Over the festive period many tend to treat themselves to pamper sessions, heading into the New Year looking and feeling their best. From facials to hair appointments, escaping reality for an hour or so to indulge in yourself is a proper festive treat.
Bougie surroundings always makes your pamper day feel that bit more luxurious – and one brand new nail salon that has opened in Manchester prides itself on the experience it provides as well as the service.
Townhouse is a premium nail salon which has set up shop on King St – with another one popping up on Deansgate in the New Year. Having opened its doors on November 20, just in time for Christmas, Townhouse is ‘loved’ by celebs such as Barbie star Margot Robbie and Canadian rapper Drake.
READ MORE: Popular Manchester restaurant confirms closure of all its four sites
READ MORE: The festive town near Greater Manchester hosting a magical trail this Christmas
If it’s good enough for A-listers, it’s good enough for me – so I headed to the new salon to see how it compared to others I’ve visited.
When you walk in, one of the things you notice straight away is the chic and stylish layout of the place. It comes as no surprise that social media influencers flock to Townhouse to get manicures with a setting that’s so Instagrammable.
There are dozens of Townhouse salons scattered across the UK and I’m told they are all essentially laid out in the exact same way, using the exact same furniture.
(Image: MEN)
I was most impressed with the lush chairs to lounge in at the pedicure station – accompanied with a gleaming basin. I’ve seen some pretty grim pedicure set-ups in my time, but this had to be the most glamorous one I’ve ever laid eyes on.
On that, the whole salon was gleaming, in fact, they take pride in their clinical level cleanings, describing the health of their customers and hygiene as their “utmost priority.” All of the tools are either single-use (and recycled) or sterilised in a hospital-grade autoclave machine between each use.
Everything was super high-tech – you can make bookings on a touchscreen machine when you enter the salon and can even flag that you are ‘checked-in’ and ready for your appointment. At the nail station, there’s an iPad you can flick through to pick what colour and style you want – gone are the days of the fake-nail colour wheel!
(Image: MEN)
You can even order a drink to have a sip on while you get your nails done, ranging from water to iced coffees, which is a nice touch, however it’s worth noting this comes at an additional charge, while in some of the more traditional salons you might have a brew whipped up for you for nothing.
I found the knowledge of the artists and nail professionals second to none. They put a huge emphasis on the importance of nail care and offer treatments such as BIAB to generally strengthen your natural nail. The salon also provides Halal nail options for customers.
While I received a simple and clean look of a nude nail with a hint of sparkle, they are trained in nail art and have produced some stunning looks which can be viewed on their website. Like in any salon, the more design you get the more money you pay.
Townhouse say they are “proud to offer the industry’s first gel manicure guarantee” which means if you get a gel manicure and experience any issues, for any reason over the following seven days, they fix it for free.
(Image: MEN)
In terms of what you pay, I found the pricing slightly more on the premium side with their signature gel manicure costing £40, with an extra charges for add-ons including £12 for BIAB, £12 for nail art, £9 for a Chrome finish, or £20 for ‘elevated and elegant’ nail art. However with the high quality of the service provided and the end result, I found the pricing very reasonable.
When I asked the Salon Manager, Victoria James, why people come to Townhouse for manicures and pedicures, she said: “It’s an experience to come here. Not only are you getting top-class treatment, Townhouse has incredibly high standards both in giving a perfect nail look, as well as how you’re treated when you come here.”
Founded by Juanita Huber-Millet in 2018, Townhouse has won awards including Best Nail Salon of the Year by both the Scratch Awards and The UK British Hair & Beauty Awards, as well as becoming the go-to choice for A-list celebrities, editors, and beauty influencers
Townhouse Manchester is located at 34 King Street, M2 4LY. It opens seven days a week, 9am to 7pm from Saturday-Tuesday, 8am to 8pm Wednesday and Friday, 8am to 9pm on Thursdays. Customers can book treatments via the Townhouse website.
