There are some AMAZING perks to what I do, namely, getting the opportunity to try out an incredibly new nail spot as part of the gig!
Courtesy of my friends at BlueSky PR and SPANAIL, I was able to watch the talented nail artist Maki at work at the sparkling new SPANAIL by Nail Quick location in New York City’s Soho neighborhood. The nail art craze has certainly become a global phenomenon, however Japanese nail artists are touted as the best, and now that the chain of upscale salons by Nail Quick have hit stateside, I was excited to try the experience and learn about the techniques, check out the salon, and learn about some of the cultural differences in the realm of nails and beauty.
The wall of polishes was well-edited with a nice selection of shades from O.P.I. and essie, as well as a bunch of gel options to choose from at SPANAIL. Not quite sure how I wanted to use them, I couldn’t decide between these two essie shades (pictured above), so I nabbed them both of the wall. While enjoying my pedicure, I grabbed a Wall Street Journal that had been floating around in my purse for some time, and was given a delicious cup of tea while my tootsies soaked in the warm bath.
As you can probably tell just by looking at this pedicure stations (pictured above) the salon is impeccably designed, melding Japanese design within the signature elements of SoHo, such as exposed brick and lofted ceilings. I had such a gentle, yet thorough pedicure, that I was almost too relaxed to read or talk! It was absolutely wonderful, and although I picked out the essie polish, I let my nail tech, Maki, decide on the design. She chose some delicate stones and carefully placed them into pyramid design at the base of my big toe nails.
While chatting with the team at SPANAIL, who had all come to the USA from Japan, I learned that the company trains their nail artists, who go through a rigorous process to be certified and up to par with the high quality standards. I also found out that regular polish as we know it doesn’t really exist anymore in Japan; it’s all about the gel polish, and pretty much everyone gets gel for it’s long lasting effects, especially when nail art is concerned. Since the special nail add-ons is what SPANAIL does best, you can choose on its menu from everything from a funky French, marble or graduation design, to the addition of stones, hand drawn designs, and more.
The salon has a selection of nail art to choose from (see above), but you can always advise on something specific that you’d like and may not see. Maki told me she has done everything from write names on nails to even freestyle a bird design. Speaking of designs…
I again gave Maki free reign on my digits, and the final result was this mix of half and half color and stones – just lovely! It was a wonderfully relaxing and luxurious experience at SPANAIL, which I certainly plan to return to soon and highly recommend for NYC dwellers and visitors alike. Prices start at $30 for a manicure and $45 for a pedicure, with treatments such as paraffin at $10 and nail art from $10.
SPANAIL by Nail Quick is located at 120 Sullivan Street (bet. Prince & Spring), from Mon.−Sat. 11am−9pm and Sun and holidays. 11am−7pm; call ahead to make an appointment at 646.476.3271.
