Pamper Yourself

Posted by Stacey

on August 7, 2009

Getting manicures and pedicures is sort of a necessity for me because for some reason, I’m so uncoordinated that when I attempt to do my own, it looks like I let a 4 year-old paint them. I’ve gotten a lot better at doing my nails over the years, but I still won’t even try to do my toes. It’s just not worth the amount of nail polish remover I have to use every time I’m forced to start all over again. There’s a cute, little family-owned salon near my place that does a decent job at a reasonable price, but because it’s so cheap, there’s no pampering at all. It’s strictly all business. Lately, I’ve been craving a more luxurious experience, so when the opportunity came to head over to one of my favorites spas, Kinara, for a mani/pedi, I jumped at the chance.

Kinara has recently redone its manicure/pedicure room and it definitely shows. It’s a cozy space off to the side in the spa, so it’s secluded enough to enjoy a semi-private experience, but not so secluded that you can’t chat with the person getting a manicure next to you. As you can see in the picture, it’s a really comfortable set up. The couch and the pillows are so soft, it instantly relaxes you and puts you in that pampering sort of mood. They’ll even serve you a beverage while you’re getting your pedicure – it was a hot day when I visited and the iced tea they brought me was the perfect thing to quench my thirst as I picked out a polish.

Speaking of polishes, I think Kinara has the widest selection of any salon I’ve ever gone to. Not only did they have dozens of shades from OPI and Chanel and other top brands, they had all the latest summer (and in some cases, even fall!) shades. They even had the Chanel light yellow shade that I’d been dying to see in person and the new matte OPI colors. I normally bring my own polish when I get my nails done because I like to be able to touch it up when it starts to chip, but I was so into a bright pink OPI shade at Kinara that I chose to use that one instead.

The pedicure itself was so relaxing. My nail technician, Jackie, was fantastic. (I definitely recommend asking for her if you visit Kinara). She scrubbed and exfoliated my feet with a deliciously scented brown sugar scrub and then massaged them until I was practically melting into my seat. (Who doesn’t love a good foot massage?) Then she worked on getting rid of my calluses, leaving my feet a lot softer then they had been moments before. I could’ve sat there all day, which for me is actually kind of strange since I usually get bored during my pedicures. (I didn’t even read a magazine, just closed my eyes and enjoyed!) When she was done filing and shaping my toes, she painted them a vibrant pink shade that just makes me smile every time I look at it. Normally, I use darker colors on my toes, but the bright pink just screams “summer time” and it looks great in open-toed shoes. I might be a permanent convert to those kinds of shades in the future.

After the pedicure, we moved over to the manicure table, where my hands received the red carpet treatment as well. They were moisturized and massaged and my cuticles were cleaned up, then Jackie cut and filed my nails so they were all even, a step that was long overdue. (I’d been really reluctant to let the women at my local place do that because to be honest, I was slightly afraid of what the result would be). Then she painted them the same color as my toes, topped them off with a glossy quick dry coat, and I was done. It was such a nice way to pass an hour and a half and a much needed treat for myself. (And the results were definitely longer lasting than I’m used to – almost three weeks later, my toes still look almost perfect!)

Kinara offers several different manicures and pedicures (I’m dying to try the Pure Fiji one next). You can read all about them at www.kinaraspa.com. To book an appointment for yourself, call 310-657-9188.

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