Manicure

What is a manicure?

A manicure is a beauty treatment which uses special tools, creams, waxes and / or massage techniques to leave your nails and hands healthy and looking good. What is a manicure good for? A manicure is good for improving the texture and health of both your fingernails and the skin of your hands, as well as leaving them looking polished and perfect.

Why have a manicure?

For both men and women, manicures are excellent for maintaining healthy nails, cuticles and skin. Regardless of your profession, people notice other’s hands and the presentation and cleanliness of your hands will be judged. Having your hands and nails groomed by a skilled therapist achieves a clean and professional look that can be difficult attain yourself. The pampering aspect of a manicure allows you to de-stress, relax and enjoy some “me time’. If you are opting for painted nails in your manicure, this can be a fun way to express your personality and experiment with colour and nail art trends.

Pedicure

10 Steps in a Professional Pedicure: What to Expect

Getting a professional pedicure at a salon is a great way to relax for a few moments of your day and to get an elegant or fun look for your feet. While you may think that a pedicure is just a way to get your old nail polish removed and new polish applied, some standard professional pedicure steps will be followed at any good nail salon no matter the type of pedicure you’re having done.

Your nail technician,  will care for the health of your nails and your skin while also ensuring that you have a completely relaxing experience.

1.

Soak Feet 

Your pedicure will begin with a relaxing soak for your feet in warm water. Most likely, you will get a bubbling foot bath that may have a product added to the water to help soften the tough skin and calluses on your heels and toes as well as your cuticles. Plus, the soak will clean your feet, giving them a fresh scent.

2.

Remove Polish

Next, your technician will remove any polish that you are wearing. You will be asked to remove each foot from the water, and the technician will pat it dry. Professional nail polish remover made of pure acetone works quickly and removes even the toughest colors, such as bright red.

3.

Trim and File Nails

Now that your nails are softened from the water and do not have on thick coats of polish, your nail technician can work on shaping them. Toenails usually sport a straight or square shape that is cut fairly close to your toes to prevent snagging on sock.

4.

Push Back Cuticles

Your feet will continue to soak between each step, allowing your cuticles that grow along the lower edges of your nails to soften. Your technician will once again remove one foot at a time from the foot bath, patting it dry before using a drop of cuticle softener on each nail. Cuticle softeners are often made from oil.  

5.

Exfoliate Feet

Now it is time to exfoliate the dead skin from your feet. This process will go quickly if you have been getting regular pedicures. However, it may take longer if you have not been in to the salon recently.

6.

Massage Feet

A final exfoliating scrub is rubbed on your feet and calves to remove the last remnants of dead skin. 

7.

Rinse Feet

Your feet will be rinsed a final time to get the scrub off and ready your toes for the final steps.

8.

Massage Feet and Calves

Now it is time for the fun and super relaxing parts of your pedicure. Once your feet are totally dry, your technician,  will slowly massage a special lotion or cream into your skin.  

9.

Buff or Paint Nails

You are finally ready to get your toenails painted. Your technician will insert foam strips between each of your toes to keep the wet nails from rubbing each other.

You will normally get two coats of color and a final top coat to seal in the color, create a shiny finish and help with quick polish drying.

10.

Cure Paint

You can either wait around 20 minutes at the nail salon to let your polish dry on its own, or you can place your feet under a curing lamp to speed up the process. If your technician applied an oil or quick dry coat to your nails, the drying process may only take five minutes before you can be confident that your nails will stay smear-free