My recent Mani/Pedi experience at ____ Spa

It seems like it's been forever since I had a professional mani and pedi.  Being a new mom, there are just some things you learn to cut back on to save some $$.  I chose to give up my regular mani and pedi that I used to get prior to my son's arrival.  I think it's been almost 2 years, since I've let someone else do my nails.  Now that I've been doing my nails myself, I had some hesitation about letting someone other than myself or my "go-to" nail salon do them.  I'm sure some of you out there can relate to the feeling of control and having your own personal preferences when it comes to your nails.  


Yesterday, I had a nice little business lunch with some colleagues, and after lunch we were scheduled to have manis and pedis at a local spa by my office.  None of us had been to this particular spa.  I figured, "Hey, I'm not paying for it.  It'll be a nice change to let someone else do the work and relax and have some girl time."  The spa was nice and clean and the nail area was small but clean.  There were three techs all who were really nice.  The service came with a free cocktail (Mojito made with champagne), which was TWO THUMBS UP in my book. (> _ ^)  I was in the mood for a teal/turquoise polish, so I picked out Essie's Turquoise & Caicos for my toes (I had been meaning to try it out), and Sparitual's Emerald City for my nail since it was a bit darker (I was instantly drawn to the color).


Overall the experience was nice and relaxing.  I had a fun time hanging out with my colleagues and the nail technicians were cool.  We (patrons and techs) were all just chatting and laughing away.  At one point the spa manager came and closed the door to the room because I guess we were having too much of a good time and disturbing the other patrons.  BUT (here's the "but") the thing that disappointed me was the polish application and the filing.  The polish application was a bit messier than I cared for and my nails seemed to be shaped irregularly.  Here are the pics of my nails (normally I don't like to share pics of my toes..I think they are funny-looking...but had to share the issue I have with them):

Emerald City is a gorgeous jelly (though the bottle says it's a creme).  My first experience with the Sparitual brand.  I wanted to buy a bottle of this but the spa didn't have it available for sale at that moment.  They said they could order it for me, and I may take them up on the offer.  Although I might be able to get it cheaper online.  As you can see the cuticles look a bit ragged and had some polish on them.  The tech put 2 coats of polish and I was going to ask her to put another coat since it's a bit sheer, but she seemed to be in a rush to get ready for another client. :(

Left Foot (seemed to be more jacked up than my right)

Right Foot

Turquoise & Caicos is a lighter version of Emerald City and is a true creme.  Two coats were used to get it opaque.  As you can see there's more polish pooling in the cuticle on the left foot than the right, and the length is SHORT!  Again, I loved the experience overall, but as someone who does her own nails on a regular basis, I'm used to my way of doing things.  They aren't horrendously bad, and the nails will grow out, so it's not a total disaster.

It's funny to note that I was sporting my own mani/pedi when I walked into the spa.  My tech commented that my mani still looked fresh.  When I told her, "Yeah I did this on Tuesday", she responded, "Wow you did this yourself?!! You did a real good job.  Are you a nail tech?"  It's not the first time someone asked me that question. I'm sure you ladies out there have heard it too.  Maybe it's time for a change in career. (>_^) LOL