I Got a Russian Manicure
Beauty maintenance. I have a love-hate relationship with those two words. There are people out there who enjoy getting pampered, but me? I feel like it’s a chore. Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of a fresh silk press or a clean wax, but I wish I could drop off each body part and come back and pick it up – especially my nails.
The nail salon is the worst because you’re sitting idly for however long and limited to your entertainment. I can’t text my friends. Shoot, sometimes I can’t even scratch my scalp. And if you forget your headphones, whew chile. But one thing about me, my nails will be done.
I’m very simple when it comes to my nails. I don’t wear acrylic. There’s no glitz or glitter. I’m cool with OPI Put it in Neutral and a nice pink on my toes. But naturally – coming to Russia – I was worried about how I’ll maintain looking like a baddie. All of my friends were so excited for me and said Russians do the best manicures. With this knowledge, I went down a YouTube rabbit hole and watched too many videos of people getting their nails done with the Russian technique. The final result was always flawless.
WHAT IS A RUSSIAN MANICURE?
A Russian manicure is a technique that uses electronic files to remove excess skin and dead cuticle around your nail bed. In a traditional manicure, skin is usually scrubbed away with a brush or cut off with nail nippers. With the electronic file, the nail tech has more precision and control over how excess skin is removed.
MY SALON EXPERIENCE
The place I went to was suggested to me by a wife of one of my man’s teammates. She did warn me that they took all day, but I didn’t know what that meant. Ya’ll know Black people will say somebody/something is taking all day and exaggerate, me included. But her nails looked bomb, so I was down for the cause.
When I got home, I stalked their Instagram and was even more impressed. I told you earlier I like neutrals and pinks, but their page had me wanting to get cobalt blue or something. I clicked the link to book so fast but guess who doesn’t speak Russian? Me. Sooo, I had to pull out my little photo translator and take pics of endless pages to confirm what they were saying. In the end, I booked a gel manicure and pedicure (noting that I was American), and they had the appointment blocked for 4 hours. Maybe sis wasn’t lying…
The day before my appointment, I got a message via WhatsApp basically saying that the woman who I scheduled with doesn’t speak English, but they could schedule me with someone who does. How nice! With my appointment confirmed, I was ready to get the best manicure in my life.
So driving there ya’ll know I almost died because any time I’m behind the wheel I cause havoc. I purposefully left 30 minutes early so I could take my time and arrive alive. Using Apple’s map, they made me pass the place (I didn’t know that initially) but I was literally driving in reverse and popping wheelies because I didn’t know where I was going. My initial ETA was 3:07 p.m. and I got there at 3:28 p.m. My appointment was for 3:30 p.m. :) Google Maps saved the day, but I just needed to reiterate I can’t drive here.
The place was literally so cute. It was bright and white with pops of color. When I got in, they took my coat and asked did I want anything to drink. So hospitable. As I sipped my warm water with lemon, the woman who was doing my nails brought me the colors I could choose from. There were so many! In true Aja fashion, I wanted to get this nude, but this purply pink was like, “Hey, girl!” She then proceeded to do my nails.
Here are some of the key differences with this manicure and an American one:
I had gel on my nails already and she used the drill (or electronic file) to take it off. Most places will file, use acetone and then wrap you in aluminum foil.
I told sis to cut my nails, she used a drill for that too. Like where are the clippers? Lowkey, the only tool she used that an American salon would is a buffer.
My nails were not soaked in water to soften my cuticle before being drilled, and she used little baby scissors to cut my cuticles too.
After she did the dirty work, she polished my nails one by one, and one by one (rather than a full hand) I would put them under the UV light. She was so meticulous – even polishing around my cuticles she used a smaller brush (like what they would use for designs) to make sure every crevice was painted to perfection. When she was finally done, I looked at my clock and it was 5:27 p.m. No hand massage. No lotion. Just cuticle oil and some fire nails. And she still had to do my toes…
My pedicure was a similar experience. Drill and polish for two hours. I didn’t soak my feet in any water or bubbles or bath bombs. She did fill the basin toward the end to rinse off dust from filing and after she did a scrub. She also drilled the bottom of my feet and had them thangs feeling like a newborn baby.
The entire four hours I was there the receptionist was super sweet and made sure I was hydrated. They did give me one snack though, but I was hungry after the entire process. It was definitely a long day. If you do get a Russian manicure, eat first, and bring a portable charger.
Think about how much a gel manicure costs in your city. Now think about your manicure and pedicure. For me, a gel manicure and JUST polish on my toes can be about $65+ depending on where I go. But for the gel manicure AND gel pedicure, I paid about $55 USD (which is about 4,150 rubles) #whatasteal. My nails also last about two weeks, and these have equally lasted that long. I do want to note: my nails grow super quick.
IN SUMMARY
Despite being held hostage, I would rate this experience 9/10. (There’s always room for improvement, but mainly 9/10 because I was hungry. The work speaks for itself, assignment understood.) I have an appointment coming up and requested somebody do my nails and toes at the same time, so we’ll see if we can knock this process down to two hours.
My next beauty adventure is hopefully me getting my face beat but stayed tuned! And of course, if you have any questions or content suggestions just message me! You guys have been super sweet with your questions and support, so thank you! I really appreciate it!
XO,
Aja