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21st November 2012

Fashion SOS: Late Night Library

Your all-nighter doesn’t have to be a total nightmare, write Nikki Patel and Damilola Ade-Odiachi…
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TLDR

Girls: You’ve come back from reading week and you’re feeling the pressure, deadlines approaching you flock to John Rylands to carry out the infamous all-nighter, emerging 24 hours later with little more to your name than bloodshot eyes, an empty computer screen and the coffee shakes… Let’s face it we’ve all been there, and will go there again…and again. Despite being severely under qualified to solve your organisational problems, I can guarantee that you can look good in the process, which, let’s be honest, is a tad more interesting than word limits and bibliographies…

So, here are my beauty survival tips for an extreme stint at the library:

As with an essay, long-haul beauty is all about preparation, especially with the good old Manchester weather, no one wants to have left their face in a puddle halfway along Oxford Road before they’ve even entered the library! To avoid such disasters, I recommend a good quality primer. I swear by Benefit Porefessional (£23.50) and Prime time by Bare Minerals (£17.50) (see below). My beautician also told me that at a push, hair serum, yes hair serum, will do the job; who knew?  You only need a pea-sized amount and it de-shines, smooths and brightens. What’s more, you can pop it in your bag and apply to any particularly shiny areas which rear their ugly heads as the hours draw on.

Next let’s address those under eye Sainsbury’s bags, an inevitable side effect of an extreme study sesh. I always prep my peepers with L’oreal Touché Magique (see below) which doubles up as a concealer and illuminates the eyes when inside, you’re dying.

All that’s left is a slick of L’Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes mascara (£10.99), and a moisturising lip balm. I’m personally loving the tinted lip butters by Korres (£7.00) which come in a various subtle pink shades and give you all the glamour of lipstick without the gathering.

And that’s it you’re prepped and pretty to slog it out at the library, and if that’s not good motivation to get the job done I don’t know what is!

Boys: At some time in the distant past, before the days of Fit Finder and Hottie in the Library, it was acceptable to pull off an all nighter in onesies or pyjamas. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. We at the Mancunion have noticed that girls come into the library fully made up. The library is no longer just a place for study, it is a place for hunting. You, as a man, cannot let the side down.

If you do not want to have to endure a month long lady-drought as exams loom and the numbers of all-nighters you pull increase exponentially then you must ignore your natural tendency to turn to the more drab and undoubtedly frumpy items in your closet. These clothes are usually far too comfortable. Instead of doing a full night’s worth of work, you’ll end up having a sleep-over by yourself in the library. Instead, opt for your usual style of dress (this is assuming that you are a fairly fashionable fellow). A good pair of jeans, some trainers and a decent jumper will do the trick as these are comfortable, but not so comfortable as to tempt you to rest your eyes every 15 minutes.

With these clothes, when you ask the girl sitting across from you for a pen she won’t give you the look she usually reserves for rowdy drunk men on the bus.  Furthermore, if you were to attend your first lecture the next day without changing, no one would be any wiser as to the nature of your activities the night before.

If in any doubt ask yourself, “What would that ridiculously photogenic guy in the picture wear?”

 


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