Whether its summer or winter, I like to have pretty fingers and toes and ensure I am properly groomed for that all important hand shake or when running out the door with strappy sandals on. Nails are something I notice on other people and apart from the aesthetic plusses, a mani/pedi is a great way to relax.

I telephoned ManiPedi on Stanley Street in Hong Kong a few days ago to book myself in for their manicure and pedicure and as I had a later appointment I advised the receptionist, who to be honest was quite short with me, that I needed to be on time. I phoned again twenty minutes before my appointment and was told they were on schedule. Phew! I threw on my flip-flops, picked up my sandwich and rushed out the door.
On arrival, I was not greeted and the Reception area was empty so I had to walk over to the line of treatment chairs and interrupt another therapist to announce my arrival. I was told to wait out the front. Ten minutes later I was still waiting and had to walk back over to remind them that I needed to be out on time. After being sent to the Reception area for a further ten minutes my therapist dashed in the front door with arms full of shopping. While I understand the importance of a good sale or retail therapy when necessary, I was not impressed that my therapist was so late and I was kept waiting.  My therapist took me over to a big comfy white chair and sat me down. I lowered my feet into the warm water and was offered a beverage before starting my treatment. Realising I was not impressed, it was organized for another therapist to start on my fingers while my therapist started work on my toes. This would hopefully make up some time.

The manicure ticked all the boxes: old nail polish removed, nails soaked in water, trimmed and filed, ridges buffed off the surface of the nail and cuticles softened then trimmed. My nails were then painted with a base coat, two coats of colour, and a top coat. I went for a natural colour.
After my foot soak, my old toenail polish was removed, toenails were clipped and filed, cuticles were trimmed and then rough skin shaved before being buffed with a foot file. Then it was time for another soak and moisturiser before my toenails were painted. I opted for a bright pink colour that would set off my party dress I was planning to wear on Saturday night. I was satisfied with the finish of both the manicure and pedicure. ManiPedi use OPI and essie products and are open every day from 10am to 8pm.
The plusses about ManiPedi is the light and bright salon itself and latest and greatest Western magazines. Nothing like catching up on the gossip while your nails are being done.  Minuses was definitely the service and general staff attitude.
Would I rush back? Probably not. I like a salon where I can walk in, know what I will get with no fuss and a good finish. But first timers here get a mani/pedi for $338 as opposed to the normal price of $518. So for that price I guess it’s worth a first visit. You be the judge.

ManiPedi
Room 902, Abdoolally House, 20 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong
Telephone: +852 2815 3319
Website: www.manipedi.com.hk

For those of you who came past lately for your daily BBHK fix to find us AWOL, we are unhappy to inform you we were hacked.  Well we have removed those pesky vermin from the site, and we are squeaky clean and back online for Christmas.  Thinking of hackers, here is our fab five list of hackers in Hong Kong…. (for your hair of course!)

The Mandarin Salon (pictured above)
Nowhere in Hong Kong exudes elegance and glamour for your hair like the Mandarin Salon.  Top choice of the Hong Kong Tai-Tais and Glitterati, The Mandarin Salon is perched on the 24th Floor of the original Mandarin Oriental hotel. With unparalleled panoramic harbour views, and the best head massage and wash in town, you will definitely swank out of this joint looking a million dollars.
The Mandarin Salon, 5 Connaught Road, Central, +852 2825 4800, mohkg-salon@mohg.com

How much do you want that comb? We totally love Shocantelle and her style..not sure if the ‘look’ will take off here in Hong Kong.  More comedy beauty videos to come…

Set back in a discrete leafy lane, a few hops from Star Street lies Wanchai’s best hidden secret.  A new boutique beauty spa and nail salon set over two floors, offering fabulous OPI centric treatments and spa treatments including massages, facials and waxing Iyara Wanchai, sister to the Central escalator branch, is the new kid on the ever-growing Wanchai block, set in a surprisingly serene and relaxing location, up a cobbled stepped street, overlooking trees and greenery.

Decorated in aqua and chocolate hues, the welcoming parlour is a complete pleasure and surprise to walk into, and a definite must for lunchtime escapes  for Wanchai workers.  There cant be a better place in the area to spend a lunch break.  Bring in  a sarnie, have a pedi and feel a million miles away from the hussle and bussle of the city below.

Upstairs, the treatment rooms offer all manner of spa services such as really reasonably priced massages, slimming treatments, and waxing, and if they are anything like their mani-pedis, they should be fantastic.

I treated myself to their signature ‘spa manicure and pedicure’ which comprises of a really good exfoliating scrub and foot massage, and finished off with a splash of my favourite OPI ‘a good Man-dar-in darling is hard to find’ nail polish..  The expert staff snipped, clipped and filed my talons to perfection, buffed my tired skin with their fantastic ‘milk and honey’ Cuccio scrub, and massaged all the tension I had left away with a great foot massage.

By the time it was over, my tootsies looked and felt divine enough to step onto Cloud 9.

Cost?
Spa Pedicure $330 Spa Manicure $190

Where?
Iyara Wanchai
(Inbetween Star Street and Hopewell Centre off Queen Road East)
Wanchai
Hong Kong

Telephone: +852 2545 8637 / +852 2545 8663
Email: iyara1@biznetvigator.com
Web: www.iyarabeauty.com

Ever lost in Central, looking for a fab little place to have a manipedi, but don’t want to pay extortionate prices, or get a free fungal disease with a dodgy looking local salon?

Well Rainbow Nails might just be the place for you.  Discretely tucked away, high up in a building near H&M you will find Helen Leung and her team at Rainbow Nails.  After ten years in the industry, Helen also is the chief OPI trainer in HK, and regularly runs nail classes in her quaint little shop.

In a strict shoes-off policy, the OPI centric shop is clean, friendly relaxing and very reasonable, not to mention you will have your nails done by one of the best nail technicians in Hong Kong.

Whether you are looking for gel nails, nail art, buffing, french or just a regular manipedi, Rainbow is a fabulous little gem in the middle of the bustling city.

“My nails are always a mess, I never have time to have a manicure”
I decided to try out the O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel nail varnish system, not to be confused with gel nails.  With regular gel nails, you have to have quite a thick layer of gel placed on the nails, generally with extensions, with a reasonable amount of damage to the nails.  This also has to be ‘filled in’ every 3 weeks.  With the new O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel, it is the half-way home between regular nail varnish and gel nails.  It claims not to damage the nails so much as it is a much lighter resin, and essentially a nail varnish, it just coats your nails in a thin layer of coloured gel, so you have shiny beautiful nail polish for three weeks that doesn’t chip!

Rainbow Nails YouTube Channel – OPI Axxuim Removal/Reapplication Demonstration

I personally have very thin nails with short nail beds, and nail varnish just chips off in about twenty minutes.  I am often envious of the beautiful talons I see clawing themselves around town, but I also don’t like the idea of fake nails,  and as I spend a lot of time typing, I can’t handle long nails, so with eighteen colours to choose from, the gel nails seemed to be a fabulous idea. Imagine, beautiful shiny nails, which are stronger than usual, that will stay pristine and chip free for two to three weeks!

The process took about an hour, in which time Leung, expertly applied very thin layers of coloured gel, which were set hard with a UV lamp.  I also had a fabulous manicure, in which Helen used a scary looking electric filer to remove the hard skin.  Much to my initial hesitance, and her reassurance, it was very effective in removing the hard skin without clipping, and possibly cutting my skin.  Helen warned me that if a technician isn’t trained properly to use the electric filer, then they can cause a lot of damage, and that most people don’t know how to use them, so do be cautious when you see them pulled out in less kosher looking salons.

Due to the UV light, my nails were dry as soon as she was finished, so I could go about my day not flapping my hands around like a baby.  “O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel is one of our most popular treatments,’ Helen told me.  “What is so fabulous is that the colour is so shiny and vivid, and lasts for up to three weeks.  You can also paint over it with regular nail varnish if you want to change, and the nail varnish remover  doesn’t remove the gel, just the colour on top”.

I decided to put them to the ultimate test.  I was off to Phuket the next day, and as girls know, nail varnish dies a death on holiday, with sun creams and bug sprays disintegrating them, as quickly as we paint them, they quickly start to get sticky and dull.  But with the OPI Axxium Gel Nail Varnish there was no such problem.  My nails stayed as shiny and perfect as they were when I walked out of Rainbow Nails.  Three weeks later, they still looked amazing, even though they had ‘grown out’ a bit.

The Upkeep
As you cant remove the gel yourself, you have to go back to the salon to get them soaked off, or topped up, whichever you prefer.  In the nature of research I soaked them, which took about half an hour, and also comprised of a mini-manicure and buff to remove the flaked top layer of nail. This is where I personally had a bit of a problem.  As my nails are unusually thin, I did sustain a bit of damage for the procedure.  I found for the next six weeks, my nails were flaky and even more brittle than normal.  However I have had acrylic nails in the past, and the damage was no way as much as before.  Helen advised me to rub nail oil on them, and keep them painted, which I did, but I was left longing to put the O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel  back on.  I had my fix, now I wanted another hit.

Conslusion:
I would 100% recommend Rainbow nails and Helen for all nail treatments.  With regards to the O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel system, even though I had a small issue when they were removed I think it is a fabulous, but addictive product.   I would do it again, especially if I had a holiday to go on, or maybe a wedding to go to, but as I wouldn’t want to keep going back every three weeks, and it did slightly damage my nails, I wouldn’t do it regularly.   Very few people have nails as thin as mine, so I don’t think the damage would be noticeable at all.  However if you do have very thin nails like myself, do consider the constant upkeep or the damage after.  If you seem to find that you are too busy to ever get your nails done, and you are constantly embarrassed of your hands, then I think the O.P.I Axxium Soak Off Gel system might be perfect for you.

How Much?
Rainbow nails regularly have promotions and special offers for returning customers, so do join their mailing list to in informed, but at the time of going to press the cost is:
For two treatments-
Hands: was $1,150 now $1,000
Feet: was $1,550  now $1,400

Where?
Address : Unit 503, 5/F., Canton House,   54-56 Queen’s Road Central,   H.K.
Telephone : (852) 2840 0660
Website : http://www.rainbownails.com.hk/
Email : rainbownails@rainbownails.com.hk

Hectic Hong Kong life leaves most of us feeling frazzled, tired, and stressed, surely there can’t be a better way to relax, unwind and spend a totally selfish day being pampered from tip-to-toe, and be treated like the queen that you are for a day?

The Retreat in Repulse Bay has the answer.  Their signature treatment ‘Queen for a Day’ promises to indulge you in chocolate decadence, complete with body treatment and facial followed by a simultaneous manicure and pedicure to complete your day fit for a queen.

The Venue
Somewhat hard to find, The Retreat is situated on Beach Road, which is a hard left turn off Repulse Bay Road.  The rather irritable belching taxi driver dropped me off by 7-11, which at first glance does not look like a likely venue for a A-grade spa, but as we all know looks can be deceiving.  Upon entering The Retreat, I was greeted by a bright and airy reception.  One can immediately tell that no expense was spared in the design and interior of The Retreat, it is simply beautiful.   Its calm simplicity is where it differs from every other spa I have visited in Asia. Rather than going down the Asian zen-like interior route, the design team at The Retreat have opted for a clean, crisp, almost Miami beach chic, without a Buddha or a bong in sight.  The reception is also home to a Tony & Guy hair salon, and a fabulous health conscious cafe which offers a variety of snacks, salads, and home made smoothies and juices, the perfect compliment to a health spa.  The only shame is the window situation which I was assured is in the process of being fixed.  Running the whole length of the property will be floor to ceiling windows with unparalleled panoramic views overlooking Repulse Bay.  These are currently walled up due to planning bureaucracy, but once these are opened, The Retreat will have one of the best views in Hong Kong.

Mini Aura-Soma Introduction
My Therapist Carol first lead me into a room filled with hundreds of back-lit, beautiful dual coloured bottles.  Every colour combination conceivable was on view for me to choose from.  I was told to chose the four bottles that appealed to me the most, then Carol would be able to tell me about my personalty, talents, present situation and potential.  By interpreting the colours I chose,  Carol was able to tell me that I was very chilled out, relaxed, and happy.  I would expect that a beauty and spa writer would be very chilled out, with all the treatments reviewed, otherwise the spas would be doing something very wrong.  She then chose a particular bottle to take into the treatment room, which was to be opened and the colours’ energy was then said to work in alignment with the therapy.  I was also then ‘prescribed’ a certain shower gel which would help me in day to day life.  Although extremely charming, and enjoyable to hear about, I am always rather cautious about delving into ‘fortune telling’, as for the unsound mind, I believe that readings can be detrimental.  I was however assured that this was not fortune telling, but a heavily researched colour therapy that can aide you to a better path.  In fifteen minutes it is hard to tell if this is true, but it left me intrigued and interested to try a full consultation to find out what it is really about.  In the meantime, a little pink bottle came with me into room two…

The Treatment
Once inside the aqua and mosaic room, I derobed and was smothered from head to toe in rich, gooey dark chocolate.  I was then wrapped in cling film and covered in a heated blanket.  Although I was concerned that I would be cooked like a brownie, Carol informed me that the chocolate was extremely good for the skin, and would balance and hydrate my post Phuket sun-snogged skin.  While I was happily cooking, Carol started on the ‘Exotic Moisture Dew Facial’  and head massage, in which I found myself happily snoring.  I was then unwrapped from my cocoon and told to wash off the chocolate, which was a lot harder that I imagined as it was extremely sticky, but once clean my skin was as soft as a baby’s bottom, and left smelling of a bar of Dairy Milk.  Back on the bed I was treated to a collagen eye treatment to soothe my dark circles, and was sent back into a delirious snooze.  I was once again woken up, and left to dress.  I was then lead into the nail parlour, which hopefully soon will have the wonderful floor-to-ceiling windows.  Sitting in one of the most ingenious pedi-chairs I have ever seen, I had a coral pink OPI pedicure, which by all accounts was one of the best I have ever had.

The Conclusion
I was literally floating when I left The Retreat, the delicate smell of the chocolate on my skin seemed to continue my state of relaxation, more than the usual smell of aromatherapy oil that lingers after a treatment.  My skin felt ridiculously soft and fabulous, my eye bags didn’t seem as prominent as usual, and my toes looked beautiful.  I’m yet to decide if the little pink Aura-Soma bottle in the room added to the effect, but I went to sleep feeling somewhat royal and not wanting my day to end.

The Retreat details here
Queen for a Day  175 mins $tbc
Collegen Eye Treatment 30 mins $tbc

My antics so far this weekend would certainly suggest otherwise.
It’s Sunday morning, I am in a world of lager-induced pain, and I am back at the scene of crime – Lan Kwai Fong – for my first treatment as BBHK male grooming editor.
Cheers to Beers, the award-winning signature treatment at Sense of Touch (52 D’Aguilar Street), claims to the contrary, that beer is in fact the answer for the travel-heavy, muscle weary man. As I make my way up Lan Kwai Fong, tip toeing through the ebs and flows of last night’s empties (a selection of which are likely to have been mine), I think am going to need some convincing.

A bubble beer bath
Having de-frocked, I am plunged into a deep bath of Aromatherapy Associates body wash, topped up with a flagon of dark ale. Bishnu, my therapist is keen to point out that it’s not for drinking, (don’t worry Bishnu, I’m still in the “I’m never drinking again” zone). It’s only part-fermented beer. Lacking in the strong scent of lager, half-fermented ale is rich in vitamin B, great for strong and healthy hair, nails and skin. I am told 30 minutes in here will warm and relax my tired muscles and that Cleopatra and other fashionistas supposedly bathed in beer for its skin softening properties. It would appear I am in good company (metaphorically, not physically unfortunately).
My bathe time passes quickly and I am certainly feeling a little revived, not to mention soft and smooth. Bishnu returns and tucks me into a tapestry of well-conditioned towels in anticipation of phase two, a 60 minute stress-relieving deep tissue massage.

Massage me
Bishnu tells me the Aromatherapy Associates body gel she’s willing into my aching limbs is water based and contains ginger, lavender and black pepper. The trio work together to heat and then relieve muscular pain.
The hour-long full body massage strikes a perfect balance. It goes to work on the bits that need it most, without losing the stress-free touch. A barley scrub is also offered as part of a slightly dearer two-hour package which opens the paws and softens the skin to an even greater degree.
My 90-minute treatment is concluded with a good going over with de-stress muscle body oil, which I’m told is also great for the temples and lymph nodes for headache relief.
“The treatments carry on working for another 48 hours,” says Bishnu as my time draws to a close. The oil molecules that are busy working their way into my skin are very fine, absorbed through hair follicles and are – as I speak – flowing directly into my blood stream. If they can just help displace last night’s excesses that seem reticent to the idea of leaving, we will be on to an absolute winner, I think to myself.
Is Cheers to Beers a boy’s thing, I ask Bishnu. “Not at all,” she replies, “women love it too.” I can see why as I leave refreshed and smelling of ginger, pepper and particularly lavender.
As a parting word it’s reiterated once more to me how great Cheers to Beers is for the business traveller. Well, as fate would have it, I fly to London in T minus 36 hours. I wonder, how will I feel in 48 hours time?…

Tuesday, 6am. Heathrow Airport Arrivals Lounge
A full English breakfast with proper bacon, sausages and sloppy cafeteria baked beans certainly play their part, but I do indeed feel pretty good, all things considered.
I’ve done lots of things with beer, including using it to try and make me feel better, but I don’t think I’ve ever bathed in it, and I’m certain it’s never made me feel this good. Perhaps I have found the true meaning of the warning labels that adorn the city’s liquor bottles… enjoy responsibly!

Drew Mills – male grooming editor

_________
Bath, scrub and massage: $1590/2 hours
Bath and massage only: $990/90 minutes
Sense of Touch details here

After months of speculation a new hairdressers has opened in the Repulse Bay Sense of Touch.  Set along side the recently launched Sense of Touch day-spa, Capelli overlooks the Moroccan themed gazebo garden.  This small but beautifully designed salon will be a welcome addition to the ever growing spa and beauty scene in the area, and an unwelcome rival to the Tony & Guy in The Retreat spa down the road.

Bubbly Creative Director Curt comes with a wealth of experience.  After being trained in Tony & Guy London, and a running a hairdressing academy in Shanghai, he has returned to his roots in Hong Kong, and now is extremely excited about his new salon, “It’s such a beautiful location, and we are so busy already…my clients have followed me and once the local clientele come here, they will not want to go anywhere else ever again”.

Curt tells me he is notorious for his love of long hair, and his ability to help his clients achieve long, thick healthy hair, no matter their age.  Being a scissor-phobic Rapunzel myself, this is music to my ears. Curt kept me entertained with his stories of globe-trekking whilst expertly sniping my long locks.  An hour later, my hair looked healthy, lush and happy with its beautiful new style.  My only gripe was the hair wash took far too long, but I will gladly put this down to teething problems of the first few days of business.

An exclusive deal with L’Oreal Professionnel and Kérastase, great haircuts and excellent customer reward packages should see this new salon a successful and permanent fixture in the area.

Haircuts start at $300 for a stylist and go up to $800 for the creative director.

Click here for Capelli details.

After nine years in business Centrals Body Conscious has closed its doors for the final time.  Owner Lawrence Brown blames high rentals and credit card procedures for the closure.  A lease signed at the peak of the rental market found BC paying 60% over market rates, and a new credit card rule that sees salons paid six months after the slip is signed forced the spa out of business.  But its not all doom and gloom, they have now merged with the Elemis Day Spa in D’Aguilar Street.  The expert staff from Body Conscious now all work in the new location, which is only a short hop down the hill from the previous site.

All unfinished packages from Body Conscious are being honoured by Elemis, and performed by the same staff, so its smiles all round!  A new refurbishment over Chinese New Year will see the new super-salon ready for business.

Please contact Elemis Day Spa for more details.