I went to the Beauty Shop today.  Actually, they call it a “Salon” – a full service salon where you can get your nails done as well as many other professional beauty services which will remain unmentioned for the sake of the privacy of women everywhere.  We want you guys to think that we are this beautiful effortlessly and even thought most of you know that we don’t wake up in the mornings looking this great,  we like to keep the illusion that we are at least pretty close to that to begin with!

Anyway, I digress…  So, the last time I was in to get my hair “done”,  my wonderful hairdresser, Kathy mentioned that I could also get my nails done while I was there, if I wanted.  Well, today, I wanted.  So, I made both appointments and felt pretty pleased with the idea of having all my beauty treatments done at one time at one place.   The last two times that I had my nails done was on my two trips to California and I decided to continue the splurge here in Portland today.  Both of those times, at nail salons in two different California counties, my nail polish was completely dry within a matter of minutes, so that when I left the salon, there was no way to smudge or nick them.  My nails looked absolutely beautiful and the polish stayed on and looked great for weeks.

  I guess I thought I could expect the same high standard from this nail technician here in Portland.  I was wrong.  I will never have my nails done there again which is the reason for my not mentioning the name of the salon to begin with.   I really wanted to mention it, too, because my beautician is very good and the salon in general is highly rated by customers.   The nail girl worked very quick - a good thing.  But she left rough edges, which I had to file down – a bad thing.  She seemed annoyed when I pointed them out to her- another bad thing.   I tried to keep a light conversation going and make some sort of a connection with her, but we never really clicked- not good, not bad.    I specifically showed her the color I was wearing when I came in, so she could guide me toward something very similar - she works there, right?- she knows her products, right?–she said go pick out the polish – a bad thing.  My delightful beautician came to the rescue and picked out the exact color I needed  – a good thing.   It is now 3 hours after my appointment and I have just SCRAPPED the polish off of one of my fingernails –it is not even remotely dry yet – three hours later!- a very bad thing.  The polish only looks good on half of my nails – not even one complete hand looks good.  I will have to redo everything myself- a really bad thing.   I was so pleased with the great polish & top coat used by the salons in California that I just can’t figure out why a professional manicurist would even consider using an inferior product.   Whatever polish & topcoat the nail girl here used should be given away as far as I am concerned.  Her attitude was such that she would probably say “whatever”, in that famous “Valley Girl” way,  if anyone said anything to her.

AND… just now , I  found another rough edge on another nail – a bad thing.  I definitely am NOT going to go back to her.