How to get the glossy Cotswolds glow, by the woman with the ultimate little black book: LUCY RUSSELL reveals the only hair colour to consider, the smart set’s eye trick and every skin secret

If you’ve been to the Cotswolds recently, you’ve probably found yourself wondering how women achieve their Gloucestershire glow. You know, that understated, polished look that you probably suspect costs thousands of pounds to maintain.

I can tell you their secrets. I’ve lived in the Cotswolds for 13 years and am the founder of the Lucie app, which is the go-to resource for women to find and book the best beauty and wellness experts.

We cover the Cotswolds and London, as well as Ibiza and Paris, and have built up a fantastic roster of high-profile clients who are full-time residents of the region or rural residents in the ‘Golden Triangle’; These include pop star Natalie Imbruglia, entrepreneur and partner of Simon Cowell, Lauren Silverman, and actress Portia de Rossi, wife of US star Ellen DeGeneres. I know Definitely what the flamboyant Gloucestershire team did and who did it.

People don’t realize that looking good in the Cotswolds is very different to looking good elsewhere. For example, women dress much more here than anyone else in London.

My girlfriends in the capital go out to dinner wearing jeans and a nice top, while in the countryside they usually wear a cocktail dress, even though most big events usually take place in people’s homes. This level of flamboyance and fun also defines their beauty routines and means they go above and beyond. Blow-dries two to three times a week; back-to-back nail appointments; lymphatic drainage massages etc. All in the name of looking the best they can.

There’s also a lot of socializing while working out at venues like Soho Farmhouse (sohohouse.com), Bamford Club (bamfordclub.com) or the recently-popular Chloe’s Pilates near Chipping Norton. obsessed with (chloespilates.com).

A lot of effort goes into choosing matching sportswear (Varley, Alo, LuluLemon) as well as a Chanel bag and Marfa Stance coat, but beauty-wise this usually consists of hair shaved back into a high ponytail with Silke London hair clips (£35 for 6, silkelondon.com) and Sarah Chapman Skinesis Skin Insurance SPF50 tinted cream for makeup-free radiance (£74, sarahchapman.com).

I would say 99 per cent of high-income individuals in the Cotswolds have their treatments done at home. Yes, younger clients, for example, can turn it into a social gathering and get a pedicure together at the Farmhouse, but this is more of a luxury treatment compared to the client who sees these appointments as an obligation.

At St. Lucie we know the best local practitioners and we try everyone before recommending them. We also bring in dedicated experts from London for our clients. In general, our women always want a ‘natural look’ above all else. So what and who is most in demand right now?

Give up brunette and go blonde

There are acres more blondes than brunettes in the Cotswolds – if you’re telling a story and talking about a skinny blonde woman in a Range Rover, you could be talking about just about anyone – and they’re certainly not embracing grey.

There was a time when everyone got color done locally and it was all a very similar shade of brassy blonde, but now colorists like Raphael Cheesman come from London (£300 for half highlight), there’s a lot more variety of blonde and a lot more caramel tones.

Raphael used to work at Daniel Galvin Junior and Nicky Clarke but now comes to clients’ homes – though don’t expect a blow-dry afterwards as he only specializes in colour; you’ll need to plan this elsewhere.

Most women here get regular blow-dries, which cost around £80 (which, yes, can easily add up to over £200 a week). People love Morgan and Charlotte on the app. The big, bouncy hair and curlers of the ’80s are a definite no-no; It’s about beach wave, straight hair or slicked back ponytail.

Nailing the Cotswolds manicure

I would say customers prefer to buy gel rather than polish (£60 for a mani and £65 for a pedi). A small minority will request extensions and occasionally we may receive some nail art requests while the Wilderness festival is on.

You might think gels are good for practicality, too – you don’t want to risk ruining your mani if ​​you get in the mud with your Le Chameau boots – but I’m not sure that’s something anyone here is worried about. It’s more about looking simple yet polished. As for colors, all of our manicurists are required to carry Essie’s Sugar Daddy (very pale creamy pink) or something similar. And if the client wants more impact, they can opt for a bold red like Gel Bottle’s Couture. They will have the same colors on their fingers and toes. You won’t see a toe without a pedicure at any yoga class in the Cotswolds.

They also love hand cream, and their current favorite is 79 Luxe (£33, from British independent luxury brand founded by Karen Cummings-Palmer 79luxe.com). For a more locally based brand, people love Bertioli by Thyme Water Meadow Hand and Body Lotion (£55; bertioli.co.uk). We also see more men coming for nail care these days. Our best nail technicians Sabina and Alicia work locally but we also work with London based Imarni (@imarninails) and bring her to the Cotswolds to see our clients (POA). She’s done the nails of just about every celebrity on the planet, including Lily Collins, Lily Allen, Emma Stone, Charlize Theron, Zoe Kravitz, and Olivia Dean.

If you’ve been to the Cotswolds recently, you’ve probably found yourself wondering how women achieve their Gloucestershire glow.

Eye trick that means no mascara required

Glamorous Gloucestershire women can spend £200 on an at-home make-up session; which is significantly less than our London customers who spend around £600.

The art is in creating a spontaneous, low-effort look: In other words, they definitely don’t want to look like they’ve just done their makeup.

They tend to get eyelash extensions, but for a minimal look that looks too natural – they’ll get a half set rather than a full set – which means they don’t wear mascara. They’re also moving away from heavy foundations to multi-tinted moisturizers, and they’re all raving about the Victoria Beckham Beauty Foundation Drops (£104, victoriabeckhambeauty.com).

Charlotte Tilbury is also in everyone’s make-up bag, especially the illuminating Beauty Light Wand (£30, charlottetilbury.com). Eyebrows are simply toothed. I think makeup always gives away who is a local and who is a hotel guest at Soho Farmhouse or Estelle Manor; While the Cotswolds are understatedly chic, most tourists and hotel guests are more flamboyant, wearing heels and as much volume as possible in their hair.

Most lips in the Cotswolds are nude (though you might spot the odd red lip at a big event) and nothing beats the Rhode Peptide Lip Tint (£20; rhodeskin.com) or Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss lip gloss (£37; chanel.com).

Facial with a months-long waiting list

People either want true medical facials that focus on deep tissue cellular therapy or things like acne, pigmentation or skin texture, or they’re turning to a truly sculpting facial that uses lymphatic drainage to reduce puffiness and renew skin. They will leave with an armful of skin care products from heavyweight brands like ESK (eskcare.com) and Obagi ().obagi.com)

Our best man is leading A-list medical facialist Lee Harrison (£250 per facial), who works with brands including Obagi, Dr Levy, Priori, Skin Better Science, ZO and IS Clinical. Lee covers the Cotswolds and London and includes facials, extractions, EMS (Electronic Muscle Stimulation), dermaplaning, enzymatic peels, high frequency and dermal LED Light Therapy. Many of our clients plan their facials months in advance because they don’t want to risk not being able to make their appointments. Red Carpet Treatment, also known as Cinderella care, is popular for special occasions. Results-oriented and non-invasive, it instantly strengthens the skin, leaving it brighter, firmer, hydrated and giving a natural shine that lasts up to 48 hours.

Charlotte Tilbury is in everyone’s make-up bag, especially the illuminating Beauty Light Wand

The subtle rise of tweaks

They are everywhere and always plain. Everyone starts Botox, and people will have a very small amount of filler – if they have it in their lips, it’s very light – because no one wants it to be obvious.

What about Dr. in London? We send clients to Vicky Dondos and Sadaf Jaffari or our VIPs come to them. The look they all want is very natural; A fresh and radiant look. People are also getting mesotherapy treatments for their faces from Profhilo (hyaluronic acid injection for £800 per treatment course) and mesotherapy, which uses micro-injections of vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants (£270 and up).

We are seeing more questions about blepharoplasty (eye lift) and also face lift surgeries. These days most of our clients will avoid getting sunburned on their faces at all costs and will use SPF 50 all year round. Brands they love include Sisley Sunleÿa Anti-Aging Sun Care SPF50+ (£223; sisley-paris.com), Dr Barbara Sturm Drops Sun SPF50 (£125; drsturm.com) or MZ Skin Expert UV Protector SPF50 (£110; mzskin.com).

• As told to Edwina Ings-Chambers