Nightclub Prep: What NOT to do!

If you’re going to be at one of the sexy, stylish London nightclubs this weekend, you'll probably be spending a couple of hours getting to look your best. If you’re female, that is! If you’re male, you'll need around 20minutes to shower and change … but that's another story :-). Some of you will have developed a knowledge of these tips already, thanks to one or two disastrous and uncomfortable nights out at clubs in London. But for those of you tempted to leave your prep til the last minute, we have some definite don’t do's for you. Sometimes last minute is worse than not doing it at all … read on!

Waxing

You are probably familiar with the superficial bruising phenomenon if you regularly wax your underarms. However, mishaps do occur with other areas of your body, and Murphy's law says that if you’re going out to a London nightclub tonight, this is when they'll happen. Wax in advance - failing that, always shave.

Silkymitt

This hair removal system shouldn’t be used directly before clubbing, despite the fact that it claims to remove hair and make your skin smooth and gorgeous. The fact is, clubs are usually pretty sweaty, body-contact sorts of places … and if you've just Silkymitt-ed, sweat and contact will hurt! Shave - always shave if you only have a few hours before clubbing.

Eyebrow tweezing

If you’re in a rush to get to your London nightclub while entry is still free, you won’t necessarily be as calm as you could be … it is highly likely you'll fall victim to the 'Oh dear, I've overplucked one side - better even it up'. Curse and repeat, and end up looking quite scary! In addition, the swelling can take a while to go down, so do this the day before.

Vigorous exfoliation

We all want to be our smoothest and most delicious for a night of clubbing in London. But exfoliation can leave your skin extra-sensitive to the host of cosmetics that you'll be covering it with, and may cause nasty reactions.

Fake tanning

Don’t substitute this for real tanning - just leave a few days break between your fake tanning and your hot date with a London nightclub! We obey Murphy's Law, remember…

A Perfect Proposal

My boyfriend of three years received a big promotion and an offer to manage one of the largest nightclubs in London, England. It was a huge opportunity and one he just couldn’t pass up. I had obligations that prevented me from leaving at that time so we decided to carry on a long-distance relationship until I was able to join him at the end of the year. It would be a long five months but I was very excited about having the chance to relocate to England after I had fulfilled my contractual obligation.

My contract ended just after Christmas and as soon as I was available I caught the first flight to London. I arrived four days before the turn of the year and my boyfriend was very busy planning the huge New Year party his nightclub was throwing. It was the first time I had been out of the United States and I was excited to see the city. There was so much to do and see, especially on the west end of London. I had plenty of time but felt the need to see it all right away.

He had rented a very cute flat just a few doors down from his night club. The neighbors were friendly and I felt very much at home in this strange country. My boyfriend’s club was a very popular clubs among the London nightlife. Live bands often performed to sold out crowds. He was a big success and his bosses were very happy with him.

On New Year’s Eve I dressed up in little black dress I had bought especially for this occasion. I had never really been into clubbing but since this was his big night for the club I certainly wanted to be there to share it with him; especially since it was New Year's and we had never been apart for the turn of the year. As the clock ticked away with less than three minutes to go until midnight my boyfriend took the microphone and began doing the countdown. With two minutes to go he asked for everybody’s attention. Then he turned to me, got down on one knee, pulled out a ring box, and asked me to marry him. His timing was perfect. Of course I said “yes” and just as he slid the ring on my finger the clock ticked down to the new year. It was an amazing night and one I will never forget.

Bringing in the New Year London Style

I had the opportunity to participate in a study abroad program while I was in college. I spent a year in London, England, and had the time of my life. Being a college student I was all about going out clubbing and having a good time. London didn’t disappoint me at all; it was a very happening party town.

I lived in the college dorm and had quite a few friends to go explore the city with. The night clubs in London are flashy and full of life. The music is always excellent and many of the clubs have live bands. When the weather permits dancing often spills out onto the sidewalk in front of a club. The culture is quite a bit different than in the U.S. as there was very little fighting happening in the bars and it seemed that everybody got along famously.

My gang decided to hit all the New Year's Eve parties in London that we could sneak into or get invited into. It was a night to remember. We went to at least seven different parties and we didn’t have to sneak into any of them. They were open for anybody to join in. We welcomed the new year in among two hundred people we had never met before but they all seemed like good friends and treated us like we belonged.

I was actually surprised with how friendly everybody was in London. I had half expected to be snubbed for being an American but everybody I met was genuinely interested in knowing more about me and my culture. I met some excellent people at that New Year party; some of whom are still my friends today. I learned a lot about life in the year I spent in London and feel it benefited my life a great deal. I have a wider view of the world for what I experienced and made some extraordinary friends in the process.

I’ve been back to London several times over the past ten years to meet up with my friends and share some memories. I always try to plan my trips around the turn of the year so we can repeat that first night we hit all the New Year's Eve parties in London. I’ve welcomed in the new year in many different places but I have to say the best party’s in the world are in London.