I love beautifully manicured nails, but I never got into a routine where I regularly got my nails done. When I was an event manager it just wasn't practical to get a weekly manicure because I was likely to ruin it within a few days when I was setting up an event, but now that I work at a desk all day (and stare at my nails as I type on my keyboard) the fact that may nails were unpolished was starting to annoy me.
Determined to fix my nail fixation asap, I took this weekend to find a new place to start getting my nails done. I know there are nail salons on every corner, but I am pretty particular about where I get mani's & pedi's. Being the total germ freak that I am, cleanliness is the most important thing for me, along with making sure that my cuticles are all taken care of.
Smudge Nail Bar in Newton popped out because it got great reviews for both cleanliness and for doing high quality work. I have found that many places can do one of those things, but not the other. At Smudge, all of the nail tools come in sterilized packages like at the dentist's office and they use a fresh nail file and buffer for each person. An added bonus: they don't have jets in their pedicure tubs so you don't have to worry about any bacteria.
Excited to have found a place that looked good, I called them up yesterday about making an appointment for this morning for a manicure and pedicure. When I made the appointment the receptionist asked me if I wanted a gel manicure or a regular one, and I said regular simply because I had never had a gel manicure before. On the way there this morning I was wishing I had said gel because they last so much longer. Luckily, when I walked in a few minutes early, they were happy to give me a gel manicure instead of a regular one.
My nail technician was named Pauline and she was very friendly but she didn't feel the need to talk your ear off, which is great. I brought a book to read during my pedicure and she was happy to let me relax and read while she got to work. A couple of minor gym accidents involving my two big toes led to my nails being in pretty rough shape, but she did a great job fixing them up and making them look beautiful again. She also made sure to trim my nails pretty short so that I won't have anymore nail mishaps at the gym when I accidentally kick a dumbbell weight.
I was equally satisfied with my gel manicure. The best part about gel is that they last for weeks with no chipping, but I had heard not so nice things about the acetone soak that is needed to remove the gel finish when you need a new one. Pauline explained that at Smudge they use a non-acetone remove so my nails won't weaken from any chemicals.
Overall my experience at Smudge was fantastic and I will definitely be going back to see Pauline in December to paint my nails red for the holiday season.
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