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kathryn-murray
13th October 2015

MCR Student Night Out

Fashion Editor Kathryn gives you the lowdown on Manchester’s student night shopping event
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On Tuesday 29th of September hordes of students flocked to Manchester city centre to see what bargains were on offer. Students, shopping, and fresh student loans go together hand-in-hand and MCR Student Night Out proved it.

Manchester Arndale and Manchester’s business improvement district collaborated to host MCR Student Night Out, in which over 200 stores were involved. The event went on from 4pm – 9pm, giving students access to a range of exclusive one-night-only offers as well as live music and freebies.

Shops including Topshop, French Connection, Ted Baker and Office all got involved offering students a discount of 20 per cent. The night spanned from the Arndale Centre, to House of Fraser, St. Ann’s Square, Market Street and Exchange Square.

Shopping wasn’t the only activity available with St. Ann’s Square offering an inflatable game zone and House of Fraser having a Cash Cube where students could catch a golden ticket and win a prize.  Manchester’s Travelling light circus performed Fire Spinning and Pyro Trickery. It’s safe to say there was entertainment all around as well as a good night’s shopping!

David Allinson, Centre Director at Manchester Arndale, said, “students are extremely valuable shoppers in the centre and we are proud to offer everything in one location for them to kit themselves out for term time.”

I had the pleasure of experiencing what Manchester has to offer on the Student Night Out. Obviously there is the Arndale which is great for shops. I visited Oasis and Warehouse to see what kind of trends were knocking about. 70s is still massive this season, with flares, suede and tassels everywhere. Dark greens, reds and navy seem to be dominating the winter palette, although Monochrome is still as stylish as ever. If Oasis and Warehouse are anything to go by, I would highly recommend investing in a coat with fur trim, a checked kilt style skirt, and a roll neck top.

Photo: The Mancunion
Warehouse shop floor Photo: The Mancunion
Oasis shop floor

Lush in the Arndale were also offering students a chance to make their own facemasks. Fashion isn’t just about clothes you know; beauty is also a massive part of a fashionista’s life.

I paid a visit to Selfridges where I sampled some of the services they offer. I managed to drop by the new Braid bar kiosk downstairs in Selfridges where I got three cornrow style braids. There are 12 braid styles to choose from; however the girls like a challenge so you can always bring a picture along for inspiration.

Braiding is quick; I went for the “Eva” which only took about five minutes, but most of the braids won’t take more than ten minutes to complete. Choose from feathers, beads or a little brush of colour if you’re getting ready for a night out. If you want a different look but don’t want the permanency of bleach or perms then the Braid Bar is a great alternative!

With braid prices ranging from £15 – £25, the Braid Bar has plenty to offer, including hair glitter, chalks and jewellery. Braiding is the perfect accessory for any outfit and at these prices it is well worth the professionals doing it, instead of your half-drunk housemate trying to French plait your hair at pre-drinks.

Photo: The Mancunion
The Braid Bar

Selfridges also offered Henna tattoos by Pavan. With prices starting at £18 you can get a glitter, coloured, or traditional henna tattoo. Alternatively you can buy a tube of henna for £5, although you will need some practice to get those intricate details offered by the artist’s at the Pavan bar in Selfridges. I went for glitter henna on my hand which I loved! Although was slightly disappointed when it started peeling off later that day. However, it looked amazing; I might try and start a new going-out trend of glitter henna-ing myself from head to toe. I’m not sure if it will catch on though!

Photo: The Mancunion
Pavan Henna Photo: The Mancunion

After Selfridges I visited Harvey Nichols, where the lovely ladies at Bobbi Brown transformed my “barely there” make up to a great smokey eye. This party season smokey eyes are going to be bigger than ever before with a glittery sheen topping your look off with a playful sparkle. Bobbi Brown may not be student-loan friendly, but I would highly recommend their concealer if ever you want to splash out.

After having my hair braided, hand henna-ed, and make-up done I was ready for a night out! Manchester has some great services available, often with student discounts. What a great place to live and breathe fashion and beauty!


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