Measly manicures

WHEN will I learn not to 'splurge' to make myself feel better?

My measly manicure - what do you think?

About a month ago, I was idly looking on lastminute.com at holidays that I couldn't afford, when I saw their "50% off spa deal". GREAT, I thought, and booked a half price manicure in Shoreditch, thinking I could go and have my manicure done before seeing my boyfriend at the weekend. 

But nothing's ever that easy, is it. I got my voucher in the post a few days later, and rang the beauty company to book my treatment. Turned out it would take at least two weeks for them to organise my booking.

Although I felt a little conned, I decided it wasn't the end of the world, and booked the treatment for the beginning of May. 

I've just come back from Identity UK hair salon in Shoreditch, where I had my manicure. Firstly, I had to pay £2 extra to have a french manicure, because "it takes longer". The whole thing was meant to last half an hour. More like 10 minutes. I don't know whether it was because I'd come in with a half price voucher, but I felt like some sort of burden on their time, rather than a paying client. 

I've had a few manicures before - usually up north in Manchester, and I do think it's a lovely treat. I like looking at my - normally grubby and unkempt - nails, and thinking, gosh aren't they pretty! But I'm holding my nails up in front of my face now...and it's hard not to grimace. The tips should be white, right, not a sort of grey/cream?

The girl who did my nails asked if I liked them. 

"Erm...I expected the tips to be white..." I told her, trying to be diplomatic.

She wasn't impressed, saying "well I think they're lovely" and ushering me upstairs into the hair salon to let them dry before I could say anything else. 

As I sat there, grumbling to myself, I was handed a lukewarm cup of coffee and handed three brochures detailing other (hideously expensive) treatments. 

Not bloody likely! 

Money for nothing...

AS a twenty-something masters student living in London, I'm not exactly rolling in it. Far from it in fact. Mostly, I live on soup. (Well...M&S soup...and that's generally because I'm lazy and a terrible cook). So, when I do spend money, I do it as a treat. So it really annoys me when - to put it bluntly - you get shafted.  

I've lived in London for 9 months now. For the most part, I've been pretty disappointed with the service here, whether it's in a restaurant or cafe, or, like today, a hair salon. So I've decided, through this blog, to write about my experiences.

I'm a natural critic (some might call it a bit of a bitch - I like to think of it as 'expecting high standards'). However, IF I think something, or somewhere is great, I'll rave about it until the cows come home. So, if like me, you're pretty hard to please, then maybe I can give you a heads up about what's hot, and what's not, here in the city.

Of course, this is completely my own opinion - feel free to criticise, or disagree with my reviews. I welcome, and would appreciate any comments on my reviews.