I recently had my pre-wedding photoshoot last weekend and I’m a vain female so naturally there was lots of primping before the shoot! ;) I have ugly nails and I admit to never having done a manicure in my life as I used to be a nail biter so a visit to a nail bar was all essential before my shoot to ensure that my fingers and toes looked decent!

Now, this is where having a beauty-mad sister comes in so handy! :) Sis did all the research and made an appointment for us at Colour Culture OPI Nail Bar in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur for a nice pampering manicure and pedicure session! OPI nail polish is said to be one of the better brands of nail polish and longest lasting. Plus they have really pretty colours!

Colour Culture is a small but really colourful nail bar with lots of OPI colours lining the walls. I loved their wall right at the back which featured all kinds of OPI colours with really interesting names! It provided lots of entertainment whilst my nails were drying. They have two areas – a long table with 3 sets chairs for those just doing a manicure while another area has 3 comfortable leather chairs in front where they do their pedicures.

We signed up for both a manicure and pedicure and were asked to choose our colours from a little box of mock ups. We started with the pedicure as they were rather observant in noticing that we had worn closed toe shoes and would need additional time for the nail polish to dry.

As it wasn’t too busy, we were asked to bring the mock up box to the pedicure area to choose at our own leisure while soaking our feet in warm water. There is a flat screen showing some Astro channels but it was unfortunately in Mandarin! Luckily there were quite a number of magazines to read while the girls worked on our feet. I rather enjoyed the pedicure as it has been ages since I’ve been for one and my feet felt really nice and smooth after a scrub. The girl was also quite helpful in suggesting a suitable colour as I was looking for something more natural and not too dramatic.

I thought the sink area was pretty innovative as after they were done with cleaning our feet, they simply cover the sink with a fitted cover and it turns into a little table for them to place the nail drying machine on while they started work on our hands! Before they start clipping your nails, they would ask you your preference whether you wanted your nails clipped round or flat and are quite good at recommending if you are clueless like I was! I found the manicure a little uncomfortable as your hand tends to be in a rather uncomfortable position while they attend to it, one hand at a time. Once the polish goes on, you have to quietly sit like a lady with your hands under the drying machine and you can’t do a single thing! I think that was the most boring time of my life!

We were done in about 2 hours and I must say I rather enjoyed the session. As I chose a light colour, the manicure and pedicure is still holding up pretty well one week later and chips or scratches aren’t that obvious. I can’t wait to try their French manicure next! :)

Colour Culture is currently running a first time trial promotion where you can do the following services at the following prices:

First Trial Promotion – Basic Manicure RM35, Double Take RM 65, Spa Pedicure RM99 (till 30/6/08)

Otherwise, they have member packages where you can sign up for 5 treatments and get 1 free which isn’t too bad if you are planning to go for regular nail treatments. Their outlets are available in Bangsar Village, Pavilion, 1 Utama and Sunway Pyramid.