Classic Wines

Getting My Nails Done: Not Such A Chore

Being a girl in a big city requires specific pampering once in a while. From a hair appointment to a waxing appointment (gotta look smooth in the Miami summer sun) to getting the perfect polish hue brushed across my fingers and toes, the extra maintenance runs up quite the bill. But at the end of the day, it’s all for a good cause. And to me, it's totally worth it.

Time and time again, I find that my nail appointments are the most enjoyable. With recent technology and the skills of the best spa technicians, getting your nails done is quite a treat. My salon of choice is called Sepia and it's located not far from where I live, a major perk. I try to head over after work, if not on a Saturday, to get the ultimate treatments.

Which, of course, almost always involves a glass of vino.

My nail technician’s name is Gia, and she’s a really talented pro. As soon as I walk in the door, Gia has her trusty tools set aside and ready. When I get a pedicure, Gia runs a divine spa foot bath with an elevated massage chair, which I utilize almost every time I’m there. When a manicure is on the menu, Gia massages my hands with lotion and inserts them into soothing hot mittens to release the stress from my hands.

Unlike most people I know, I actually enjoy a good conversation when getting my nails done. Most of my friends would rather go to a salon where they sit in silence, flip through a magazine or chat with another client. Not me: I think that the ultimate relaxation is venting. Gia and I share stories, mostly about our love lives and gossip--but nonetheless, we have a great time chatting together.

To accompany my grooming experience, Gia always offers me a glass of wine while settling in. Let me tell you, there is nothing better than soaking your toes in a steam bath while sipping a glass of chilled white with the massage chair going full blast. Some people forgo the spa manicure and pedicure experience, as it can be costly at times, but Gia takes care of me and treats me like a friend, not a job she has to get done. The wine seems symbolic of that.

Sometimes I watch the other nail technicians, Jan and Lucy (who I have gone to before because of Gia being booked or absent), and I laugh at some of the things that come out of their clients' mouths. They bitch about the most ridiculous crap (which I’m sure they’re thinking about me as well), but I just can’t listen to why this woman’s child is not the cutest baby and how that one’s Gucci bag is falling apart and she just got it last week!

I sit back with my vino and discuss the endless trials and tribulations of love with Gia. She shares her tales about dramatic girls giving her grief, which are always great stories, and we swap advice about the latest dilemmas going down.

Sometimes, if I’m really lucky, I’ll get offered a second glass, which I most likely have depending on what else I have to do that day or where I need to drive afterward. But chilling with Gia for an extra thirty minutes while my nails dry is more fun than dealing with the Miami drama occurring outside the doors of Sepia.

Yesterday, I got a manicure for the vacation I'm going on with Craig today. I asked Gia to hook me up with my favorite summer “F-Me Red,” which is always risqué. With my newly painted fire-red fingers and toes, I’m off to the islands for a much-needed break. And even if you can't get away, sit back and have a glass  of red or white--it's the next best thing to skipping town. Kind of like vacation in a glass.