Things come and go in the world of trends, but some changes seem to go beyond mere of-the-moment fleeting blips on the radar and actually usher in meaningful improvements.  There’s been a respectable amount of buzz lately in the beauty sphere about a specific technique of nail care called a Russian manicure (or pedicure if we’re talking toes). And I’m reasonably confident that this is one of the trends that will gain momentum and stick around for the long term because I believe it’s actually a true improvement. 

What does this term, Russian style manicure, actually mean and why are people talking about it? 

In the realm of … let’s call them…fancy nails… the goal as far as I’m personally concerned is polished nails that are first and foremost beautiful looking. We’re talking elegance, sophistication and the occasional fashion boundary pushing choice.  I want to look down at my hands and feet and feel great about what I see. I love it when my nails look like little beautiful gems on the ends of each of my digits, so lovely, having my nails done never fails to make me feel happy.

My goal with fancy nails is also that they be strong without being clunky and thick. I personally cannot stand it when a manicure results in thick awkward nails that don’t allow me to pick anything up. Especially being a makeup artist, I need to be able to quickly and easily pick up brushes and open teeny tiny little containers.  BUT the nail still needs to be strong, especially for those of us like myself blessed with what must be the thinnest, weakest nails in the known world! As I’ve now gradually come to learn, thin weak fingernails cannot get away with using softer flexible polishes (such as Shellac) used on their own and expect them to hold up for very long. 

Further goals of fancy nails for me is that they are so well done that the manicure looks just as good when it’s time to remove it as it did when it was first done, it’s just grown out at the base of the nail. No chipping, no lifting at the edges, that’s what I want and expect. It is so frustrating to have a beautiful manicure done and have it lift and chip. 

I remember some very discouraging nail experiences over the past years, but I just simply didn’t have enough personal understanding to request different techniques and polish formulation choices and for whatever reasons the nail tech’s in the past didn’t make helpful recommendations either. I think often nail technicians assume that we, the client, know what we want for our nails, but beyond the colour choice I am first hand proof that in fact, no! A lot of us nail clients have close to zero understanding of what all the different nail products do and how they differ and what product is right for us. It’s confusing! Nail formulations are confusing! Since bringing nail beauty services in house at Prête studio it’s been a big learning curve for me to understand what makes for a successful manicure vs what leads to unhappy results. I’ve come to highly value the importance of knowledgeable nail technicians that really understand what they’re doing and can make meaningful, helpful recommendations that are personalized for your nail strength and desired nail shape and length. 

All of this is a tall order to be sure, but it’s also the standard that I now hold for my nails and for those of my clients of the nail services that are provided at Prête. 

Okay, back to this specific question of the Russian Style manicures. The main differences from a conventional nail polish experience can be summed up as exquisite precision and long wearability. 

There is a major focus on the health of your nails. For example no acrylics or other more toxic forms of nail building materials are used. 

No soaking in water. Russian manicures and pedicures are dry, hands and feet are not soaked in any kind of water to soften up the skin or cuticles. I know that soaking in water feels nice at the moment, but there’s a few downsides to water.  Soaking in warm water can be a source of potential shared bacteria from other clients and the water penetrates the nail, swelling it and can be a later cause of polish not bonding properly to the nail. 

Instead the trained nail technicians use specialized electric nail drills, cuticle sticks and very sharp ultra precise cuticle scissors. 

The nail experts have gone through extensive training to really understand what styles of polish formulation to recommend to clients and how to properly prepare the nail for maximum bonding adhesion and pristine results. 

Because of all the precise care of cuticles and preparing the nail, along with the finest of nail brushes, Russian style manicures and pedicures are able to get REALLY close to the edges of your nail bed. This helps to ensure you don’t get lifting and that the polish appears to grow out more slowly because it started extra extra close to the edges. 

And lastly, this style of manicure and pedicure takes a bit longer to complete because of the high level of prep work done and the meticulous application of the various layers of polishes. On average for a typical manicure you’re looking at something around 90 minutes versus 60-75 for a more conventional manicure. 

I hope that helps to educate you a little better about what this nail technique is all about, and we here at Prête Beauty Studio are very excited and proud to be bringing this beautiful, thin, strong and long lasting nail technique to your fingers and toes!