Diary of a Bridal Beauty Guinea Pig – Part 4 – The French Manicure and Spa Pedicure
A manicure, preferably a classic French manicure, is a must for every bride on her wedding day. You’ll be showing off your ring finger all day and have hundreds of photos taken so it’s important to have beautiful hands and nails.
A pedicure is also a must, not just for your honeymoon but also for the wonderful relaxation it offers! I made two separate appointments for my French manicure and spa pedicure. For brides-to-be I would recommend booking your manicure the afternoon before your wedding so there is less opportunity for chips to appear and so it lasts longer.
The French Manicure
Caroline began by removing my old nail varnish and placed my hands, one at a time, in a small bowl of warm water to soak. She then filed my nails gently to ensure that every nail was the same length and shape. Next she removed my cuticles which sounds painful but wasn’t at all. She scrubbed my hands gently with an exfoliating cream and then massaged in an intensive moisturiser to soften my skin and nourish my nails. The creams smelled wonderful and the whole experience was very relaxing.
The first coat of paint to go on my nails was a base coat which fills in the ridges in the nail. The next coat was a pale pink colour to make my nails look healthy and natural, which was followed by a glossy off-white nail tip – the crowning glory of the French manicure. The final coat was a quick-drying top gloss to make the manicure last longer.
The Verdict: The results are beautiful. My nails look neat, healthy, super glossy and show off my sparkly diamond ring perfectly.
The Spa Pedicure
I’ve never had a pedicure before but thought I knew what to expect. Caroline began by filling a foot spa with warm water and asking me to place one foot into the water while she removed the nail polish from my other foot. She filed and shaped my toenails, gently filed any rough skin and attended to my cuticles, one foot at a time. Once my nails were shaped she gave my feet a scrub which tickled and then massaged in a wonderful smelling lotion before wrapping my feet in warm towels so it could soak in.
Once the lotion had soaked in she painted my toenails and let them dry as I relaxed. There is nothing more relaxing than a foot massage and pedicure. After months of running around seeing wedding suppliers and worrying, this really is the perfect de-stress.
The Verdict: My tootsies look and feel fabulous – flip flops here we come. An absolute must for any bride-to-be!
A French manicure costs between £14 for an express manicure and £26 for a luxury manicure and a spa pedicure costs £22 at Aloe Body in Bristol. Prices may vary across salons and areas.
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