Everything You Need To Know Before Your Next Pedicure Because It's Almost Sandal Season In The OS
Summer seems like such a long way off (especially circa this week in Rhode Island!). Before you can say it's not the heat, it's the humidity, however, you'll be slipping on those open toe styles, strappy sandals or perhaps flip flops. Maybe even daring to go barefoot. One thing I learned a few years back from someone in the beauty biz is that those who are consistent about taking care of their feet all year long have the best looking ones come June and July. Um, yessss it's a year long commitment, but the good news for the rest of us (excuses, excuses) is that even if our toesies haven't been a priority of late, there's still time (approx 4-6 weeks) to save face - or feet - if you will.
So, after a month or two of disregarding that solid bit of advice myself, and a mini panic because my feet were verging into what I'll call scary mess (not to be confused with Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Erika Jayne's new autobiography Pretty Mess) territory, I popped into Miniluxe in GCC (That's Garden City Center.) recently in search of some fancy foot work. They went straight to it, making over my sad looking feet, along with my less-than-glam nails too.
Now, true story, I can be a complete and total germaphobe. As a rule, whenever I've gotten my feet and hands done in the past, I was known to be a little preoccupied with the possibility of picking up a fungus or something else equally icky. (Afterall, a friend had confided her own horror story about picking up a nail fungus after having gotten her feet done at a random place while traveling a few years ago with her husband. It took her over a year to finally get rid of it for good. No thank ya. Also, for the record, getting a fungus at this point in the year translates to having to hide your toes for pretty much the entire summer. Yikes!) Not at ML though: Like me, they're obsessive when it comes to cleanliness. Happy dances celebrating that aside, here are three things I've learned from frequenting ML for you to keep in mind before getting your next pedi and mani at the salon or spa:
ML uses still water in their pedicure tubs, as opposed to the bubbling H2O from those jets that you see at most other places these days. Apparently, the jets are extremely difficult to clean and can be an issue when it comes to keeping the actual tubs truly sanitized, and (most importantly) keeping your toes fungus free. Tip: If you get your feet done elsewhere, it's ok to say you don't want the jets on and to ask for a liner for the basin or tub.
In their signature Clean Lab, the team at ML sterilize all their tools in a multi-step process, insuring you aren't being worked on with anything grotty. As a matter of fact, you will see your manicurist break open the sealed blue bag - containing the sanitized clippers, as well as those thingies-that-push-back-your-cuticles - right before your eyes. (Transparency is a beautiful thing!) Tip: If you're not at ML, it's ok to bring your own clean tools from home for the manicurist to use on you. (I saw and heard Nail Guru to the stars Deborah Lippmann say as much in a Facebook Live over the winter too btw.)
The Dazzle Dry polish option. It's a few dollars extra, but lasts longer than traditional formulas and mimics the durability of a gel manicure/pedicure without your having to sit with your nails under that light for what feels like hours. Fantastic for anyone who's tough on their hands and feet (as in anyone who refuses to wear gloves while washing dishes or is a repeat offender when it comes to walking barefoot) and has zero patience for extended beauty treatments (DD polish dries in around 5 mins, yayyy!). Tip: If you want to copycat it at home, there are several kits on the market now, including one from Essie (which I have seen at my local neighborhood CVS), that are meant to give you the durability without the salon visit or that damn light.
*This post has been updated and revised from the original from Summer 2017.