November 2008 Where To: Get a Manicure & Pedicure

Healing for your hand and sole By: Sumaiya Ali

Tired of flaky fingers and cracked feet? Your hands can be the biggest age give away — so it’s time to seek refuge from the captivity of the dry devils by soaking your thirsty hands and feet in moisture rich potions, hydrating those dead cells and thus treating them to some much needed TLC. Whether you are a corporate woman constantly tapping at your Blackberry and keyboard, a housewife indulging in all the possible household chores, sinking those hands and feet into soil due to your love for gardening, a full time fashionista, a person who is constantly behind the wheel, an exercise freak or a lucky person who does simply nothing other than balancing your weight on your feet, we all do need to spend some time on pampering our much used parts, the hands and the feet. What better way than smoothing away those jagged edges and spoiling them once in a while to reveal silky smooth skin with services offered at salons? From the French manicure method of cutting and filing of the nails followed by a moisturiser massage and nail polish, manicure and pedicures have gone a long way.These days we find ourselves indulging in a wide variety of services ranging from paraffin wax to hot stone, hot oil, luxury, spa and detox treatments. Wherein a paraffin treatment utilises warm paraffin with rich essential oils and fragrances, spa manicures or pedicures use hydrating masks and aromatic salt rubs. N Style Nail Lounge N Style opened its doors in Bahrain eight years ago for luxurious yet affordable treatments and since then has expanded to 14 branches in the Middle East. From packages for dazzling fingers to tempting toes it has a wide variety of treatments to suit your lifestyle and every need. The basic package includes a vitamin enriched soak and polishing to perfection. N style not only caters to the hands and feet of adults they have packages custom made for tweens too! Specially designed for tender skin it excludes nail or cuticle cutting or any abrasive agent and is topped with elements of fun. Party packages are also available on request as well as gift certificates. A manicure or pedicure with antioxidants, a grape seed oil massage, a pomegranate and cranberry scrub, infusions of paraffin, a deluxe treatment for the feet with soles soaked in milk and honey flakes followed by a sugar walnut scrub mask of oatmeal and apple, moisturising finishing creams and massages including reflexology and hot stones for the hands and feet are just some of its luxuries. Dessange Dessange salon is dominated by the principles of hygiene with sterilised and disposable products being used at all times. Classic and spa manicures and pedicures are offered here with the luxury Creative Nail Solar Oil as its key ingredient. Spa manicures and pedicures using Creative Spa Manicure/ Pedicure treatment creams are fantastic for drier, cracked skins as they offer more intense exfoliation and nourishing treatment masks. Enjoy a citrus scented spa manicure where citrus crystals gently exfoliate the hands and ceramides improve hydration and softness, or try the raw earth spa pedicure that uses sandalwood oil, raw sugar and an AHA foot scrub followed by a volcanic clay foot masque and ultra moisturisers. For a cooling effect try the marine spa pedicure which exfoliates with marine salts and natural crystals and then cools off with natural menthol, eucalyptus, peppermint and spearmint oils followed by a cucumber moisturiser. Head To Toe Head to Toe is a six year old boutique day spa run and managed by Australian hair stylist Cris Caminiti. It uses OPI products for its hand and feet treatments that transform ordinary services into an extraordinary spa experience. All nail files used are individual and given to the customer as a token to keep or reuse during their next visit. The flowery foot files are individual strips and are used only once. The manicure by OPI exfoliates, revitalizes, renews and provides instantly visible results. Formulated with nature’s most soothing and effective botanicals, a pedicure by OPI restores soles with treatment options that refresh and re-energise. Head to Toe uses Perfect Sense, which is a warm physiotherapeutic paraffin infused with eleven vitamins vital for healthy skin to finish off that perfect manicure or pedicure. It delivers heat and hydration for soft, smooth skin and protection from dry, achy or irritated hands and feet. Lovely Lolita Luxury manicures and pedicures from Lovely Lolita are all done using Jessica products which have over 15 basecoats and topcoats; thus every manicure or pedicure is customised depending on the customer’s nail types (one person can have different nail types, for example two dry nails, one peeling nail, and the rest normal). The Jessica products and antioxidant paraffin used for the manicures and pedicures are specially imported from the United States and have moisturising as well as anti aging properties. Following a manicure or pedicure, the hands and feet are dipped in paraffin and warmed in heated boots until they are supple and moisturised. Lovely Lolita also offers foot and hand spas, wherein the hands/feet are scrubbed, exfoliated and then a moisturizing and rejuvenating masque is applied before they are placed in electric mitts. It is followed by a spritz of refreshing spray and moisturising lotion to remove any left over dead cells. Perfect Nails In action for three years Perfect Nails does live up to its name. From packages exclusively designed for your little princess, they have many that leave you feeling like a queen! In the deluxe manicure or pedicure you are pampered with a conditioning and lathery soak, exfoliating scrub of strawberry or orange intensive cuticle therapy and an orange flavoured paraffin bath before placing in electric mitts/boots and lusciously moisturising your hands and feet with a vanilla orange cream. Surprise yourself with their seasonal treatments which include coffee manicures for the winter and fruity pedicures for the summer. Upgrade your pedicure with effervescent tablets and dissolving leaves of Tuscan citrus herbs of bergamot and clary sage and turn it into an extraordinary and luxurious experience. Nothing says it better than giving the gift of pampering. Gift certificates can be customised for any treatment you want for any amount and are valid for one full year. Bellacura Beauty Lounge Choose from the year old Bellacura’s standard manicure and pedicure to the French range where you could go classic with white nail tips or dare to go funky with a combination of colours. The spa manicure and pedicure is a standard manicure that ends with a soothingly warm paraffin bath where fruit waxes like peach apple and strawberry are often used. The paraffin dipped hands are then placed in electric mitts where the intense heat allows for deeper absorption of emollients and essential oils. A hot oil manicure cleans the cuticles and softens them with oil and works well for dry skin and brittle nails, by leaving them soft and pliable. Soothe the nerves throughout your body by opting for a reflexology applied foot massage. While catering to most of the basic beauty needs like hair, makeup, manicure and pedicure, Bellacura has henna, nail art, waxing and aromatherapy too. With a mileage of around ten miles per day our feet are often the last part of our body that we remember to look after unless they begin to hurt or develop calluses. Healthy feet are a sign of a healthy body. With the current footwear trend focusing on open toed and strappy sandals it has become a need to show off beautiful feet rather than hiding them within your sneakers. The cheapest and best pedicure is probably a barefoot walk down the beach. You get to relax in the breezy surroundings and also have an instant pedicure wherein the grains of sand slowly exfoliate your skin and the healing sea water unfolds miracles to erase dead skin off your feet. A good manicure or pedicure promotes blood circulation, provides relief from stress, prevents fungus, nail chipping and cracking, nail diseases or disorders and naturally bestows the much needed aesthetic appeal! Along with being fresh and rejuvenating they are also a great way to boost self esteem! Hygiene is a vital factor when you decide to go for a manicure or pedicure. You do not want to be infected with somebody else’s skin infections or fungus so make sure the instruments used are disposable or thoroughly sterilized. Our modern day lifestyles leaves our hands and feet overworked and chapped, so this time around treat those tired cells to a little luxury and leave yourself feeling like a diva!