According to Andrea, the manicurist at Adams Barber Shop (5138 W. Madison St.; 773-261-9758), there are two things a woman notices about a man: his hands and his shoes. “No woman wants a man with dirty fingernails and dirty shoelaces,” she said.
Andrea has been a manicurist for nine years and has been pushing back cuticles–from fingers and toes–for a predominantly male clientele at Adams for the last three.
“I used to do the acrylics and stuff but I prefer working here and doing natural nail care,” she said. “You would be surprised at how these men talk. They like to gossip too.”
When I went to Adams for my manicure, it was as if I walked into a scene from the film “Barbershop.” Dads and moms were getting haircuts with their sons, a continuous flow of people came through the door–some for services, others just to be social–and the TV set was showing back-to-back “The Parkers” reruns on BET.
A basic manicure is all you can get at Adams: soap scrub with a brush, cuticle conditioning, shaping and polish–one base coat, two coats of clear and a topcoat.
Before polishing, Andrea moisturized my hands while massaging and applying gentle pressure between the fingers. It was very soothing.
Choosing a polish was easy: Andrea only offers clear.
The cost of a manicure at Adams is $15 (cash only), appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.
For more extensive nail services, I went to Salon 212 & Day Spa (212 S. Marion St., Oak Park, 708-386-2221).
Upon arrival, the receptionist offered me water or coffee and directed me to a waiting area of lush couches and the simulated coziness of a virtual fireplace on a flat-screen TV.
Salon 212 was chic, and many of the patrons had children in tow while getting pampered.
I had made an appointment for the paraffin treatment, a warm wax dip that removes excess oils from skin, but ended up scheduled for a basic manicure only. Although my manicurist Ellen was apologetic about the snafu, she was not able to accommodate me for a dip because her next client was waiting.
I settled for the basic manicure ($18). At Salon 212 that includes cuticle conditioning, shaping and a choice of color polishes. During my cuticle condition, Ellen soaked my nails in a warm lotion/water substance that put Madge’s one-quarter cleansing cream to shame. The creamy moisturizer was then rubbed over my entire hand with a soft brush.
I liked the finished look of my burgundy nails better than Andrea’s clear coat, but Ellen did not shape them as precisely as Andrea had.
As a novice–this was my first manicure in four years–I would have preferred more personal attention from both places.
Andrea did an adequate job of explaining the manicure process and getting some of my nail history, but the Salon 212 experience was more regimented–as a new client I received no consultation and had I not asked about the full nail services offered, I would never have known.
Both Andrea and Ellen recommend getting a manicure every one to two weeks.
“You should have a manicure every two weeks or so, depending on what you do,” Andrea said. “Some guys that work in construction or around dirt come every week.”
