Pampering tips and toes

The art of pampering oneself has been reaching new heights with new treatment and products seeing the light of the day. However, hands and feet, do not get as much care as they need. Dedicated to ‘gorgeous nails’, Kavita Prakash and Neela Bopaiah recently opened ‘Polished’, a nail studio which is one-of-its-kind in the City. They describe it as the perfect place for today’s busy woman who don’t have enough time to spare.

“It was a discussion between Neela, me and some of our friends that led to the inception of ‘Polished’. We both stayed in Dubai for about 15 to 20 years and whenever we came down to Bengaluru, we found it difficult to find a place that was dedicated and exclusive to nails,” says Kavita. She adds, “That was when we thought, there is an opportunity in the market, so why not open a place that dedicatedly worked on nails? We are catering to a destination where women can unveil from their stressful days, relax and get pampered, under the care of a trained team.”

Ask them how it was to start a studio and Neela says, “Even deciding the name was an exciting experience. We wanted to give the market something different— from the name to the experience, we wanted something that people go out and talk about it.”

 They also point out that their experience with various nail studios in the City made them sure that their venture has to be something that doesn’t exist currently — in terms of the product range, which are internationally acclaimed brands. With nail art a rage in the City, “we have something that we call ‘Little Miss Polished’— a new feature where moms can bring their kids for a captivating experience. These nail paints are free of chemicals and are washable, in fact, we have made sure that all our nail colours are free of most of the chemicals making them the most toxic free products,” says Neela.

She adds, “People in India have become very fashion-conscious especially the present generation in places like Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. They are well groomed and well-presented at all times, but however we feel there is still a gap when it comes to taking care of ones feet and hands. This thought also led to the birth of ‘Polished’.”

They believe that hands and feet are as important as one’s face and body and have to be taken care of properly. Keeping the most important factor in prime focus — hygiene of the place, the tools and applicators used during a session — Kavita shares, “People have sweaty palms and sour smelly feet that itself carries a lot of infections. We have taken utmost care to ensure that all the tools and towels go through sterilisation process. In fact, the entire process begins with the use of an anti- fungal cream— not just for the client but also for the technicians.”

With the festive season almost here, one has a lot to look forward to. “From marble art and glitter stones to water colour art, people like to associate nail art to a particular occasion. With ‘Dandiya’ nights and ‘Navaratri’ festivities lined up, there is much to look forward to in terms of nail care and nail art,” concludes Neela.