9:30am Tuesday 31st August 2010
THERE are many things I have inherited from my mother; some good (her lentil soup), others not so good (her short fuse). But perhaps the worst habit passed through the genes is prolific nail biting. A former boss tried to make me feel better by telling me my gnawed fingernails were a sign of an A-plus personality.
I took that as a compliment, but it didn’t make me feel better every time I looked down at my raggedy hands.
As a teen, I brushed on gallons of foul-tasting anti-biting lotion, but even the eye-watering bitterness wasn’t a deterrent.
The only trick that ever worked was to apply nail polish. OK, it may have looked ridiculous on my short, stubby excuse for fingernails, but it hardened them up and made them more difficult to chew.
Today, I can grow my nails only so far – at the first sign of a tear or break, the nibbling resumes. And so it was with an uneven set of fingernails I arrived at Beauty Plus in Fenwick, York, for a set of gel nails.
Beauty Plus is a one-stop shop for all your nail needs, carrying out simple manicures as well as full sets of acrylic extensions. The benefit of gel nails, explains technician Serena Abbate, is that they are kinder to your nails – and ideal if, like me, you need a little help in getting them to grow naturally.
Another plus is that the finished result more closely resembles the natural nail. However, like acrylic nails, gel nails can be painted, have French tips and airbrush designs on them. They can be worn long or short and filed into the desired shape. They are long-lasting too; the colour shouldn’t chip for at least three weeks.
My nail-over began with Serena preparing the beds for painting. She applied a lotion to soften my cuticles and deftly snipped away the excess skin. My nails looked longer and neater immediately.
Next she applied the gel. Using a fine paintbrush, she carefully applied the clear, sticky lotion to each finger tip. They were hardened off under an ultra-violet light for two minutes. This process was done another three times – the initial gel application was followed by two coats of coloured gel, then a final coat of clear gel. Serena finished off with a layer of top coat for extra shine. The whole process took less than an hour.
I was delighted with the end result. My nails were neat and shiny and I loved the minky-chocolate varnish.
Because some of my nails were very short, Serena warned that the gel may come away sooner than the longer ones. But Beauty Plus offers a repair and removal service, which they recommend clients use. Taking nails off at home can damage the original nail.
A full set of gel nails costs £28; a single repair costs £4; a soak off and tidy is £10; while a soak off and manicure, including painting, costs £13.
Customers can take advantage of a 20 per cent discount on gel nails during Fenwick Beauty Week, which runs next week from Monday, September 6 to Sunday, September 12.
The offer is one of several at the Coppergate store next week. Other highlights include:
• All Clarins Spa treatments reduced to £35 (except the fruit and salt scrub with detox wrap);
• Spend £25 on St Tropez and receive a free spray tan (on Wednesday, September 8) or £25 on Fake Bake and get free spray tan (Thursday, September 9)
• Aveda will be giving out seven days worth of free hair products, tailored to your individual needs;
• Be among the first to try out the new nail varnishes from Dior with your free hand massage and polish
• Join in the celebrations at Bare Minerals which is celebrating its first birthday with free make-unders and ten-day samples of its matte or original foundation;
• Get a first look at the new autumn colours from Chanel; its international make-up artist will be in store from Thursday to Saturday;
• Visit Lancome for a consultation and collect a free sample of Teint Mineral Foundation.
Free samples will also be on offer, as well as many gift with purchase opportunities.
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