Celebrity Facialist Nichola Joss Is Bringing Her Famous Buccal Facial To Edinburgh

Aberdeenshire-born celebrity facialist Nichola Joss is returning to Scotland for an exclusive winter residency at Spa at The Edinburgh Grand.

From Kate Moss to Margot Robbie, Aberdeenshire-born facialist Nichola Joss has built an international reputation for her distinctive approach to skincare. Now she's bringing her signature buccal facial to Edinburgh, something she discussed exclusively with Hood while recording our new podcast.

When we interviewed Nichola Joss for our forthcoming Hood podcast, there was plenty to talk about. A career that has taken her from Scotland to Hollywood, a client list that includes Kate Moss, Margot Robbie and Jennifer Lopez, and a facial massage technique that has become one of the most recognisable treatments in celebrity beauty.

But there was another piece of news that particularly interested us. Nichola was planning to return to Scotland for a winter residency in Edinburgh, giving clients the opportunity to experience her much-discussed facial without travelling to London.

We can now reveal the details. From November 2026 until February 2027, Nichola will be spending one week each month at Spa at The Edinburgh Grand, offering her signature Bespoke Buccal Inner Facial™, with appointments starting at £300.

The Facial Behind The Famous Faces

Originally from Aberdeenshire, Nichola has spent decades developing an approach to skincare that places facial massage at its centre. Her career has taken her across London, New York and Los Angeles, working with actors, models and musicians, and establishing her reputation as one of the industry's leading facialists.

Much of that reputation rests on her expertise in buccal massage, a technique that works on the facial muscles from both inside and outside the mouth.

If you're unfamiliar with the treatment, it involves the practitioner using gloved hands to massage the inner cheeks, accessing muscles that conventional facial massage cannot reach in quite the same way. Nichola combines this with external facial massage and lymphatic drainage techniques, tailoring the treatment to the individual.

The emphasis is on releasing muscular tension and improving the appearance of the face through massage. It's particularly associated with a more defined-looking jawline and cheeks, although any sculpting effects are temporary rather than a permanent alteration to facial structure.

What makes Nichola's approach interesting is its reliance on touch and her detailed understanding of facial anatomy. At a time when increasingly sophisticated devices and injectable treatments dominate much of the beauty conversation, her signature treatment remains centred on the practitioner's hands.

A New Edinburgh Address

Nichola Joss performing her signature facial treatment at Spa at The Edinburgh Grand, where she will be in residence from November 2026 to February 2027.

The residency will take place at Spa at The Edinburgh Grand, which opened in March 2026 within the former bank vaults beneath the hotel on St Andrew Square.

The intimate spa has three private treatment suites and offers a menu of facial and body treatments developed in partnership with Spanish skincare brand Skeyndor.

For Nichola, whose work has taken her around the world, the residency also offers an opportunity to spend more time working in her home country.

And for Scottish clients, it's a rare chance to book directly with the facialist herself, whose treatments have attracted an international following.

We had the pleasure of spending time with Nichola recently as she recorded an episode of our new podcast, What I Wore: Six Photos. One Life.

The series explores the stories behind six photographs from different chapters of our guests' lives, using what they wore as the starting point for conversations about identity, ambition, change and the experiences that have shaped them.

Nichola's journey from Aberdeenshire to working with some of the world's most famous faces gave us plenty to discuss, including her return to Scotland.

We'll be sharing that conversation when the podcast launches soon.

How To Book

Nichola Joss will be in residence at Spa at The Edinburgh Grand for one week per month from November 2026 until February 2027.

Appointments for her Bespoke Buccal Inner Facial™ start from £300, with limited availability.

Where: Spa at The Edinburgh Grand, 42 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh.

When: November 2026 to February 2027.

Bookings and enquiries: Spa at The Edinburgh Grand