Picture it: Girl walks into a holiday party, dressed to the nines, hair freshly styled by Dry Bar; she grabs a flute of champagne and makes her way over to your cadre and the first thing you notice is her tore-up claws wrapped around that poor bubbly glass! Her chic factor dramatically drops. You pity her.
Don’t be that girl, the deject with the gnawed paws. Make sure you’re properly appointed—head to toenails—for the party season. As your perpetual guinea pigs, 7x7 staffers tried out the city’s best luxury mani-pedis. Which will you choose?
Tester: Franchesca Allen, marketing director
Treatment: DeLUX Mani/Pedi
Location:LUXSF
Duration: 95 minutes
Luxe factors: For starters, the nail polish. This place has has more Deborah Lippman polish than Sephora. I use my hands like a woodworker and the DL polish always stays in place. After I selected my polish, I was asked if I wanted tea, coffee, sparkling or flat water, or a mimosa…WHUT? As I happily sip my mimosa and sparkling water (why limit yourself to one?) the technician gets to work only stopping to ask such important questions such as, "blood orange or lemon verbena scrub?" Just as I was getting used to her fingers working their magic, she places my feet and hands into these heated Soyaffin wraps that felt like Christmas Day. Did I mention the ocean soundscapes that were playing in the background? I fell asleep…twice. Not only did I emerge with beautiful nails and soft hands, I felt fully rested and ready to tackle the weekend.
In a word: Glorious
Tester: Brock Keeling, culture editor
Treatment: Hands and Feet Refresher
Location: Hotel Vitale
Duration: 80 minutes
Luxe factors: A massage therapist has you undress, get under the covers, and then exfoliates your hands and feet with a salt scrub to baby-butt smoothness. Then your masseuse goes in for the kill with the ultimate hand and foot massage. I practically fell asleep while she worked over my extremities with forceful grace. She finishes the entire thing off with a moisturizing treatment that leaves you glowing and soft the next day.
In a word: Touched
Tester: Leilani Marie Labong, senior editor
Treatment: Sweet for the Feet Peppermint Pedicure
Location:St. Regis
Duration: 60 minutes
Luxe factors: The treatment starts with a foot soak in warm water infused with peppermint oil, which is naturally anti-microbial and cooling--perfect to soothe tired hooves. A creamy hydrating mask is applied to the feet with a soft fan brush before they’re inserted into two plastic bags of warm paraffin. Rinse, massage, repeat, and you’re ready for color.
In a word: Delicious
Tester: Schuyler Bailey, senior editor + digital director
Treatment: Essential Manicure + Pedicure
Location:The I Spa at InterContinental
Duration: 90 minutes
Luxe factors: Opt to change into the robe—you’re having a spa day…er break, after all, so go with it—grab some fresh fruit and cucumber water from the waiting room, pick your colors, then settle into their mani/pedi lounge. During the week it’s calm and utterly relaxing (I was the lone customer). Both a scrub session and paraffin wax are included in your treatment, plus, I’ve never had so much attention paid to my nail shape, and my cuticles have never looked better.
In a word: Classic
Tester: Sarah Medina, assistant editor
Duration: 2.5 hours
Luxe factors: The glam starts the moment you walk into the Mandarin Oriental spa and are greeted with hibiscus tea and spa slippers. Choose from their range of SpaBliss colors (paraben- gluten- acid-free. Oh, and did I mention vegan?) then relax into the private massage chair, with chairside snacks like coconut shavings, almonds, dried cranberries, and more yummy tea. The major glam factor of the treatment is that they're going to cover your legs and arms in black diamond dust and then use magnets to remove the clumps from your body (this helps release tension and bad energy caused by the long hours at work and late nights watching Netflix). Relax in their lounge while you wait for your nails to dry. Fabulous!
In a word: Glamorous
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