It’s in the nail

What’s the big deal about nails? "Before we opened, I can’t tell you how many guys I’ve gone out with who’d stare at my toes and say, ‘I have a foot fetish,’ and I’d go ‘Oh my God, did I clean my toes today?’" Pauline relates.

Pauline Suaco, Cherina Chilip and Anna Ricardo are the three partners behind the Nail Spa, located on the fifth floor of the Shangri-La Plaza along EDSA. The three have been friends since high school at ICA. In September 1999, they went to New York and did some "research." They made an "observation tour" of all the nail salons they could find in the big city. Back in the Manila, they got themselves incorporated in October of the same year. Thus, the Nail Spa was born.

"Caring for your nails is a sign of cleanliness," Cherina clarifies, "and hygiene. Certain women wear sandals but their toes are dirty. It’s very basic. Can you imagine stepping out and showing yucky toes?" Pauline, who is also the editor of Preview magazine, adds, "Fashion-wise, a lot can be said with your hands. So if I dress in military fatigue, I can accessorize my nails with military colors." Anna, who also runs a deli at the UP Village where she lives, offers her own reasons. "I’m into food. I wash my hands every five minutes, so they tend to be dry. I’m also on my feet all day. My hands and my feet are the most overworked parts of my body. And very neglected too. People like me need something to help us relax."

The Nail Spa is the answer. How many times has it happened that you’re thinking of getting a manicure or a pedicure but when you call for an appointment, all the salons listed in your book are full? "That’s exactly what happened to us. One afternoon, we were all together and we felt like we wanted to get a manicure but all the salons in Makati that we called were fully booked," Pauline relates. Manicure and pedicure are additional services in most salons where the main business focuses on hair and makeup. "If you just want to chill out and vegge, you don’t really want to do it next to somebody who is having her hair blow-dried or dyed," Pauline remarks. "If you’re a group of friends, they’ll put you far apart, in between everybody else that’s having their makeup or hair done," Cherina adds. "And you can’t really talk because everything’s really noisy. And the seats aren’t comfortable."

The Nail Spa is different. "We’re the only nail salon that’s set up like a lounge," Cherina points out. "You can have your nails done in a super relaxed atmosphere. One client told us that it was the first time she actually fell asleep while getting a manicure. Also, unlike in other places where they soak your feet in a basin of water for your pedicure, we have running water, so it’s always clean." This is the unique brand of pampering that the Nail Spa has to offer.

"We have three basic services," Anna, who is in-charge of operations, explains. "Express, Pamper and Bliss. The Express manicure (P150) is your quick manicure. It takes approximately 30 minutes. It includes cleaning and polishing. You can choose from 10 brands of nail polish. And you also get a five- minute hand massage. The Express pedicure (P220) is basically the same but it takes a little bit longer, about 45 minutes. The cleaning takes longer. You also get a five-minute massage. Pamper is very popular."

The manicure (P280) includes a 15-minute massage for both hands, including a bit of the arms up to the shoulders. And you can choose from 18 brands of nail polish. The Pamper pedicure (P590) is our bestseller. It includes a foot scrub, the bubble bliss and a 20-minute foot massage. The pedicure takes about an hour. Bliss takes a lot longer. For the hands (P550), it takes about an hour, mainly because it includes a hand scrub. Most people like to have a serve’s done from the elbow down, and it also includes a 30-minute hand reflexology massage. This is all inclusive of cleaning and polish. The Bliss pedicure (P990) includes a foot scrub, the bubble bliss and a mud pack. Basically, we rub your lower leg with a mud mask. We have several brands you can choose from. Ahava from Israel is made from mineral mud from the Dead Sea. It’s very popular. The other option is Dr. Scholl’s cinnamon foot rub. It softens your skin and makes it smoother. It’s very relaxing and rejuvenating. It gives you a pampered feel."

"If you don’t want nail polish, we buff your nails instead to make them shine," Cherina adds. "We also put oil." Removal of calluses is optional. "Some have thicker callus buildup that requires a stronger scrub," Cherina explains. "We have products with different grades. We have rock salt scrubs. We also have products with finer grains for people who are more sensitive. And we have gels. The important thing is that we have tried all our products ourselves. They are all credible products which we believe in."

The Nail Spa carries a wide selection of nail care products and brands ranging from the high end to the more popular. "We have a complete line," Cherina points out.

"We carry Chanel, but some kids might say, ‘yuck, that’s for mommies.’ But they see that we also have funkier stuff and younger lines like Urban Decay, and Tony and Tina. Some teenagers come with their mommies, but many come with their friends."

"We had one client, a 14-year-old," Pauline relates. "I was very surprised, she knew all the brands of nail polish and she knew who used what. She bought Vamp by Chanel off the shelf. She read in the magazine that this was what Madonna’s daughter, Lola, used. She said she couldn’t find it anywhere else but she was happy that she found it here. Vamp is a deep red color, almost black. It’s the same one that Uma Thurman wore for Pulp Fiction. It’s been popular for quite a while but we keep it because a lot of people like it."

"We also have #9 from Face, Stokholm," Cherina adds. "It always gets sold when we say that it’s the nail polish that Caroline Bessett Kennedy wore on her wedding day. It’s a sheer pink color that has an iridescent quality that changes with the light. We keep updated on what’s popular, what people wear. Which is what a lot of our clients like. The fact that we know the brands and we carry them."

"We also offer nail art (P30/finger)," Pauline interjects. "Some kids as young as five years old come with their moms, and while waiting, they can have one nail done with a fun design, such as a flower or a butterfly. The older ones go for more subdued designs." Anna adds, "We also have crystal stones (P20/stone), for ornamentation. It is applied while the nail polish is wet, designed like hearts or S-shaped. We also have nail glitter (P20/finger). Tony and Tina is famous for their glitter nail polish and they have formulated a special glitter nail polish remover. The problem with glitter is that it scrapes off the top layer of the nail if you force it out. But the Tony and Tina remover has a high concentration of essential oils so it easily slides off."

Cherina offers more nail care advice. "For kids, we recommend that the nail polish should be removed after a maximum of three days. Adults can wear their nail polish for four to five days. Then they have to have it removed and let their nails rest for one to two days before putting on new polish just to avoid the nails from yellowing. You should also never use acetone to remove your nail polish since this strips your nails of moisture. If used constantly, it dries the nails and causes them to become brittle. Always use non-acetone polish remover. Also, never use acrylic nail polish because it’s bad for your nails."

"It is also not healthy to cut your cuticles," Pauline remarks. "If you’ve started cutting your cuticles and you want to stop, to wean yourself from it, use cuticle cream and massage it regularly on your nails. Use products that are citrus-based. It’s the fruity acids in the cuticle cream that prevent thick cuticle build up. You can push the cuticles back gently. And don’t use metal pushers. If you must, cover them with cotton. And, to prevent ingrown toe nails, don’t cut the nails rounded or pointy but squoval, which is between square and oval shape." All three partners keep themselves updated with the latest trends by reading a lot of magazines and surfing the Net. Nailpro.com is a favorite site.

Nail Spa has six nail technicians to attend to their clients. They are all experienced and trained in reflexology. "It’s a quick pick me up," Cherina points out. "You don’t need to massage the whole body. Everything is connected to your hands and feet. We don’t claim to be medical. But you can relax your nerves when you’re very tired."

"We also have male clients who come for the massage as well as manicure and pedicure," Pauline says. "We even get couples. It can be a date place. It’s a good alternative to eating out. It’s less fattening. You get a couch to yourself. Guys can score lots of points. You can also give it as a gift. We have gift certificates. We can also customize a shower or spa party package for you."

The concept of your friendly neighborhood manicurista has indeed gone a long way. The Nail Spa has practically raised the specialized service to some kind of high art for just about everyone, but most especially, for people like the three partners and friends who are, as Pauline would say, "kikay."