MB45 Salon Feature – Mani & Pedi in 45 minutes – beautiful and long-lasting

Last week I was invited to check out a new salon in Tribeca called MB45 – which is such a great concept for a New York City gal as it allows you to get your Mani + Blowout (or a braided do) in just 45 minutes! The key is that you receive the services simultaneously from professional and friendly stylists and manicurists, walking away with perfect nails and hair, ready to run back to work, on your date or to Happy Hour drinks – in 45 minutes flat.

Aside from enjoying a super cute salon, I also discovered an interesting new nail technique that they implement, which was a revelation to me. I’m definitely one of those New Yorkers who is struggling to find a salon that has consistently good service, coming away with a manicure that lasts more than a few days – my biggest pet-peeve is when my nail polish chips as I open the door to leave the salon or grab my metro card on the way out.

Read on to find out the secret to MB45’s long lasting mani, and join me on a virtual journey of my experience.

The services start out with a typical hair wash, and once you’re situated, you are placed in a chair in front of a mirror, with a side manicure table. As the hair stylist begins to work on the style you pick (you can choose from a menu they offer, ranging from pin-straight, to beach waves, to braids and everything in between) she sets off sectioning your hair neatly into little twists. One my other pet-peeves at salons is that after the wash, you sit there looking kind of like a wet rat, and your hair doesn’t start looking good until they’re about 3/4 of the way done; it’s not a very appealing picture – not for yourself, not for anyone around. The twists make it totally different – so you actually look cute WHILE getting your hair done.

As the hairstylist works her magic, the manicurist sets out to work also. The main key to this long-lasting manicure is that they use a Brazilian technique. First, they neatly take off all the cuticle – even that above the nail, and file them into a shape of your choosing. Then (and this is the secret) they apply nail polish, starting with a clear coat, covering the cuticle. At first when I had this happen, I was confused, thinking that it was weird that they weren’t paining my nails perfectly inside the boundaries as I’m used to. But then I saw what happened after – and it made all the difference.

Even though my nails were looking sloppy all throughout the process, this technique allowed for the polish to get on every part of the nail – thus not leaving any areas uncovered. After the 2 coats and top coat were applied, the manicurist used a wooden pick stick, covered with a thin layer of cotton and dipped into nail polish remover to neatly erase any signs of polish from everything besides the nails themselves. The result – perfectly painted nails, fully covered and ready to last!

I opted for a fun half-and-half design that they feature in their catalog, combining my 2 favorite summer colors of peach and light blue on each nail.

The Mani + Blowout is $65, but for my clients, they’re offering a special – $15 off if you book online using code “mygirls”.

xo,

Photos by Kat Araujo