Testing: The Shellac Pedicure

A post-pedi pic. Photograph by Anne Vickman.

I’m a year-round pedicure girl. I can’t say why, exactly, other than looking at my brightly colored toes is a strange sort of chromatherapy in the dead of winter. But no matter the time of year, a pedi never lasts quite as long as I want it to.

Enter MiniLuxe’s newest treatment: the Shellac pedicure. The manicure version has been around for a year or two, and the polish lasts for at least two weeks without chipping. The pedi involves the same process: after a file, oil treatment, cuticle trim, and exfoliation, toenails get four coats (base coat, two color coats, and a topcoat), each of which is cured under a UV light for 60 to 90 seconds.

The polish selection — created by CND — is limited to 30 shades, which is far fewer than the rainbow of Essie and OPI colors found on the salon’s polish wall. Inspired by Essie’s sparkly Shine of the Times lacquer, I opt for jet black with a coat of holographic glitter on top.

...And two weeks later. Photograph by Anne Vickman.

While I can’t help but wonder how healthy direct UV exposure is to my feet, being able to put my socks and boots back on as soon as the pedi is through is a major bonus. And two weeks later, it looks just as good as the day I left the salon—which means, presumably, it will last a couple more.

$64, MiniLuxe, 296 Newbury St., Boston, 857-362-7444 , miniluxe.com.