Beauty expert Trinny Woodall has shared the places, people and little-known secrets that make London feel like home, from her favourite hotel to a hidden detail at Admiralty Arch. The Trinny London founder also revealed her favourite first-date spot, her most memorable cab journeys and why she believes dogs should be welcome everywhere.
Home and Favourite Places
Woodall lives in Notting Hill with her daughter Lyla and their rescue dog Daffy. She moved back to the area three years ago to start a new chapter and loves being part of the neighbourhood. When staying in London, she chooses Claridge's, describing it as "old-fashioned in the best sense" with interiors that have a sense of occasion but never feel stuffy, delicious food and a spa that is a wonderful retreat.
Her first flat was at Thurlow Place in South Kensington, the first corner of London she called her own. Her first job was at Partridges, a delicatessen in Chelsea, where she sliced meat behind the counter. She said it was a proper, hands-on job and that you learn a lot about people when you're serving them.
Dating, Shopping and Dining
For a first date, Woodall recommends Kensington Gardens. She explained that a walk is the perfect first date because you needn't sit opposite someone while trying to think of something to say. There are benches if you get on brilliantly, cafés if you want to extend the date and escape routes if you don't.
She relies on Dover Street Market to see fashion pushing boundaries and Liberty for its extraordinary mix of British designers and beautiful fabrics. Some of her favourite meals are the ones where her daughter Lyla and her brother Zak decide to take her somewhere they're desperate to try, with the condition that she usually picks up the tab.
London Life and Work
Asked about a run-in with a London police officer, Woodall mentioned a minor speeding incident. If she were Mayor for the day, dogs would be welcome in every shop and restaurant, because when people spend their working week away from their four-legged friends, they want to bring them along at the weekend.
She named Samuel Pepys as the most iconic Londoner, fascinated by how he documented his everyday life in such detail. His 17th-century diaries give a window into London as it really was then, including the politics, the gossip and the personal dramas.
For work, Woodall is busy taking Trinny London into its next chapter. The brand has recently launched Fearless skin tint drops, designed to give invisible, skin-like coverage while addressing the changing needs of women over 40, and Take Back Time overnight hand transformation, which gives hands the same attention and care given to faces.
Secrets and Favourites
Woodall enjoys driving around London with her daughter when the sun is shining, playing loud music and enjoying being together. She noted that sitting in the back of a cab makes you open up, and she has told some drivers things that even her sister or best friend don't know.
Her London secret is the little sculpted nose on the wall inside Admiralty Arch on the Mall, a wonderful detail in such a grand, historic setting that you could easily walk past without noticing. Her favourite work of art is The Baptism of Christ by Piero della Francesca at the National Gallery, drawn to the stillness and clarity of his work and the way he uses colour, light and composition.
Her hero is Amelia Earhart, a fearless woman in a male-dominated world whose determination to challenge expectations and push boundaries she has always admired. For beauty, she books in with Ryan Wilkes at Hershesons, sees Edy London for her lashes and Nisha Patel for her brows, praising Nisha's precision as second to none.
