classic manicures and pedicures, gel services, extensions, and detailed designs without sacrificing the clean, elevated vibe you’d expect. It's a particularly great one-size-fits-most option for anyone looking to book with a friend or two, but if you want something specific, look to the wall of hundreds of polish colors and designs—or grab a photo from its well-curated Instagram profile.

All in Manicure: 50 minutes

Cost: $60

Rico Nashimoto

If you want nail art that’s meticulous, dimensional, and unmistakably personal, Rico Nashimoto is your person. A Japanese nail artist known for gel work and hand-painted detail, she operates in a more intimate, studio-style format taking one client at a time, which helps explain why appointments can book out weeks (or longer) in advance. The experience is less impromptu and more like commissioning a tiny wearable artwork with careful shaping, clean application, and designs that range from subtle texture to full statement sets. A great option for those who treat nails like accessories and want them executed with serious intention.

Custom Manicure: Time varies

Cost: Upon request

Beauty Cocktail Studio

Beauty Cocktail Studio is the kind of manicure destination that doesn’t rely on flash or spectacle. Tucked away in Glendale, the studio has earned a loyal following thanks to its meticulous approach, calming environment, and technicians who prioritize nail health as much as aesthetics. Appointments never feel rushed, prep is thorough, and polish application is precise—resulting in manicures and pedicures that look pristine long after you leave.

Russian Gel Manicure: 75 minutes

Cost: $100

Best Culturally Immersive

Dr. Toni Weinrit, DACM, L.Ac

For an LA beauty experience that’s equal parts aesthetic and truly restorative, Dr. Toni Weinrit’s facial acupuncture at The Reset is a standout. Weinrit, a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM), is also a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac) who frames cosmetic acupuncture as a skin-and-system approach—supporting circulation, tension release, and overall balance, not just surface-level “fixes.” Her West Hollywood studio is private and calming, and the results tend to read as subtle but meaningful: more rested, more lifted, more even, with a nervous-system exhale built in. It’s especially appealing if you’re trying to look fresher without chasing extremes.

Acupuncture: 90 minutes

Cost: Starts at $225

Jo Marie Reidl

A Reiki Ceremonial Haircut with Jo Marie Reidl feels less like a standard hair appointment and more like a recalibration. As a Reiki hairstylist (we know—how LA), Reidl blends traditional hair services with energy work, creating an experience that tends to both scalp health and emotional well-being. Her approach is deeply intentional: clients often describe feeling calmer, lighter, and more grounded by the time they leave the chair—even before noticing how good their hair looks. Rather than rushing through a service, Reidl prioritizes presence, touch, and energetic balance, making space for release while still delivering polished, wearable results. It’s a uniquely LA intersection of beauty and spirituality.

Reiki Ceremonial Haircut: Time varies

Cost: $255

Dr. Maritza Bollain y Goytia, DACM, L.Ac

At The Way Yin, Dr. Maritza Bollain y Goytia brings a deeply integrative approach to acupuncture and cupping. A Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM), licensed acupuncturist, and adrenal fatigue specialist, her treatments address far more than surface-level concerns, working to improve circulation, reduce inflammation, release muscular tension, and support the nervous system as a whole. Facial and body cupping are often incorporated to encourage lymphatic flow and relieve stagnation—techniques that can visibly brighten the complexion while easing deeper physical stress. Sessions feel restorative rather than clinical, appealing to clients who want results that unfold over time: improved energy, reduced pain, better sleep, and a sense of balance that shows on the face as much as it’s felt in the body.

Signature Integrative Mental Health Session: 120 minutes

Cost: $400

Best Brows and Lashes

STRIIKE

Known as a beauty studio that does brows, lashes, hair, and makeup, it’s a smart pick when you want a one-stop destination that still feels curated—especially pre-event or pre-trip. Founded by celebrity hairstylist Ashley Streicher and her sisters—both brow and makeup experts—STRIIKE’s Beverly Hills brand presence is strong, but the results are what keep people loyal: shaping that enhances your actual bone structure, lifts that don’t scream “lamination,” and an overall point of view that lands in the sweet spot between natural and elevated.

The Nurtured Brow: Around 30 minutes

Cost: Starts at $140

Wylder Esthetics

Licensed since 2013, founder Eryssa Fisher approaches brows and lashes with a holistic eye—considering bone structure, lifestyle, and long-term maintenance before ever reaching for wax or solution. Every appointment begins with a thoughtful consultation, and her signature brow mapping technique allows her to create balance without chasing perfection. (“Brows are sisters, not twins—but they should be in the same family,” she jokes.) While brow laminations once dominated her bookings, clients are now gravitating toward classic shaping, custom tinting, and lash lifts—services that enhance natural features with minimal upkeep. The result is polished, effortless definition that lasts up to eight weeks and never feels overdone. (For anyone that prefers a one-stop shop, she recently expanded her offerings with custom facials, too.)

Brow Lamination: 60 minutes plus

Cost: Starts at $160

Iris & West

Known for its thoughtful, detail-driven approach, the studio specializes in lash services that enhance the natural eye rather than overpower it. Ask for Coral, whose sessions are calm and unhurried, with an emphasis on customization, eye shape, and long-term wearability. Whether you’re opting for subtle extensions or a more polished lift and tint, the focus is always on balance and restraint. It’s a trusted go-to for those who want lashes that photograph beautifully in natural light and grow out gracefully, too.

The Signature Full Set: 115 minutes

Cost: Starts at $200

Best Beauty Destination

Credo Beauty

Credo is the clean beauty shop for people who don’t want “clean” to mean boring. The Larchmont store is especially good for discovery: you can browse a tightly edited assortment of skincare, makeup, fragrance, and haircare with staff who’ll actually help you find what works—not just what’s trending.

Violet Grey

Violet Grey’s Melrose Place store is the rare beauty retailer that feels like a set—except the curation is the star. Tucked behind those signature red doors, its edit is built on the brand’s Violet Code ethos: products vetted by top artists, derms, and insiders who treat beauty like a serious craft. Come to browse the shelves, but don’t skip the experiential perks: the store spotlights complexion matching, personal shopping, and even custom fragrance layering with in-house editors.

Aritaum

Aritaum is a must for readers who treat K-beauty like a hobby. The retailer positions itself as a one-roof destination for Korean skincare and makeup across multiple brands, and the appeal is discovery: trending innovations, complexion products, and skincare staples you can actually see in person instead of guessing online. It’s also a great place to build a glass skin regimen without walking out with twelve random serums that don’t layer well. (Staff and regulars tend to have strong opinions about what’s worth it.)

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