Fall is well and truly upon us and I for one have been fighting it tooth and nail (literally), as I know it won’t be long until New York City hits sub zero temperatures, which my nails and skin do not enjoy. I tried to tell my husband that I would need to increase the frequency of my spa visits to combat the dry skin and cracked nails that affect me every winter. But for some reason he wasn’t buying it, it must be the Accountant in him ;).
It was one of those particularly chilly mornings when I walked into Spa Belles in the West Village. A family run spa that is also located in Chelsea and Greenwich Village and from the look of their ‘brag’ wall A-List celebrities also frequent it. This was a salon that takes hygiene and workers safety to another level, all workers wore masks to protect them from the fumes and every customer had a new set of tools used on them. A bustling salon with every chair filled with attractive looking people of all ages, it is the West Village after all.
My nail technician Lily worked quietly on my toes as I took in the upbeat atmosphere of the salon. I switched things around with my colors instead of my traditional red for my toes I went with a deep maroon from Essie’s new fall range ‘In the Lobby’ and saved the red for my fingers with Zoya’s ‘Rekha’. I have to say I really liked having a deep maroon on my toes, but not as much as the 2minute complimentary shoulder massage they gave me while I was having my manicure – absolute bliss. If I had more time then I would have got a massage, as it was so great. I wouldn’t say this was a relaxing experience but it was certainly enjoyable if you are into people watching while being pampered.
Until next time,
Ruth Shelling
SPA BELLES – Christopher Street, West Village, New York
- Ambience: Bustling and great for people watching
- Cleanliness of salon: Clean and hygienic
- Polish: Manicure: Essie’s ‘in the lobby’ (Retails $8-10) and Manicure Zoya’s ‘Rekha’ (Retails $9-10)
- Polish job & chip factor: Neat polish job. My toes lasted 3 weeks and fingers 5 days
- Brands They Stock: Essie, OPI, Zoya, CND, OPI Intimate Shine & Color Club
- Color range: medium color range
- Customer engagement: Professional and friendly
- Price range: Manicure $15, Paraffin Manicure $27, Special Paraffin Manicure $38, Spa Manicure $38, Pedicure $35, Paraffin Pedicure $47 and Spa Pedicure $68 – $98
