DAY 1: Seoul, South Korea

Start your tour de beauty in South Korea, land of glass skin, snail facials and cheap Botox. Head to ParkJun BeautyLab, Top Scalp or Marzia Healing Spa for one of those viral head spas; the 15-step process of massaging, scrubbing and steaming aims to make your hair as shiny as the locals’. Try Chaum medical centre for next-gen tweakments, then Cocory or Meime Color and Beauty for personal colour analysis. Trawl Myeongdong Shopping Street for K-beauty staples like Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream, Cosrx pimple patches and Sulwhasoo serums.

DAY 2: Tokyo, Japan

Pop over to Tokyo for the most ingenious buys and the most impeccable treatments, because no one does perfection quite like the Japanese. At the pharmacy, purchase local favourites DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Merit dry shampoo sheets, Shiseido Fino hair mask and Isehan KissMe Heroine mascara, then spend an afternoon browsing Japan’s answer to Mecca, Cosme – preferably the threestorey flagship in Harajuku. At Sawae, a tiny dry head spa in Ginza, order the ‘small face massage’ and marvel at how 60 minutes of kneading your scalp can make your face look more snatched.

DAY 3: Bengaluru, India

Next stop is India, birthplace of ancient ayurvedic medicine and the panchakarma detox. These wellness retreats are lowto no-frills, but anyone who’s been to one lauds their life-changing magic. Check out Soukya, the go-to for King Charles and Queen Camilla.

DAY 4: Istanbul, Turkey

Combine self-care with a history lesson at Cağaloğlu Hamam (above), one of the most famous Turkish bath houses in Istanbul. Constructed in 1741, it’s the last great hamam built during the Ottoman era. After relaxing in the sauna, you’ll be lathered, scrubbed and sloughed (and suitably invigorated to check out the nearby Grand Bazaar).

DAY 5: Ischia, Italy

You could slosh down Campari spritzes on Capri, or you could bathe in mud on the Bay of Naples’ less-crowded Ischia. But it’s not just any mud; here the mineral-rich thermal waters are storied, said to treat skin conditions, arthritis and even infertility. Take a dip at a communal hot-spring park like Negombo, or luxe it up at Mezzatorre hotel’s thermal spa.

DAY 6: Grasse, France

It’s unofficially the Year of the Fragrance, so a pitstop at the world’s perfume capital is obligatory. Visit the International Perfume Museum and legendary parfumeries Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard, where you can mix your own fragrance (in 2024, few things signal status like spraying a scent no one else has). Sample concoctions from small, independent makers, then inhale deeply as you wander through fields of lavender, rose and jasmine on the hills of the French Riviera.

DAY 7: Paris, France

Take the high-speed train to Paris for a facial at Biologique Recherche. The personalised treatments are the stuff of beauty legend, and parched-skinned, jetlagged fashion editors have long flocked to the plush flagship townhouse off the ChampsÉlysées. Today, that crowd also sees Sophie Carbonari and Elaine Huntzinger, independent facialists who infuse age-old practices like lymphatic drainage and Chinese medicine into their treatments (book well in advance – their followings are cult-like). Next stop: David Mallett for a transformative cut and colour; the Aussie stylist is the master of French-girl hair. Once sufficiently sculpted and coiffed, make your way to a French pharmacy and stock up on Biafine, Homeoplasmine, A313 and Sanoflore.

DAY 8: London, UK

The Brits do a few things better than anyone else in the world: tea, pubs and day spas. Dedicate a day to the latter at Claridge’s Spa, a decadent Mayfair destination where you can see massage therapist-to-the-stars Luca Bagnara (try his lymphatic drainage) and nail artist Harriet Westmoreland. Alternatively, stay at the hotel’s newly opened sister property The Emory for access to private members’ wellness club Surrenne (above), which boasts a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, Korean-inspired scalp treatments and the UK’s first Tracy Anderson Studio. By this point on the itinerary, your brows will be getting unruly, so visit Sherrille Riley at Nails & Brows for The Audrey shape and tint, dubbed a brow lift without Botox by London insiders.

DAY 9: New York, USA

After a transatlantic flight, the hot and cold plunge pools of Aire Ancient Baths in Tribeca are calling. Next, a Joanna Vargas facial on Fifth Avenue is as quintessential a New York experience as Broadway and bagels, followed by an hour or two shopping at Glossier. Then make your way to Williamsburg; the Brooklyn neighbourhood is buzzing with must-visits like Bathhouse, Glowbar and the new Othership sauna and ice baths. Finally, head an hour upstate and check into The Ranch. It’s the first East Coast outpost of the hardcore Malibu wellness retreat beloved by A-listers, and now lures burnt-out New Yorkers and world travellers like yourself to the Hudson Valley for a less gruelling but equally rejuvenating program. All this beauty touring is hard work, after all.