About Us

Lisa Brown

Lisa is the founder of The Luxury Spa Edit. With over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry, Lisa Brown (née Stokes) previously worked as a make up artist to A-list stars including Kate Moss, Felicity Jones, Gemma Arterton and Daniel Craig. With a passion for travel, beauty and spas Lisa went on to be a luxury spa columnist for The Huffington Post and continues to contribute spa articles and quotes to numerous high-end publications. With her expert knowledge and insight into the growth of the spa and wellness sectors she was inspired to create The Luxury Spa Edit in 2017.

Lisa has visited over 120 spa hotels, resorts and wellness retreats around the globe. She’s reviewed everything from yoga at Ananda in the Himalayas to detox cures at Viva Mayr, beauty rejuvenation programmes at SHA Wellness and Clinique La Prairie to holistic relaxation and mindfulness retreats at Banyan Tree and Four Seasons Resorts. Her travels have taken her across four continents.

Lisa has been a member of the judging panel at the prestigious World Spa Wellness Awards since 2018

Alice Hart-Davis

Alice Hart-Davis is a celebrated beauty journalist and author and founder of The Tweakments Guide. She is renowned across the beauty industry as a consultant and event facilitator.

While she still loves old-fashioned print media and writes regularly for publications including the Daily Mail and The Times, she is also embracing digital media, blogging and vlogging about what really works in beauty.

Leo Bear

Spa goddess Leo Bear contributes to a number of the UK’s top luxury titles including Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Quintessentially and Telegraph Luxury.

She first dipped her toe into wellness during a year-long stint in Los Angeles where she test-ran all the latest health fads. After extensive research, she settled on keeping things ‘clean and lean’, and steers away from anything involving gold, caviar and needles. And watsu.

When she’s not spa-ing, she writes about honeymoons, and in between monthly travel assignments, she creates content and collateral for marketing agencies and luxury brands.

Leo lives with her husband and two children in west London.

Jo Foley

Jo Foley is a freelance writer, editor and spa consultant. A former editor of The Observer magazine, she was also Executive Editor of The Times, Managing Editor of the Daily Mirror and Woman’s Editor of The Sun. She has written numerous books on diet, lifestyle, beauty and wellbeing, including Great Spa Escapes – a guide to some of the most opulent spas in the world.

For more than 30 years she has been visiting and reviewing spas, sanctuaries and wellness centres on four continents and has written about them for publications as varied as The Financial Times, Conde Nast Traveller, Tatler, Harper’s Bazaar, The Sunday Telegraph, Woman & Home, The Daily Mail, Departures and The Times.

She has observed fat farms morphing into pleasure palaces and health centres into holistic hideaways. She has experienced rather more than her fair share of Ayurvedic retreats in India, traditional Chinese medicine programmes, Hay Baths in Austria, Inca inspired Temezcal sweat lodges in Mexico, native American Hopi Candle therapy in Arizona, Thai massages, Balinese baths, thalassotherapy hosings in France, detoxes in the Dolomites, and Hammams throughout the Middle East. Hence, she can spot a charlatan at fifty paces, and is quick to differentiate between those who can truly cure and those who merely con.

Eva Wiseman

Eva Wiseman is an editor and columnist for the Observer Magazine, where, among other things, she is responsible for the beauty content.

As well as spa reviews, her travel writing has included a pilgrimage to Texas for authentic barbecue, and to Portland to discover the best vintage shopping in the world. Eva contributes to numerous high-end publications including British Vogue.

Juliet Kinsman

Juliet is the Sustainability Editor at Condé Nast Traveller. As Editor-in-chief at Mr & Mrs Smith for 13 years, contributing editor to Louis Vuitton City Guides (New York and London) and Country & Town House magazine and a journalist for two decades, Juliet Kinsman’s travel and spa tips appear in a plethora of high-end publications from Condé Nast Traveller and Harpers Bazaar to The Independent and National Geographic.

She’s co-presented a travel show for the Discovery Channel, been an expert speaker on many a travel panel and a judge for numerous high-end awards from architecture to boutique hotels. There’s nothing Juliet loves more than inspiring people with her travel tips and wellness experiences and she couldn’t be happier about the invention of Twitter and Instagram as she loves evangelising about the inspiring places she sees along the way…

Mark Smith

Mark Smith is The Spa Man. One of the few male spa writers in the world, Mark has been writing about men’s grooming and beauty for over 18 years. A judge for the Asia Spa Awards and Contributing Editor at European Spa Magazine, he has written for Tatler, The Daily Telegraph, Asia Spa, The Luxury Spa Edit, Planet Mindful and Men’s Fitness.

Reviewing spas since 2007 he visits around 30 spas a year and regularly speaks about the male spa market. Originally from Tasmania, but now based in London, he also works as a media consultant for beauty brands offering PR, marketing and social media support.

Read more of his stories on his blog thespaman.co.uk and follow his adventures on Instagram @markthespaman

Anna Hart

Anna Hart’s work as a globe-trotting writer has recently taken her behind-the-scenes at a viking fire festival in Shetland for The Telegraph, had her hanging out with digital nomads in Ubud for Stella magazine, and sleeping under the stars in Namibia for Conde Nast Brides. As Contributing Travel Editor of Stylist magazine, she’s always looking for under-the-radar hotels, up-and-coming city districts and must-visit new openings to share with readers.

Specialising in adventure travel and active breaks, Anna believes that all the best holidays return you to real life feeling better than you did before you left. Her idea of holiday hell is a half-assed massage at a luxury resort; you’re more likely to find her trekking in Bhutan, downward-dogging in Suffolk or checking into a no-nonsense medi-spa in Bavaria.

Rosemary Ferguson

Model turned nutritionist Rosemary (previously campaign star of Miu Miu and Prada, cover girl of Vogue and The Face, and runway muse of every designer from Galliano to McQueen) is also an author, writer and mum of three beautiful girls!

From a homeopathic background, Rosemary always had an interest in what food can do for your health – this lead her to study at The College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is now qualified in naturopathy and nutrition and runs clinics on Harley Street in London, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Her philosophy is all about making goals achievable, she believes that life is to be lived and through nutrition and self care we can give our bodies the tools needed to cope with the stressful lives we lead.

She is the author of ‘Juice’- published in April 2015 – which features 100 juice recipes to help cope with modern day life. She also writes for Women’s Health UK, Beauty Papers, Net-a-porter’s Edit and Get The Gloss.

Lindsay Frankel

Deputy editor of You magazine, journalist Lindsay Frankel has more than twenty years’ experience working on women’s glossy magazines. In the name of work, she had has the good fortune to test out the latest beauty products and treatments.

She has reviewed spas – both new openings and old favourites – in the UK and around the world and is passionate about making sure you spend wisely on the treatments and spa breaks that are truly worth your hard-earned cash.

While she’s always keen to explore places she’s never been, Lindsay also can’t quite keep away from Greek Islands, or Sydney every couple of years (where she once had the best mani/pedi she’s ever experienced at Venustus in Paddington).

Amanda Byram

Amanda’s job as a global tv presenter has allowed her to roam the world – living in Buenos Aires for Total Wipeout, and visiting Brazil, Paraguay and other South American hot spots. A self confessed travel and fitness addict, she needs to keep moving between shoots.

With a true passion for wellbeing, Amanda is a health, fitness and nutrition expert for Heath & Fitness Magazine and The Luxury Spa Edit.

Laura Ivill

‘It’s no wonder that the world’s best spas are found in some of the most beautiful and idyllic locations,’ Laura says. ‘From the sensual forests of Bali, to the tropical beaches of Mexico, to British rural retreats, I look for quality, consistency and elements of the local culture in every spa visit.

‘Health and wellbeing trends have come a long way since I started reviewing spas in the 1990s. Being kind to ourselves is something we expect from our holidays more than ever these days. And we love to treat ourselves to a bit of luxury.’

Laura has written for The Sunday TImes, The TImes, The Telegraph, The FT and Conde Nast Traveller, among the international press.

Toni Jones

Toni Jones is a London-based editor, writer, style blogger and founder of Detox Retox. Part of the Mail Online ‘Femail’ section, she likes a spa that can also appreciate a good cocktail list and recently spent a month bar and spa-hopping across America trying out wheatgrass and Grey Goose cocktails in Miami, anti-hangover IV-drips in Las Vegas and vegan bubble baths in LA.

Her favourite places in the world to recharge are The Standard in Miami and Atzaro in Ibiza, or closer to home she has been known to lose a Saturday or two in The Corinthia or Shoreditch House’s cute Cowshed rooms.

Tracie Cant

Over the years, Tracie has created red carpet looks for some of the world’s most beautiful and talented screen and fashion icons including Keira Knightley, Emily Blunt, Emma Stone, Kate Hudson, Scarlett Johansson, Gemma Arterton and Claire Danes.

With her distinctive approach and remarkable technical ability, Tracie is in demand on both sides of the Atlantic working with the industry’s top photographers; Miles Aldridge, David Bailey, Karen Collins, Rankin, Peter Lindbergh and Annie Liebowitz, for prestigious publications like Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, i-D and Numero.

Tracie has a keen interest in all aspects of wellbeing and has studied natural therapies and holistic nutrition, she spends her down time traveling to detox, yoga and wellness retreats around the globe.

Teresa Tarmey

Dedicated skincare expert Teresa Tarmey is behind many of London’s most flawless a-list faces. Having suffered with adult acne herself, she is knowledgeable and passionate about skincare for any age.

With 19 years experience she’s trailed the world’s most progressive spas, procedures, diets and formulas in search of the perfect complexion. Teresa’s approach is unique; delivering results-driven treatments from her beautiful, discreet Notting Hill flagship, where her A-list clients seek her expertise.

Her serene, holistic, flexible approach and lack of white coat has become her signature amongst Tarmey advocates.

Kim Brown

As one of the UK’s leading make up artists not only does Kim travel the world working on fashion and beauty shoots for publications including Vogue, Elle and Harpers Bazaar, she also regularly beautifies an array of a-list stars including Cate Blanchett, Rosamund Pike and Uma Therman.

Kim is also trained in shiatsu massage and has a passion for travel, aromatherapy and wellness.

Lysanne Currie

As a glossy women’s and celebrity magazine editor, Lysanne Currie spent the last 20 years travelling the globe interviewing the bold, the beautiful and the brave on everything from work to wellbeing and politics to pampering.

Currently Group Editor of Director Publications and Head of Content Publishing at the Institute of Directors (IoD), she now tells the stories of some of the globe’s greatest entrepreneurs and, for the past two years, has specialised in the role of wellness in business leadership. She sits on the IoD’s Mental Health Steering Group.

Lynne Hyland

A health and beauty editor for more than two decades, Lynne has tried and tested everything from the latest aesthetic and medi-spa treatments to hardcore bootcamps, detox and yoga retreats.

Lynne lives in London with her husband and two children and is always on the look out for luxury family friendly spas and retreats.

Annabel Kerman

Annabel is a fashion editor, writer and stylist based in Singapore. Previously a Style Director in the UK she now combines fashion and travel as fashion editor at World Travel Magazine.

She always has her eye on the next trip with her family, and tries to juggle completing her Asian bucket list with locations in which three wayward children will cause the least damage.        

Camilla Hewitt

Camilla is a freelance makeup artist working in the fashion & beauty industry. When she is not on the set of a photoshoot Camilla contributes to Country & Town House magazine. Her monthly Body & Soul page celebrates the world of wellbeing, with recipes, spa reviews & stress-busting techniques.

Jody Thompson

A journalist and editor for more than two decades for a series of national and international newspapers, magazines, websites and broadcasters (including the BBC) for the most part specialising in news, music, showbiz and entertainment, Jody was most recently blogs editor at the HuffPost UK before she set up her own media consultancy firm in 2017.

An unashamed massage junkie and travel addict, she has reviewed spas around the world from Thailand to Turkey, and her travel writing about everywhere from America to Australia has appeared in the likes of The Luxury Spa Edit and the Mail Online. She is still getting over the surprise experience of being whipped with a towel in a St Petersburgh spa by a burly Russian therapist who didn’t speak any English.

Behiye Hassan

Behiye Hassan is an experienced journalist specialising in wellness and business performance. She helped launch the Institute of Directors’ Mental Health and Wellbeing initiative, regularly interviews CEOs and entrepreneurs about their wellbeing and writes for Everywoman.com, Capita Travel and Events, Investec The Stand, Director and Luxury Plus. She is Managing Editor of MeettheLeader.com.

Laura Millar

Award winning travel writer Laura Millar has spent twenty years working in journalism, and has visited some of the most beautiful parts of world, as well as some of the most unusual.

From canyoning down cliffs in Tahiti, to meeting penguins in Patagonia, she is usually willing to do (almost) anything in the name of a story, and is published in a wide range of prestigious titles including Marie Claire, Stylist, City AM, Escapism, Square Mile, TTGLuxury, and the Evening Standard.

She sees spas a little slice of luxury, and a chance for some much-needed me-time, but believes they have to be beneficial and leave you feeling improved, whether releasing those tricky knots of tension or (ideally) making you look at least twenty years younger….