There I was, visiting my daughter and my adorable grandchildren one morning, on the North Shore of Long Island when I suddenly discovered a few hours of free time. The kids were at school, the house was clean, the dishes done… what to do? What to do? Of course! My favorite “pamper past time”… a Manicure!
“Cotton balls and a fresh shine…What could be better than that?”
The Search was on for “The Best” that main street had to offer… there were seven choices, Joyful Nails, Nail Salon, Quick Nails, Lovely Nails, Cute nails, Paradise Nails, Mantrap Nails and Nails by Linda.
My head was spinning! Suddenly, I thought it would be both great fun and great research to see which one had that “special touch,” extra service, the best color, and the best ambiance… I had seven mornings that held seven cherished hours of free time, and I set out on a “full manni” marathon.
Believe me when I tell you that to take an hour off, from the beloved family and an often hectic pace, it means that the “service” needs to be worth the price, I dearly need to be pampered, praised, adored and looking spectacular at the end of it all. There were many points to consider, the cost of luxury hand holding? Who do the salon’s market themselves to? What makes this salon more special than others? While some specialize in the teeny bopper market, complete with stickers, decals and a different sparkle on every nail, others entice us with “natural products,” meditative music and Organic bliss water…
For me… the best was a quiet little place called “Joyful Nails”… They were passionate about the complete care and concern for my well being and while the honey, sugar lavender oil scrub they applied to my dry, cracked cuticles softened my fingertips, it worked on all of the rest of my senses as well… I am a sucker for scent, knowing that when it is done right, I can drift into memory land and find myself dancing as a child in a field of flowers… well… maybe nothing quite that dramatic, but… what it did remind me of was a wonderful salon in my mother’s neighborhood where I got my first manicure in grade school… (I felt so grown up).
What I truly loved more than any other salon in my world was the beautiful cut crystal bowl that was set by the door, filled with ice water and aromatic fresh rose petals… At the end of a glorious hand massage, and a full nail treatment, the final pampering moment was a 3 minute dip in the magical concoction to “set” the manicure and in doing so, released the effervescence of roses into the air… true heaven.
For me, that has become the point of difference. It is the standard for which I judge all other manicures… interesting that I formulated that truth when I was a young girl. How about you? What is your story?
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Oh yes… the complimentary neck massage at “Joyful Nails” was fabulous as well!
Watch for my new book “Gotcha Covered… Insider Secrets and Special Techniques to cover and conceal just about everything!”
As we all know… “Everybody’s got something to hide”
Fondly!
Judith August