London is expensive – tell us something new – but if you know where to look, being skint doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in a little pampering. We’ve found the capital’s salon gems that let you get your favourite beauty and grooming treatments for less than a round of drinks.
Massage and manicure
So Organic, Greenwich
Head south-east for beauty salon So Organic’s pamper party on March 8, where you can score taster treatments for a fiver between 2pm-8pm. Choose between a holistic massage or a mini-manicure; the latter uses Orly polish and organic products from Pinks Boutique. There will also be free sessions with reflexology and reiki therapists, plus you can learn how to de-stress quickly in super-busy London. Booking by phone is essential
22 Nelson Road, SE10 8EY; 020 8305 5357
soorganicgreenwich.com
Tube: Cutty Sark
Eyebrow threading
Sheer Bliss, Dalston
Slug-sized brows aren’t sexy, so if you can only stretch to one treatment, make it an eyebrow shape. And don’t let appearances fool you – this humble, family-run salon in Dalston is a gem for affordable waxing and threading. Eyebrow threading costs just £7, so you can look super-neat without splurging too much cash.
2-4 Kingsland Road, E8 2JP; 020 7254 5605
Tube: Dalston Kingsland
Nail treatments for men and women
London College of Beauty Therapy
If you’re not precious about letting a (supervised) student give your hands a once-over, then head to this beauty training school. Girls and guys up for a preening can book in for dirt-cheap manicures – £5 for 30 minutes and £10 for 45 minutes. And nail art costs £4 for a full set. If you spend £10 on treatments before the end of February, you also get a free eye treatment.
Appointments can be booked online and therapists are trained in the latest beauty techniques. Now that’s what we call
a sweet beauty deal.
47 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7JP
lcbt.co.uk
Tube: Oxford Circus
Ten-minute top-ups
Cucumba, Soho
No one has all the time in the world. That’s why Cucumba, Soho’s self-proclaimed “urban pit stop”, runs by the minute. If you’re in need of some speedy ‘me’ time on the cheap, opt for a 10-minute top-up treatment. For less than £10 you can get mini -facials, eyebrow shapes, facial waxing, mini- manicures and pedicures. If you’re feeling really decadent, splurge another £3.50 for added nail art or an extra five minutes. See, you can indulge when you’re busy and skint.
12 Poland Street, W1F 8QB
cucumba.co.uk
Tube: Oxford Circus
Men’s cut and blow dry
Casablanca Spa, Marylebone
A £10 haircut and blow dry in a central London salon. Unbelievable, right? That’s what we thought, until we discovered Casablanca Spa, which offers guys the service for a tidy tenner. Now there are no excuses for scraggly fringes and overgrown sideburns.
147 Seymour Place, W1H 4PB; 020 7724 0222
casaspa.co.uk
Tube: Edgeware Road
– Clare Vooght
