Tips for Nail Art Perfection!

Nail art is a fun and relatively inexpensive way to be expressive and even a little festive too!

Having trouble deciding what your next nail art should be? Here are some helpful tips to get your creativity flowing:

• Look at images on nail art websites or just Google “nail art images”. Sometimes you don’t know what you want until you see something that inspires you!

• It’s best to come into a salon with a picture already printed out or email the salon beforehand. There’s a possibility the salon won’t be equipped to execute the design and plus, there’s nothing more disappointing than trekking somewhere for nothing!
• Although DIY nail art kits are super fun, letting a professional do it for you ensures you’ll have a pristine manicure without any stress or time wasted. Professional manicurists have a good idea what will work for the shape and size of your nails and can recommend ideas you may not have thought of.
• If you’re really into a type of pattern, fabric, or design, bring in a swatch or a picture and watch your manicurist do wonders to bring that design to life on your nails!
• If nail art isn’t your thing, but you still want to try something new, try picking out 2 or 3 or your favorite colors. Adding a small colorful embellishment (like a color blocking design, images like a heart or flower, or even crystals) to a nail or two can really elevate your manicure to the next level!

Here at SNY, we have talented nail artists on staff every day! Contact us beforehand with your idea and we’ll make sure to pair you with the best manicurist for your needs!

Melt Away the Cold with Paraffin Wax

Skin conditioning during the cold winter months can be an ongoing task, so we like to encourage our clients to try different treatments to find out which works best.

A Paraffin Wax treatment for your hands and feet is an inexpensive, speedy, yet luxurious way to warm and hydrate your skin while relaxing stiff muscles and joints. The wax contains paraffin oil making it softer than, for example, wax used for hair removal. Because it’s softer, the wax melts at lower temperatures, so it won’t burn or blister your skin. Add a Paraffin Wax treatment to your favorite manicure or pedicure or get it on its own for a quick and soothing treatment for your hard-working extremities!

Here’s what our Paraffin Wax treatment entails:

• First our estheticians lightly massage your hands or feet using SpaRitual Organic Moisturizing lotion, with Geranium essential oil.
• Then you will submerge your hands or feet into melted paraffin wax until your skin is generously coated (for feet, the process is slightly different to ensure that hands and feet aren’t dipped into the same wax).
• Your hands or feet are then covered with plastic and then slid into terry cloth mitts to keep the wax warm.
• After about 5 minutes, the process is complete and the wax is removed all at once.

Your skin will feel deeply moisturized and softened without being oily or greasy.

Paraffin Wax treatment by itself:

Gel Nail Art in Time Out New York

The nail salon at Shizuka New York Day Spa was featured as one of NYC’s top ten nail art salons in Time Out New York. TONY featured our glitter gradation gel manicure as one of it’s most trendy styles:

Shizuka New York Day Spa
On the sixth floor of what looks like an ordinary midtown office building lies Shizuka, a serene space where manicurist Satomi Teraoka creates Japanese nail art as understated or outrageous as you desire. After being greeted with a cup of green tea, manicure devotees are presented with a case of faux nails showcasing the sun-filled salon’s most popular designs, including Teraoka’s signature “glitter waterfall” ($85). To create this effect, clear, light pink and glittery Presto gels are layered on the nails and dried under a LED light for 20 seconds after each application. Teraoka completes the mani with a few crystals and a glossy top coat. While gel manicures—which last about two weeks and cost $20 to get removed—are the salon’s speciality, they don’t skimp on other forms of nail art. Flowers, leopard spots and original designs can be brushed on with regular polish ($5–$10 per nail), and if you have a thing for bling, the ladies at Shizuka will completely cover your nails with crystals to create their Disco-ball manicure ($150). 7 W 51st St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, sixth floor (212-644-7400, shizukany.com)—Leah Faye Cooper

Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson

[Time Out New York]

4 Hours of Spa Bliss for $250

This March, we at Shizuka New York Day Spa are pleased to offer one of our most popular spa packages at an even better deal than normal.

The Total Body Spa Package, valued at $285, is available for $250 March 1-31, 2011.

Including a detoxifying Infrared Sauna session, a 50-Minute Swedish Massage, Classic Facial, Classic Manicure & Pedicure, this spa package is the perfect break from your hectic life.

Use our convenient online appointment request form (use the Promo Code “Spring Forward”) and you will soon be on your way to 4 hours of relaxation and rejuvenation!

11 Spa Deals for 2011

If you’re still recovering from the holiday season, take advantage of these awesome spa deals to ring in the new year. Shizuka New York Day Spa is offering 11 spa deals on our most popular facials, massage, body, eyelash and nail treatments through January 31, 2011.

Learn more about our 11 spa deals here >>

Holiday Nail Art

Save on festive holiday nail art with any Gel Manicure through December 31, 2010. Our nail artists recommend one design on the ring finger for a subtle display of holiday cheer.

Pictured at left: Christmas Tree with Crystal “Star” – $7/nail (reg. $10)
Pictured at right: Holiday Snowflake with Crystal Center – $5/nail (reg. $7)

Also, save on soothing and hydrating Paraffin Hand Treatments ($10, reg. $15) with any Shizuka NY manicure through December 31st.

To get these great looks, you can request an appointment online or call (212) 644-7400 for spa reservations.

LED Gel Nails NYC are a “Best Bet”

Our new LED Gel Nails are featured in a “Best Bets” post on New York Magazine’s “The Cut” blog.  As you may know, LED spa treatments are not new to Shizuka New York Day Spa…

Anyone who has sat patiently through a professional manicure only to have it chip or peel a day or two later can appreciate the popularity of the gel system, which lasts weeks. This is especially important during the summer months, when chlorine and humidity are punishing to traditional polish. Until now, the standard gel manicure was set with UV light, which not only made the process take at least an hour, but exposed the hands to damaging rays. Shizuka New York has introduced an updated gel manicure system that uses LEDs instead of UVs. Not only is it healthier, it takes about half the time to set and the results are just as pretty. Best of all? Shizuka offers a no-chip guarantee: If your gel nails chip or lift within ten days of treatment, they’ll reset them for free.

We are currently offering a introductory offer of $40 for the LED Gel Manicure NYC (one color) that lasts through Labor Day, September 6, 2010. This is 20% off the list price of the manicure!

FYI, the LED gel manicure pictured above also uses gradation (color blending, +$20) and sparkly glitter gel (+7). However, a single color is equally stylish and the results speak for themselves!

With Shizuka New York Nail Salon’s 10-Day No Chip Guarantee, we will also fix LED gel manicures that have chipped or lifted within 10 days of the initial treatment.

Read more about our LED Gel Nails.

[NYMag.com - The Cut]
Photo by Melissa Hom

Katy Perry’s ‘Disco Ball’ Manicure is a Great New Year’s Look

You may remember from our recent post, Style Watch: Nail Bling, that Katy Perry rocked a ‘disco ball’ manicure at this year’s VMAs. Other fans of this celebrity manicure include Serena Williams, Pink and Beyonce.

Time Out New York featured this trendy nail look at Shizuka New York Day Spa as a great way to bling out your New Year’s Eve look. What goes into a disco-ball manicure? Hundreds of shimmering Swarovski Crystals that will make your nails shine like the Swarovski star atop the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree a few steps away from our NYC day spa. The price of a disco ball manicure is $180, although you can get it for $150 through December 31, 2009 when you mention Time Out.

To make an appointment for a disco ball manicure, contact us online or call (212) 644-7400. BTW, Shizuka New York Day Spa is open until 6pm on New Year’s Eve, and while you’re at it, try our brand new Collagen Boost Facial, the ultimate pre-party facial on special through December 31.

Is Katy Perry’s look a little too extreme for your style? Try our Crystal Manicure ($65), a more subtle and affordable version of the celebrity manicure.