This might come as a bit of a shock to you but I have never had a mani/pedi before. Sure I have had my nails painted but not once have I treated my hands and tootsies to their own ‘me time’. So I knew that something had to change and luckily Boutique Spa were opening a new branch in Fitzrovia and were all too pleased to give my hands and feet the love and attention that they needed. I was cautious at first; you may remember me visiting the Queensway branch for my Boutique Spa: Microdemabrasion treatment which was far from perfect. While the treatment was excellent I found the hospitality to be lacking which unfortunately made the experience rather lacklustre. But I needn’t have worried; from the get-set the receptionist was kind, welcoming and happy to bring me a steaming cup of strawberry and mango tea and was attentive to my every need. After a brief 5 minute wait I was taken to my little ‘quiet area’ to receive the ‘deluxe’ mani/pedi experience and was flanked by two of the sweetest therapists that you could find. Sophie was also 23 and having previously worked with ‘Nails Inc’ she was the perfect beautician to deal with my poor battered feet while Macedenian Dana had 10 years of experience in the nail industry back home and was now working in the UK to provide for her children’s future.
To say that the experience was different to what I was expecting would perhaps be a little bit of an understatement. When I think of a mani/pedi I think of having your nails painted, a little bit of chit chat and then on your way you go. But Boutique Spa’s manicure/pedicure certainly lived up to its ‘deluxe price tag’ and for the first time in a while I felt myself relax. Taken into their peppermint scented world the first step was to buff and trim my cuticles, ensuring that the nails would be smooth enough for application. While my nails were in fairly good condition it was my toe nails that needed the most attention and after removing the polish with acetone and clipping the nails short, my hands and feet were primed for the next 120 minutes of pure unadulterated of ‘love’. Taken into their peppermint scented world I was whisked away on an unforgettable journey which transformed my nails into beautiful things of wonder. Because the cuticles had now been trimmed to the therapists satisfaction it was time to rub peppermint cream into the nails to soften both the nails and the area surrounding its shape. It would mean that the nail varnish would be easier to apply and would of course leave my hands and feet in baby soft condition. I smelt wonderful and the soothing scent of peppermint and ginger wafted around my nostrils delicately transporting me into a gorgeous daydream. Massaging my hands and feet gently, I could feel the tension dissipate slightly and after the cream had been applied various times my hands and feet were wrapped in-wait for it- cling film and heat pads which as they put it would allow the cream to soak into the skin and nails.
While my hands were being wrapped in cling film, the therapists would entertain me with stories and it honestly felt like I was talking to two old friends. As Dana put it ‘you can still be professional while being friendly’ and she’s right it does not hurt to be friendly to your clients. After all the better the customer service the more likelier they are to want to come back for another treatment. Once the cream had soaked into my skin it was time to exfoliate my cuticles and the surrounding areas to ensure that all dead skin had been eradicated. The scent of ginger reinvigorated my senses and I could really quite literally feel my rough skin melt away. After choosing a delicious shade of burgundy nail varnish- of course what other colour?- my nails were primed and scrubbed to perfection, before having a clear base coat applied to help the nail polish stay on for longer. After three coats of nail varnish had been applied to both hands and feet my treatment was coming to an end and all that was left to do was to leave them to dry in the ‘nail varnish dryers’. Whilst my hands dried pretty quickly the toe nails took far longer to dry and unfortunately the biggest two toenails chipped despite being wrapped in cling film. Unfortunately I think it was a case of wearing the wrong shoes- boots are a lot tougher on freshly painted nails- rather than the nail varnish itself as the finger nails – albeit chipped slightly- but it was not noticeable until the 5th day which is considerably longer than most nail treatments bar shellac. All in all my nails might have chipped quite quickly but their customer service was impeccable, they were attentive to any requests you may have and made me feel right at home.
Pros
- Friendly staff, always ensured I had hot tea to keep me warm and a fresh supply of chat to keep me entertained
- A personalized and friendly service
- The treatment was high quality and I especially enjoyed the massage!
Cons
- The price £75 might be out of some readers budget and unfortunately mine too
- The nail varnish chipped quickly
Would I recommend it?
Yes, because despite the nails chipping I had a wonderful experience and like my therapists said its the experience you are paying for and not the actual treatment itself!
Have You Had A Mani Pedi before?
I’ve had a mani-pedi before and I absolutely loved the experience, for me it was all about relaxing and just spending that little bit of time on me. My treatment was really good too and lasted for ages xx
This sounds like an experience that I badly need, winter and spending too long in the kitchen has made my nails brittle. I would love to go such a place. Your experience sounds so enjoyable.
I’ve had a mani and a pedi but not both at the same time! It’s such a nice experience, and I find the results definitely last longer than if I’d done it myself!
I’ve had great mani/pedi’s before but never ones with this kind of price tag attached though. I love the colour that you picked x
I have to say getting a mani/pedi is one of my favourite ways to treat myself x
I do love a mani pedi but would have been annoyed that the polish chipped so easily x
I have to say I love getting my nails done and like you said it’s about the experience which is what I love. Really liking this shade by the way – perfect for Christmas
Laura x
I’ve had manicures donwith previously but not pedicure. Never oppose to it but I just tend to do my own. It sounds like a lovely relaxing experience bar the nails chipping happensn to me regardless of the person lol x
Ooooh I am well overdue a mani pedi…so terrible at doing this over Winter. I think it can be really hard to avoid a nail chipping experience and overall it sounds like a great service.
I love a good manicure and pedicure even better. I find the best ones give a really good massage as well, but I always take my own nail varnish! Just wish I could afford to go more than once a year.
I get my nails done once every three weeks and I love how my nails technician takes care of my hands for about 40 minutes. I can recommend you next time to get shellac, it lasts for 3 weeks at least and it doesn’t chip. Imagine having perfect nails colored for 3 weeks! 🙂 I get mine done for only £22, but I guess London it’s way more expensive.
It’s nice to be pampered once in a while. I like the fact that the treatment was of a good quality although the price is excessive and the fact that the nail varnish chipped straight away isn’t a selling point at all.
The whole experience you had sounds so wonderful, despite the chipped polish. When you pay so much for a mani/pedi, you hope it’ll last at least a week! That said, these days, polish does not like staying on my nails at all, it’s become quite the first world problem for me, as I love wearing nail polish, but it doesn’t like me much.
It is quite a high price but lovely to treat yourself once in a while! This is the time of year to do it!
Yes! I love indulging in a mani-pedi on occasion. I love the groomed look and it’s great to take care of oneself.
Oh, a mani pedi is heavenly, such a lovely and relaxing time. I’m so glad you had a good experience this time, and I do love the colour you chose, perfect for the season.
At £75 it seems quite pricey, but why not. I prefer to do my own mani-pedi because I usually change the nail polish after one day or two. I also leave a few days without anything on them, to keep my nails healthy.
£75 is a lot of money for a mani and pedi treatment but the experience is worth it for sure
I had a lovely pedicure at a spa day once and it really is great getting your feet pampered! I think we overlook them a lot being tucked away in shoes so much.
I do think the price tag of this one is a bit high for me though!
Looks lovely! I love a good manicure and pedicure too. But I don’t even remember the last time I had one! Probably a couple of years ago.
Can you believe that I have never had this done! I am hoping to treat myself soon though.
I have never had a manicure, but would love too. Your nails look lovely and the length looks great. Such a lovely colour too. I can not have long nails, even though I would love to. All this typing make hard work when my nails are long.
Wow, despite the pros I think £75 would be outside of my budget too!!
I like the color, although it is a shame it chipped
this sounds like a nice treat or for a special day out. Love the colour you chose x
I would love to try this, but it does seem a bit expensive, and it is a shame that it chipped. Kaz x
I have never had a proper mani or pedi either, I just do my own at home. Would love to have a proper one, one day. But £75 is too expensive for me. Maybe £25 is my budget. But love that this included the peppermint cream, sounds so relaxing. Love the colour you chose too!
My nails are horrendous so this sounds like something I need to try! xo
Ooh your nails look gorgeous! I haven’t had a manicure in years, although I have been dropping hints for a spa day to my husband! Hopefully he has listened!
I used to have both mani and pedi once a month and btw in LA I had them both every week! Now I’m lacking time so i try to handle them myself and visitng a salon for mani/pedi has become a bit of luxury for me.
I’ve never had a pedi before, I don’t like the thought of it at all. I had my nails done once (fake ones), but I’ve never experienced anything that felt like ‘pampering .’ For the money, the varnish should have lasted longer.
I have had one before but certainly not one that sounds that good or lasts that long. Annoyingly I work in an operating theatre so can’t have my nails painted etc but I took take better care of them x
I’m not really one for beauty therapies and I don’t wear make up, but do you know what, I think I would really enjoy something like this. A great way to treat yourself.
I used to get manicures every other week and pedicures every month. It was so relaxing! It is all about the experience. I use to get my pedicures with my second “mother”. It was awesome for the conversation and time we spent together.
£75 is quite pricey but O if it’s a special treat I guess. I love the colour you went for. Jo x
I have had lots of nail treatments but never a pedicure! I think this is because I am quite ticklish and I don’t know how I would react. I love the idea of being pampered like you were though, so I might have to give it a go xx
I love being pampered especially when I’m stressed! Sounds like an awesome experience from the staff! That’s really amazing!
I love having pedicures and more recently I have been enjoying some reflexology too! I could not justify £75 though for a treatment even as a treat!
oh yes, I like to treat myself from time to time but I will admit I would not return to the salon if my nails didn’t last long enough after the treatment.
Your nails look wonderful, it is a beautiful autumnal/wintery colour.
I could never apply nail polish on my own nails. It looks awful when I do it, so sad to say, even if it is expensive, I have to have a mani-pedi done in a salon. I think having a mani-pedi in a salon has its perks too because you get the entire deal – from cleaning, scrubbing, trimming and even deep moisturizing!
A bit too expensive for us but the therapists sound lovely and very chatty. We would have loved the peppermint and ginger smells!
I must admit, I’ve never had a mani-pedi before either. I don’t like the idea of someone else near my feet though! Love the colour that you’ve chosen, it just oozes luxury and it sounds like a lovely experience. The price would put me off a bit, but maybe nice as a treat before a special event!
I adore your writing style, very honest and completely overwhelming my senses. I feel as though I was there with you!
I love your nails. What a beautiful shade.
I’ve never had a pedicure before- but that’s down to my freak phobia of feet so… But I’m glad you enjoyed your experience! It’s so important to treat ourselves every once and a while = )
sounds like an amazing experience! I am glad you were able to treat yourself to a beauty treatment like this one, even though I agree, that price is rather steep. Oh well, maybe the perfect day in prep for a wedding, or a very large party for a special occasion? Blessings!
My mom is such a nails fanatic lol she’ll love this. gonna share with her. sounds like an amazing experience!
Looks like you had an amazing mani/pedi experience! Though I feel £75 is too much! Did they also give you hand +leg massage?
I have always painted myself and this price tag is one reason why. That being said, you are totally right that you are buying the experience!
~ http://viabella-thebeautifullife.blogspot.com/
That seems like such a great experience! I thought it was fancy when I payed extra for the “spa” portion of my pedicure, but this is taking it to the next level of relaxation. Now I really want to book a mani & pedi stat!
Congrats on your first mani/pedi & they definitely are a nice treat when you have the time & money. My first was for a wedding weekend, a wonderful way to catch up with friends you haven’t seen for a while … and now I get them once in a while, just to relax & treat myself.