Beauty on a Budget: File and paint

Natural beauty is a wonderful thing however it proves hard to keep hold of at uni.A lack of sleep, copious amounts of Jäger bombs and last minute deadlines in the library do not help situations.

Salons are the ideal place to claim back your ‘natural’ beauty but unfortunately come with an unnatural price tag. Luckily, The Tab have come to the rescue. We’re scouting out Bristol’s best salons without prices that require waterproof mascara.

This week I’ve gone on the hunt for the perfect nails. Now I’m not talking acrylics or anything because finding somewhere that will do you a full set of falsies for a price that won’t require an extension on your overdraft is like trying to find the Holy Grail.

For now I’m sticking to the simple file and paint for days when you want to get pampered and you want your nails to look like they have been painted by someone other than your 5 year old sister.

My search took me to Pamper Me Beauty, a small salon located just off Clifton Triangle (nice and convenient for all you Bristol Uni goers) on Queen’s Avenue. After a slight struggle finding it because of unclear directions on the site (it’s round the back of Bunker/ opposite Pam Pams). I was greeted by friendly staff that have a Bristolian charm that instantly takes away that horrible salon pretence.

For £9.23 I got myself a basic but perfectly adequate file and polish with a professionally done feel. I have always struggled to get my nails done for under a tenner so it’s a pretty decent deal especially if you consider the fact that 2 Jäger bombs at Ponana will cost you £9, and which is going to look prettier?

The salon does a student discount of 10%, I wasn’t asked to provide a student card but you might want to take one as their website states they require them. The staff will try to talk you into their slightly pricier Shellac gel nail manicure at £21, but stand your ground and get your bargain polish.

Overall the result is a decent manicure for a lower price than you’d expect to pay. The student discount comes in handy as you can use it across their entire range of treatments. I perhaps could have done with a slightly wider range of colour choice but I think that’s a way of convincing customers into Shellac because the Shellac colour range is equivalent to Joseph’s Technicolor Dream Coat.

I would give Pamper Me Beauty a good 3 ½ stars for its friendly staff, cheap prices and quality control. Whether you’ve got a specific occasion in mind or just fancy a bit of a treat, it’s a true student beauty saviour!

Stay tuned, next week I’ll be on the hunt for the perfect facial!