A TRENDING MUST TRY: THE WATERLESS MANICURE
The most common complaint with non-shellac manicures that spas, salons and nail professionals all around receive from women is that their manicures are short wearing and chipping fast. We've all been there. You book yourself a fabulous manicure, you get pampered like the queen you are and leave the spa with nails that look like you model them for a living.
Maybe you don't wait long enough for your nails to dry and reach in your bag to grab your phone or you get rough with your digits hours later and the first chip and crack appear. If you are really careful, the first signs of wear won’t come until mid week at about day four. We stand firmly by asserting that the best way to prolong the life of a manicure is to prep the nail plate with an adhesive base and seal in your lacquer with a high gloss top coat to really protect the color. If you are still looking for that ultimate wearing result, we invite you test the newly trending but incredibly logical: waterless manicure.
Ruth Kallens, owner of Van Court studio in uptown Manhattan, let us in on this secret. "A dry manicure is the key to a long lasting manicure. While water manicures aren't harmful, the nail plate absorbs the water and doesn't fully dry before lacquer is applied. As the nail dries under the nail polish it contracts causing chips" she explained. “Our nails are very porous and delicate, especially when wet. If you soak your nails before a manicure, later once they fully dry under the applied polish, their dry, contracted state can cause chips in the polish.”
Visit Van Court’s brand new location on the 2nd floor of Mark Garrison salon off of 60th & Lexington in New York!
Recently opened Lower East Side café nail salon Chillhouse, is in on the secret as well. "To us, waterless manicures were a no-brainer at Chillhouse -- leaving customers with long-lasting nail art is top priority. Waterless methods have been proven to be more successful in the longevity of your polish and that's one of the main reasons we're following suit" says owner, Cyndi Ramirez.
Newly launched Chillhouse is located on Essex Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side.
Next time you stop in at your local salon for a manicure, ask for your manicurist to skip the soak and test the difference. If you are in the New York area, be sure to check out two of our favorite Manhattan nail bars: Van Court Studio and Chillhouse. If treating yourself to a relaxing at-home manicure, apply a cuticle remover on the nail plate and cleanse with a cotton pad dipped in alcohol. We assure you your polish will last longer and your nails will feel better post manicure.
Pictured above is LVX in Lolli. Image courtesy of VeganMiam.com