Glamorous make-over, dinner and drinks all for just £10
With the credit crunch upon us, indulgent spending has become a rebellious and infrequent occurrence, with our conscience reminding us to be sensible with our hard-earned cash. Unfortunately, this is often at the peril of our social lives. Too often are Londoners overcome with horror when glancing at the bill after one too many glasses of wine on Saturday night at their local watering hole cum ‘gastro-pub’.
I am all too aware of this, as a final year University student living off of a steadily depleted student loan and living in an area of steadily increasing costs, West London. Thus the elusive ‘night out for under a tenner’ (£20 for two) has become a bit of a fantasy. However, over the past week, I set out with one mission in mind: to achieve this impossible dream and to prove that good old-fashioned drinking and dining can be done on the cheap.
As women know all too well, the best part of an evening can often be the getting ready part, rather than the night itself. My mother, the queen of budgeting, suggested that I invite round a few girlfriends for cocktails and a make-over, courtesy of Mary Kay Cosmetics. With a recent newspaper article suggesting that the cost of these make-overs can range anywhere from £50-£200, I was hugely surprised and somewhat dubious to discover that this would cost me nothing. ‘Free’ is not a word that I hear very often, so I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘what’s the catch’?
Mary Huson, a director-level representative for Mary Kay calmed my nerves by explaining that “your consultant will recommend products for you, but what you buy is up to you. There is no minimum spend”. Mary Kay’s philosophy is to teach customers how to apply their own make-up so that they are able to adapt their newfound knowledge to their everyday look. Doing your own make-up and skin care - supervised, of course, is according to Ms Huson, “a great start to a big night out - after you have applied your makeup you’ll want to show it off!” We could not resist the miracle skin care regime, some reasonably priced eye shadows, foundation and concealer and bronzer priced well under the High Street brands.
The next part of the evening consisted of a meal for two to appease the neglected boyfriend/husband, who will have inevitably lost interest at the sight of so many giggling women armed with insatiable hoards of mascara and glittery eye-shadow. The meal for two is the most difficult part of the task, as the majority of restaurants in the local area can set you back anywhere up to £100. Naturally, I turned to my local community website for guidance and inspiration.
The first was the Priory House (sister of Chiswick’s Old Stationhouse), which offers a lively atmosphere, cocktails and Mediterranean-inspired dishes. The twinkling fairy lights draw you into this romantic, subdued spot. The food was mouth-watering and came in perfect tapas sized portions. We dined on gnocchi seasoned with pesto and parmesan, Spanish omelettes, and butternut squash with wilted spinach and pine nuts. The bill amounted to only £18, although we opted for tap water to keep under budget and enjoy more to eat.
At the second restaurant, Ruby Grand on King Street, a two course meal for two cost us just over £15. The food did not seem to evoke a specific regional cuisine, as we dined on the very English ‘fish and chips’ as well as delicious Italian inspired bruschetta. While I highly recommend this restaurant for the quick service and affordability, it does resemble a glorified gastro-pub, so it may not be the exactly the right atmosphere to impress a high-maintenance first date.
After dinner, a short stroll down Shepherds Bush Road will bring you to B@1, a lively and unpretentious bar offering dozens of inventive and inexpensive cocktails. On selected nights cocktails are two for one, so delicious Mojitos or Margaritas will run £3-4, with the only drawback being that you will inevitably be tempted to sample the entire bar selection.
A brilliant make-over enjoyed at home, followed by dinner and a nightcap, all within walking distance – at £20 for two - meant my attempt at an inexpensive night out in West London was possible after all. Mission accomplished.
Christina Farr
October 23, 2008
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