Tag Archives: Manicure

New York’s Best Nail Bars

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There aren’t many cities that have truly embraced the nail art trend… Londoners are taking cautious steps towards the new fad (with WAH leading the rest), apparently Japan are wildly creative with their designs and possibilities… I knew little of NYC’s opinion of the fabulous fingertip fashion. Spending five days in the Big Apple, I had the opportunity to try the latest trends in nail art and scour the streets for the best beauty bars. Here’s my top three:

Primp and Polish

Brooklyn-bound hipsters will find comfort in this blissfully calm and laid-back nail salon. I was impressed by the sophisticated decor and design, stools and plush reclining chairs are lined up ready for pampering. Boys and girls alike visit P&P for all kinds of treatments, but the classic mani’s and pedi’s seemed to be most popular. My friend indulged in a pedicure and assured me it was the best she had ever experienced, luxurious and invigorating, perfect for her weary sight-seeing feet. I went for a nail art manicure with the Queen of Designs, Kieu Bui. After a lovely exfoliation, massage and extensive cuticle work, Kieu got to work on some NY themed nails: stars, stripes, cocktails and the piece de resistance, an abstracted Statue of Liberty. The girls gathered round as she drew expertly on my nails, with precision and flair… it was a mini-masterpiece. I absolutely loved this nail bar and the district of Williamsburg that surrounds it… we spent the ideal Saturday morning, adorning our nails at Primp & Polish, drinking delicious coffee from Black Brick (just round the corner) and browsing in the boutiques.

http://www.primpandpolish.com/

 Valley

Hidden in the heart of the Nolita area on Elizabeth Street, this cute and glam venue offers the best waxes and manicures in the neighbourhood. It is located among the hippest stores in town – the girls visiting this salon are clearly regulars and all their chattering resembles a scene from Gossip Girl. Nail Art is a must at Valley, everyone has it and the wackier the design, the better. A quiet but efficient girl called Ayumi filed, soaked and buffed my toes before applying pink gel polish and decorating with glitter and an immaculately drawn American flag. I noticed plenty of other beautiful patterns and emblems, one girl even had a miniature picture of her beloved dog painted onto her thumbs. They have become known here for their elaborate glitter patterns and, trust me, it is hard to resist the trolley of bottled sparkles. The coolest nail bar in Manhattan and a must try for nail art fanatics.

http://valleynyc.com/

Beauty Bar

The all singing, all dancing Beauty Bar is more bar than beauty but wins its place on the list for the original concept and fun vibe. I was initially a little disappointed to see garish Halloween decorations up but aside from this minor discrepancy, I was wholly impressed. This is a retro girl’s dream and offers a manicure and martini for just 10 dollars. Unfortunately having already had both my hands and feet painted to the extreme, I didn’t have the chance to try out the beautician’s skills… but next time definitely. Have your nails painted, grab a partner and dance the night away.

http://thebeautybar.com/New_York/

With so many cool nail bars in New York, it is difficult to know who to trust: for nail art Primp & Polish and Valley are unbeatable and for fun Beauty Bar is the New Yorker’s favourite.

Neville Hair and Beauty, Pont Street

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If you watched the first episode of ‘Made in Chelsea,’ you will have seen NEVILLE hairdressers featured… yes, it’s where Ollie bravely had his glossy locks chopped off.

This boutique has become the destination salon in Central London. It is located perfectly on Pont Street – it would be easy to spend the whole day at Neville, this beauty emporium has everything you need for head to toe pampering. I was lucky enough to be a Chelsea ‘it’ girl for the morning visiting Neville for a colour, cut and blow dry.

The salon exterior says it all: stylish and glamorous with a touch of vintage charm. I love the decor, a sparkling shimmering black with plush seats and the latest magazines lining every wall. I was taken downstairs with Donald, my colourist for the day. We chatted briefly about my lack-lustre hue and decided to take the colour a shade darker for winter with a few subtle highlights round the parting and face for volume and to ensure the colour looked natural. I’m used to sitting in the chair for hours while foils and brushes are used relentlessly on my hair. Donald worked super-fast, efficiently getting the job done within the hour. After a bit of heat, there was no need for adjusting or toning down, the colour was just right. After an invigorating hair wash, Donald kindly arranged for me to have my eyebrows threaded and shaped with the wonderful new beautician located on the lower floor. As well as threading, manicures and pedicures are available.

Upstairs is where the action really takes place… Neville specialises in BIG blow dries, which is evident immediately when you walk into the salon. Long manes of wavy backcombed hair fill every seat, I felt a bit out of place with my rather less impressive short hair. Dayne did his best to make me fit in, minimally trimming my hair, to give a sharp long bob with no layers, and then blowdrying to the extreme, to give maximum shape and volume. I left the salon feeler lighter than ever, with a striking hairstyle ready for autumn.

On my way out I had a chat with star reflexologist Paolo about reviewing his miraculous treatments, so watch out for more from Neville soon!

More information here.

http://www.nevillehairandbeauty.net/

BOOM Nails

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BOOM Nails is Emma Zettner… a young creative nail artist who caught onto the trend before most.

An arty Bristol graduate, Emma began decorating nails as a student eager to assert her imagination and create something extraordinary. Soon she had a regular slot at Shop Dutty, a pretty boutique-y store where regulars would drop in for their nail fixes. Moving back to London in the midst of the nail art frenzy, she finds herself nail-arting for shoots, celebs and fashion shows.

I visited Emma’s house for an Olympics nail make-over, though I must admit I was tempted by her impressive display of other designs. We chatted as my nails were given a couple of coats of white varnish. Next Emma used yellow, green, blue, red and black varnish pens to draw an incredible overlapping circle design on each of my nails. There is debate about where to buy the best nail art pens, we discussed Model’s Own’s recent products and Topshop’s range, but Emma still recommends stuff for sale on Ebay, cheaper and easier to use.

I was amazed with Emma’s steady hand, creating such perfect circles on my nails, all free-hand. The design we created together worked well… obviously imitating the Olympics logo but also looking like a fun graphic pattern. I love my Olympics nails and it seems other people do too as I have had numerous enthusiastic comments. On the night of the Olympic opening, I was at the Fringe members club launch party, just metres away from the main Olympic entrance gate… my nails were very appropriate for the occasion!

Check out the beautiful BOOM Nails website and blog here and watch out for news of Emma’s nail art stalls at festivals, fetes and other events soon. If you are really desperate for a little bit of boom on your nails, Emma may even let you have an appointment at her house.

Ps. A top tip for nail art addicts at home: a thick clear top coat is essential for longevity and shine. Seche Viche is the brand to buy… thick and quick drying with a glossy shine, it can be obtained from most big Boots stores.

Check out the BOOM Nails website and blog for more information.

http://www.boomnails.co.uk/prices.php

http://boomnails.blogspot.co.uk/

Boom Nails will be at V Festival in the VIP Lounge painting fabulous nail art.