Despite the fact that I have been desperately watching my money lately, dissertation and job-hunting stress made me think that a facial + massage were in order (for the sake of my bank account I should probably stop feeling so entitled). I perused the websites of innumerable Central London salons only to find that facials run between £45 – 60 (on the low end) and massages are about the same. I cannot justify that. Back home, there are a few local student salons that offer treatments for incredible prices and I thought that maybe — just maybe — there were student salons here, too! Fortunately, there are actually a few and the prices are incredible!
Today, I hit up The Ray Cochrane Beauty School on Baker Street after booking just a couple of days ago. I grabbed a Dermalogica facial for £20 and two body treatments for £20. Add in some waxing and the grand total was £44! They do manicures, pedicures, hot stone massages… even electrolysis! The value for the money is great. The girls working there are definitely trying to learn and there’s a teacher/head master that checks in to make sure each treatment is a learning experience for them. If you’re looking for a super relaxing, posh experience, this is definitely not the place — there’s not a lot of privacy, the lights are a bit harsh and the students occasionally have to ask questions, etc. The outcome is quite the same, though: glowing, health(ier) skin but for a fraction of the price. If you need the basics taken care of (facial, manicure, pedicure, etc.) and you want to save some serious cash, definitely worth finding a student salon! Most of the students are really there to learn, too, so they want to do a good job!
There are actually a number of other student salons in London that look pretty awesome (in terms of pricing). Here are some to check out if you’re on a budget, too.
1. Ray Cochrane
118 Baker Street, W1U 6TT
Closest Tube: Baker Street
+44 020 7486 6291
2. London College of Beauty Therapy
47 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7JP
Closest Tube: Oxford Circus
+44 020 7208 1302
3. London School of Beauty and Make-up
London Esthetique Student Salon
Ground Floor, 48 Margaret Street, W1W 8SE
Closest Tube: Oxford Circus
+44 020 7636 1893
4. South Thames College Hair & Beauty Salon
Wandsworth High Street, SW18 2PP
Closest Tube: East Putney (Zone 3)
+44 020 8918 7777
** This place does hair, too!
You can get highlights for under £20!
You can download the beauty salon price sheet or the hair salon price sheet here.
I can’t lie — I’ve heard horror stories about student-run salons, but my experiences (in California and here) have been more than fine! You realize when you’re paying £20 for highlights or a facial that there’s a trade-off, but if you’re okay with less posh and more savings, they’re worth a try! If the thought of spending £20 still makes you want to die, check out some handy DIY facials!
Are there any other student salons in London that I should know about?
xoxo,
Not student run, but for £20, you can go and spend three hours in the spa at York Hall. Nice aromatherapy rooms and sauna, and then I just sit in the heated room and read magazines. Bliss.
http://www.spa-london.org/mainpage.asp?id=63
Treatments are more out of student price range, but they very often do 2 for 1 deals. I use the one at swiss cottage all the time.
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I booked in at Ray Cochrane for several treatments after reading your post. In my experience, student salons (Aveda Institutes) are booked long in advance with budget-seeking beauties and since they handle such high volume, it can be chaotic or impossible to schedule several treatments consecutively.
Is it strange that RC could fit me in for everything, just a few days from now? Are they empty or just really organised? Oh well, looking forward to it!
Hey Emma!
They got me in really quickly, too! There were a number of other people when I was there, though, which is pretty surprising. Like I mentioned, the environment isn’t what I’d call RELAXING, but it’s great value if you need treatments! The selling point was the fact that they got me in for a number of different services on such short notice… the other salons were all booked or only had room for a single service. I’m gonna try a different salon next time to compare! Hope your experience is a good one! :)
Do you know about Groupon for London? I seem to see a lot of -really- good beauty deals on there lately. worth following!
Yes!! I LOVE Groupon! They have some ahh-mazing deals but I have yet to actually try it out!
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