Not a nail buff
June 11, 2007
I’m quite excited about my first ever manicure and pedicure that I will be receiving this coming weekend. This is the weekend before I realize that 30 is no longer a distant age. In fact, Thirty is so close that if I started telling people that I was 30 now, it wouldn’t raise any disbelieving eyebrows or launch any protestions of “Oh no you’re not, you exaggerator!”
[I'm not fearful of Thirty exactly, just surprised that in two years I will be able to tell people about the things I did in my Twenties, and be referring to every single year of my twenties.]
Last year, my friends bought me a gift certificate for a pampering duo of manicure and pedicure and at last I’ll be using it. I’m pretty excited and have been growing my nails for this reason. Long nails annoy me (and it’s almost clipping time) but I think it’s only kind to come in with at least a sliver of white above the nail bed, sort of like not shaving your head shiny the night before a hair cut and colour, you know?
Having never been to get a manicure or a pedicure, I have some questions:
*Should I take off any nail polish I currently have on my toes?
*I’ve never pushed back a cuticle or used an orange stick before: can they get nails that have been ignored for almost 28 years to look pretty?
*Are there any painful buffing or scraping activities that I should be aware of beforehand?
*Are there any special tipping rules that I should know of?
Good Luck. I've been told I have villager feet that were made for digging barefoot in gardens of cassava. Hence I stay far away from pedicures :P….I do know, that they'll remove the old nail polish for you so you don't need to worry about it.
I got my first manicure and pedicure last year, and I just love how pretty pretty your nails end up looking (I've never really done my own nails so perhaps I'm more susceptible to being impressed by the difference). I also love the mini foot and hand massages you get. The whole process of getting 'cures is so relaxing.
They're whizzes with cuticles scissors and various other nail tools, so while they might have to work at your 28 year-old virgin cuticles a bit longer, they'll be able to get them into shape. They'll probably pumice any callouses on your feet, and they'll buff your nails with a fine sanding block, but nothing painful (the sanding feels kinda weird to me).
Make sure to shave your legs, because your pants or skirt need to be rolled up near the knees to not get wet in the roiling footbath! They'll remove your old polish if you leave it on. I don't know about any special tipping rules (other than yes, do it), but you're going to feel obligated to tip after you see the labour-intensive process they go through of making nails pretty!
I have only done a manicure and pedicure once, and the only thing I really remember is that the water was WAY too hot at first. It was not relaxing for me because the guy talked my ear off the entire time and he was Asian and I had to struggle to understand him. Lol.
Ooooh!!! Enjoy it!! I can't believe you've waited this long!
They'll take your nail polish off. I agree with the above commenter to shave your legs. My lady massages my feet and my lower legs a bit and I'd feel bad if there was stubble. (eventhough I'm sure she's seen and felt worse).
I get a little callus (that spelling looks totally wrong and prob is) on my heel and they buff it and I find it doesn't hurt, but tickles like crazy. I try not to jerk and splash her with the water. lol.
Don't worry about your cuticles. They'll do their thing and you'll be good as gold.
I tip when I pay and they put it in her jar. I find it awkward to hand her cash when she's done polishing my nails.
I tell ya, I will never paint my own toes in the summer anymore. Nothing looks better than a mani pedi!! Enjoy!!! (can you tell I love this?!)