I’ve been such a slacker with my Monday Manicure posts, bellas. I even got called out on it by an Afrobella reader at the airport in NYC not too long ago. “Hey, what happened to your nail posts?” she asked. It’s been a while and I apologize. And I’m back with a new Monday Manicure for you! One I was supposed to write a while ago! Mea culpa.

Chicago-area bellas, let me introduce you to one of my favorite new nail salons! The Nail Social is the rebirth of now defunct salon Polish, which I also LOVED. Now that Polish is no more, it’s all about this new spot in an awesome new location right off Michigan Avenue on 16th St.

The Nail Social

The Nail Social is owned by a lovely married couple and staffed with really friendly, warm, engaging staff. I got such a wonderful manicure there, from a lovely bella with locs. I’m kicking myself for not remembering her name right now:( Ah well — I’ll just have to go back for another manicure to remind myself! 🙂

What do I look for when looking for a nail spot to call my own? I’ll tell you!

— Decor matters. The space should be clean, not cluttered. The Nail Social is spotless but still manages to be warm, inviting, and elegant. It’s the perfect spot to bring a friend (or two) for a mani/pedi afternoon. AND you can BYOB! Love everything about that!

— A friendly staff is VITAL. I’ve turned around and walked right back out of nail salons that made me feel like my money was worthless there. This hasn’t been my experience so far at the Nail Social. Friendly, welcoming, and quick to offer a fresh cup of tea. Love the vibe at this spot.

— A wide selection of nail colors and services is ALWAYS appreciated. I found a great selection of polishes — including glitters and crackles — at The Nail Social. For my manicure I chose two OPI colors — Simmer and Shimmer layered over Ski Teal We Drop.

Sorry I don’t have any extreme nail closeups. Still, whatcha think? The two shades of blue looked so pretty when layered. Gave a very pretty starry night kind of effect.

If you stop by The Nail Social, do yourself a favor and check out Three Peas Art Lounge next door as well! It’s one of my favorite spots in the city for art and cocktails and sometimes really cool jewelry for sale, too! Every month or so the two businesses are partnering up for something called The 16th Street Beauty Bar, so follow The Nail Social and Three Peas on Twitter for details on that fun monthly event.

Thanks to The Nail Social and Three Peas for everything (including your patience on this here post!)

And that’s my fave new nail salon! What’s yours?

COMMENTS

pets says:

July 18, 2011, 11:17 am

Lovely colours and the nail spa looks very professional yet friendly.

chalise says:

July 18, 2011, 11:41 am

I love your smile and the colors look really pretty. Please do a close up next time. www.YouTube.com/beesohoney

Krystal Grant says:

July 18, 2011, 12:47 pm

I can't believe that I'm printing this for all to see but....I have never had a manicure before. *holding my head in shame* And forget about pedicures. My feet are so ticklish I dare anyone to touch them without getting a foot in the mouth. Le Sigh- I guess I should find a nail salon in Atlanta and get my first ever manicure. If the experience turns out well, I'll blog about it.

Erica says:

July 18, 2011, 6:51 pm

I used to go to Polish and loved it. A couple of weeks ago I was thinking of starting regular manicures again and I found out the salon was closed. All that to say I'm loving this post!

Purple says:

July 19, 2011, 7:31 pm

I have similar colours on my nails right now! Love it!!

Kesha says:

July 20, 2011, 4:41 pm

I like Pure Rain in Chicago. It is very nicely decorated, is BYOB, and has a perpetual girls-night vibe. They have episodes of Sex and the City on loop in thier DVD player. Such a treat!