BEAUTY SPOTLIGHT: RUSSIAN MANICURE

I have always believed in taking care of myself but always embracing natural beauty & getting my nails done. Since I was 5, I would go to Carmen at Jessica The Clinic. She was my nail guru until she retired when I was 23. I still go to Jessica The Clinic because I'm a creature of habit but recently I've tried the Russian Manicure. Read on to find out my new obsession!

First and foremost, The Russian Manicure is not new! The Russian Manicure is a specific technique that removes as much skin as possible from the nail area, which leaves more room for polish. It is also a “dry manicure” which means there is no water involved and provides hands with not only a “cleaner” look but also longer lasting polish.

The technique of course originated in Russia and has gone viral thanks to TikTok.

Now I wanted to try a Russian Manicure for like the last 8 months. Since I’m not only a creature of habit & kept watching “Russian Manicures gone wrong” on TikTok I kept talking myself out of it. A week ago I decided to give it a go! I figured I un-retired from Fencing let’s add another thing I wanted to accomplish in 2024 off my list.

I searched for over a week. Now I could’ve done Minx Nails or Lisa Kon but I decided on Avra Nails. I made my appointment the same morning and zipped to my appointment.

It is such a quiet and clean salon. Everyone was super nice. I was still very nervous (watched all the horrific videos). I told my nail technician the same, ‘I’m nervous, I have sensitive skin and I’m afraid because I watch a lot of TikTok videos.” My girl chuckled and said ‘okay.’

The process is meticulous! It takes like 2 hours just for the cuticles! It honestly felt like I had just gotten there. After shaping my nails I was hooked! My hands have never looked so clean and sleek.

Of course I decided to go all out. I did a gorgeous light blue with chrome powder and nail art. A week later and my nails look absolutely AMAZINGGGGG! Like I just got them done. I’m happy to say my nails/ cuticles were never bleeding or swollen.

As we close out 2024, I can honestly say that I’m happy starting 2025 knowing that The Russian Manicure will be added to my rotation of maintenance.

The most important thing to remember is to look for a trained manicurist. Hope you enjoy your Russian Manicure as much as I enjoyed mine.