Salon manicure tips

In search of the secret to a good manicure, Erin Whitty road tests a range of nail salons to suit all tastes and budgets – and learns a few tricks along the way.

There’s nothing like freshly painted nails to make you feel groomed all over. A trip to the salon is a great way to achieve the perfect polish, and when you put yourself in the hands of an expert, you receive much more than streak-free colour. These days, nails are big business and the options are endless. You can now get a quick and inexpensive manicure at your local nail bar, enjoy extra treatments, or spoil yourself to an afternoon at an exclusive salon that will pamper, bathe, scrub and buff your nails. To point you in the right direction, Notebook: puts four salons to the test.

Star treatment
Christina Fitzgerald has turned her 20-year obsession with nails into a success story. Renowned as one of Australia’s leading manicurists, and with a celebrity following, she’s now developed her own line of polishes and is the owner of her self-titled company. When I arrived for my appointment with Christina, she ushered me into a leather armchair in a room that felt more like a friend’s home than a salon.

Most clients get a combined treatment of a manicure and pedicure, and enjoy the luxury of having the salon to themselves. Christina works on their fingers while Jade, the chief manicurist, attends to their toes. During my manicure, Christina explained that it’s gruesomely easy for manicurists to transfer infectious nail diseases such as paronychia, which deforms the nail bed and lifts it permanently from the base. Her team is therefore meticulous with hygiene, and they all wear protective gloves.

Christina prefers not to soak the nails, and explained that it can weaken the nail bed. She massaged lanolin into the cuticle, and pushed it back to encourage healthy nail growth. She also told me that she favours a short, square shape for nails because it’s stronger than a rounded shape, and soon after, I found myself astonished at my incredibly chic new look. The length, at around 1mm past the fingertip, would also be very easy to maintain.

Next came the polish. “A poor quality polish will bleed on to your skin when you try to remove it. This is why it’s best to invest in a quality product,” said Jade as she expertly applied a coat. “Apply a top coat everyday to preserve your polish,” Christina added. “It will dry in two minutes flat, and seal in the colour and shine.”

I went out to a swish bar that night with the most spectacular nails in town. As I fondled a martini, I admired my fingers elegantly poised around the glass. I felt impeccably groomed, and decided that the manicure was time and money well spent.
 
Christina Fitzgerald
Manicure: $50
Pedicure: $80
Duration: 1 hour

Level 1 354 South Dowling Street, Paddington NSW.
Call (02) 9368 0971 or visit www.christinafitzgerald.com.

American woman
American-style nail bars burst on to the salon scene during the 1980s, and with a bare-bones approach offering services on the cheap, they opened the beauty industry to a wider market. Nail salons are no longer the exclusive territory of well-heeled society gals – now, just about anyone can enjoy regular manicures.

When you want a pedicure or a manicure in a hurry, this is the way to go. Manicurists are fast and efficient, and offer everything from a basic polish to fake and decorated nails.

I opted for a Pedicure Spa at the Florida Nails salon, which was relaxing and over in a jiffy. As I shuffled back to my car, I marvelled at the sensation of my freshly scrubbed feet (make sure you bring a pair of thongs to wear, as even open-toe shoes can smudge the pinkies, and polish can take about an hour to dry). I’d chosen an elegant shade of burgundy by O.P.I, and admired the perfect cap of colour. This professional finish can be achieved at home by applying a high-gloss topcoat. The clear varnish will protect the colour and add an extra element of glamour.

Florida Nails
Pedicure Spa: $30
Duration: 30 minutes

Shop 18/3-9 Spring Street, Chatswood NSW.
Call (02) 9884 7397.

Spa spectacular
By the time I booked into Shimmer Face & Body I was a seasoned manicure afficionado. I’d also been amazed by the confidence that comes with knowing that you look good, and having people notice.

At Shimmer Face & Body, I was eagerly anticipating my next pedicure and the plush and relaxing environment seemed just the place for a girl wanting some serious TLC. The team of therapists here perform a huge range of services, from waxing and microdermabrasion to IPL laser hair removal and skin rejuvenation – so you can get all your grooming done in one hit.

Atmospheric music played in the background while my therapist Olinda set to work. First she scraped my feet with a pedi-paddle and scrubbed my calves with cream exfoliant. She then slathered on a mask, and focused on my toes. A long pen-shaped cuticle stone was used to gently push back the cuticles before excess was trimmed away. Nails were cut and filed into shape, and then buffed to remove stains and smooth out the nail. “Buffing makes the polish last longer because it helps the polish adhere to the nails,” Olinda explained.

She smoothed the foot with a pumice pad and rubbed in a sensationally scented lavender and tea-tree moisturiser. Finally, she placed my feet in a plastic bag filled with paraffin wax, which is good for muscular aches and pains and locks in moisture. “The treatment is fabulous in winter when feet are particularly dry,” Olinda explained. Finally, a cool red polish called Seduction by Colour Club and a slick topcoat was applied to make my toes a perfect 10 out of 10.

Shimmer Face & Body
Intensive Foot Therapy: $80
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes

137 Georges River Rd, Croydon Park NSW.
Call (02) 9797 6700.

Pamper
Mecca Cosmetica already has a well-established name when it comes to all things beauty, but a new nail service has pushed this chain of cosmetic emporiums to greater heights. Each store’s glossy façade and shelves lined with slick product packaging tantalise and excite the senses. Rainbow pots of colour trigger a compulsion to touch and test, making you feel like a kid in a candy store. Treat your inner child, and book yourself in for a fast and effective manicure or pedicure.

My manicurist applied a cuticle treatment and massaged my hands, wrists and the soft underside of my forearms with her thumbs in interlocking ‘C’ patterns. The warm sensation made me melt into my chair. As she filed back the sides of my nails she accidentally cut me – which sent her into a flurry of apologies – but did highlight the perils of a manicure.

She slicked on a clear base coat, followed by a bright orange hue called Miranda from the Mecca house brand. I chose this intense shade to contrast with my royal blue jacket, and the colours set each other alight. Finally a clear topcoat was applied, and as I waited for it to dry, I checked out the result. ‘Noticeable and bold,’ I thought to myself. ‘Here’s a girl who cares for her nails and isn’t afraid to show it.’

Mecca Cosmetica
Precision Groom: $30
Duration: 30 minutes

Visit www.meccacosmetica.com.au to find your nearest store.

Nail tips

• Pay for your treatment in advance – the best way to ruin a new polish is to fish around in your purse for money.
• It’s perfectly appropriate (and can be more hygienic) to take your own polish.
• If you want the look of a salon-style manicure or pedicure at home, the key is to shape the nails into a square and push back your cuticles with an orange stick or warm cloth.

 

For our recommendation on the best in hand creams, nail treatments and winter shades, visit the following link: http://forums.notebookmagazine.com/viewtopic.php?p=62268

 

 

Photography: Steven Chee