I got my pedicure done at Passionails Ayala North Exchange branch.
Passionails is a sister company of Lay Bare, so both branches at Ayala North Exchange were connected.
PASSIONAILS AYALA NORTH EXCHANGE BRANCH PEDICURE REVIEW
I got the Passionails Color Wheel service (P250). It started with a foot soak, and then removal of old polish.
Knowledgeable Nail Technician
Sorry if this looks gross, but I found this white thing on my toenail, so I asked my nail technician, Noemi, what caused it and how to prevent it. She told me that it was caused by merthiolate. I remembered my previous pedicure at another popular nail salon chain, where I was so annoyed at the manicurist there who applied merthiolate on my cleaned toenails without asking. I hate the red orange tint that it leaves and I suspected that putting merthiolate on my nails and then immediately covering it with polish is not good for my nails at all. I don’t even know why this is still a thing!
Googling merthiolate now shows that it contains mercury! Yikes! Definitely not something I want anywhere on my skin.
Anyway, Noemi was able to scrape most of the white stuff off my nail, thank goodness. She proceeded to clean my toenails, cut them and shape them. Most importantly, she is light-handed (magaan ang kamay), and she also made sure to remove any residue from polish remover, cuticle softener, etc… before applying polish.
So I got to talking with her and found out that they go through 6 months of training at Passionails. They learn everything about the nail, and she really did seem very knowledgeable about the topic of nails. She knew not to nipper the cuticle off, she was able to explain why the nails should not be cut too deep, etc… I felt very confident entrusting my nails to her care.
One of my problems with getting my pedicure done at the nearby parlors is that the manicurists there don’t really care about their craft. Kung kumayod ng kuko kala mo buko yung kinakayod. They dig deep into flesh (kutkot) and make you bleed, they love to nipper all cuticles to death and applying merthiolate is standard practice. This is why I almost never get my pedicure done there anymore, unless I’m desperate and they’re the most convenient option. They’re also cheap.
But nowadays, I go to nail salon chains at the mall, but they’re still hit or miss, and they are pricey! Generally, the nail technicians there are the same as the ones at the neighborhood parlor. Most times I feel like there’s not much difference between nail salon chain vs. parlor, and I just paid for the mall overhead (aircon, location, better interiors) but the service level was the same. So most of the time I’ve been doing my own pedicures instead, although not as well, of course. Kapag panget, ako lang yung gumawa 😀 Kapag maganda, gawang salon yan 😀
But I was really impressed with my first pedicure experience at Passionails. Knowing that my nail technician actually studied everything nails for 6 months really put me at ease. I really felt that she had pakialam my nails. She made the effort to buff my nails. Instead of applying the color nail polish right away after cleaning, at Passionails, Noemi applied a base coat first! I know this is not standard practice at other places, kaya sobrang plus points talaga sa akin yan! After color, she also applied a topcoat, and then dropped some kwik dry. She even asked if I wanted to dry my toenails in the nail dryer (of course!).
Here are my happy toes (the “oil” you see is the Kwik Dry)! Lately, I’ve been into the blue-greens because I think they look good against my skin 🙂
Here is their price list:
I got the Passionails Color Wheel (P250).
SUMMARY
The pedicure service rate of P250 is standard, but still pricey if you need to get it done every week or two. Personally, I try to stretch out the time in between pedicures as much as I can.
But, when the time comes that I need to get a pedicure again, I would want to go where the nail technician is actually trained and knowledgeable about nail care. I am actually very impressed with this small nail salon chain – I think they currently only have 2 branches. If they can maintain this level of service even after they expand, that would be so awesome!
My problem is that they currently only have 2 branches – one in Capitol Commons, and another in Ayala North Exchange. I very rarely go to Ayala North Exchange, simply because I avoid Makati during weekdays as much as possible, and only go when I really need to. Capitol Commons is easier to get to, but unless there’s a specific reason to go there, we usually end up in Megamall, where everything is. I love Passionails, but I’m not sure if I would make one special trip to a mall just to get my nails done. But if I were already in the area, and I needed a pedicure, then yes, of course 🙂
I am hoping that they will be expanding to areas that are more accessible to me 🙂 ehem ehem, Megamall/Shang/Podium or SM Sta. Mesa 🙂
Passionails
2nd Floor, Ayala North Exchange Mall (across from RCBC, beside Makati Medical Center)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Passionails-Nail-Salon-and-Spa-1131245457035247/
