As I have previously proclaimed on many occasions – I am not a fan of being poked, prodded, and rubbed pampered. Do I like getting my hair cut? Of course I do, I’m not a complete heathen. But do I like getting my head massaged before partaking in said cut? The answer is a big – HELL NO. What about manicures, you ask? Well, I gave them a try once in the 9th grade – but the 40-something manicurist, Jimmy, and his long-haired mole combined with the film of nail dust coating every surface of the salon made for a truly horrifying experience. At the beginning of the summer, however, I noticed that a pristinely lovely salon had opened up in my neighbourhood. I knew it was time to face my fear, and offer myself up for a new manicure experience. Turned out, it wasn’t scary at all – in fact, it was quite wonderful. Let me introduce you to Naked Beauty Bar.
First off – booking an appointment with Naked Beauty Bar could not be easier. Their website is set up so you can book online. It lets you choose your ideal appointment time, what service you’d like done, and you can even add extra notes (I specifically let it be known that silver nails were what I desired – and what was waiting for me upon my arrival for my first appointment? You guessed it, a shimmering selection of silver polish – these girls are on the ball, yo). The salon offers an array of beautifying services to fulfill the itinerary of any gal looking to treat herself:
- Manicures and Pedicures (I’ve tried The Essential Shellac/Gel Colour and The Change Shellac/Gel…both great)
- Lashes
- Waxing
The atmosphere of the salon is absolutely dreamy. Naked Beauty Bar has been exquisitely designed: clean, simple, and full of light. With clean white walls, pale birch floors, lots of natural light, artfully selected lighting fixtures, and a playlist that could not be more on point – it’s very easy to relax into the vibe the salon has going on. Not to mention – the girls at Naked Beauty Bar are super friendly and are loads of fun to talk with while you get your nails done. My aesthetician, Ashely, and I spent our time talking about the delights of late night McD’s, our shared love for Netflix, and new and cool trends in nail art. Oh – and I forgot one key fixture of the salon – the owner’s unbelievably adorable little pooch, Duke – who will most likely snooze while you’re gabbing and shellac-ing.
The beauty bar boasts an impressive stock of ‘au naturel’ and local beauty products to help you up keep your manicures. With scrubs and lotions c/o LOVEFRESH and cuticle oils, hand soaps, body whips, and scrubs whipped up by the much beloved Cure Apothecary, it’s pretty much impossible to leave without purchasing your very own products to take home. The scent of vanilla, lavender, pink grapefruit & tangerine, and key lime cocoa call your name from their display shelves, and you open your wallet willingly. I, myself, couldn’t say no to the Dahlia and Sons cuticle oil. As an avid nail painter (and now shellac mani getter) I knew it was going to be necessary to take better care of my nails so they could stay healthy amid all the attention. If you’re a nail polish addict such as myself, you’ll be completely mesmerized by the rows and rows of beautiful polishes from OPI, RGB, Deborah Lippmann, Essie, CDN, and Vinylux. It makes selecting just one colour very difficult, though it’s pretty much impossible to go wrong with the help of Naked Beauty Bar’s amazing team of pros and the endlessly fabulous selection to choose from.
The finished product – c’est magnifique, non?
Thanks Naked Beauty Bar – after being a self diagnosed mani-phobic, I’m now officially addicted to getting my nails did.
Follow Naked Beauty Bar on Instagram: @nakedbeautybar
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Visit the Salon: 889 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON
the rêve head 