By Venessa Anthony
There’s just something about having your nails done that makes you feel powerful. A set of long, painted nails can go a long way in making any outfit look sophisticated, and can easily elevate a casual look.
However, with our busy schedules and hustle-culture setting in, it has become increasingly difficult to find the time to sit down, take a breather, and do your nails. That’s an hour or so that you can’t glance at your phone, so many tend to look at doing one’s nails as a luxury.
Recently, we popped over to the NailSpa at the Mövenpick Hotel and made some time for ourselves; a small break from routine life, where we opted for a mini pampering session. We also had the pleasure of having a chat with NailSpa Founder Nilanthi Genevieve Weerasinghe, who had a lot to say about beauty, nails, and the salon itself.
NailSpa began in 2003 with a dream, a vision, and a strong girl who wanted to make every woman look their best with just a little touch of glamour and glitter on their nails. As time went on and modern trends came in, nail art became a much sought-after fashion, setting the stage for Weerasinghe’s dream to become a long and successful ride. This was just the first step in a journey that was born of pure artistic flair and a skilled team that worked to change the way women feel. Currently, Weerasinghe is the appointed distributor and international educator for Cuccio Naturalé and Star Nails USA.
Today, NailSpa drives a series of beauty treatment centres for both women and men. Weerasinghe herself is a professional lash, eyebrow, and lip artist and a trainer, who has herself been trained, qualified, and certified in the US in semi-permanent make-up with over five years of experience.
Luxurious treatment
While we sat down to get our nails done (for the first time ever, we might add), we were feeling a little nervous. Obviously, having looked at the catalogue and the girls walking in and out with gorgeous nails, our shabby nails looked like a cry for help. Fortunately for us, Weerasinghe was there, reassuring us and promising to have our nails transformed – to just give them a chance to show us what magic they could do.
“NailSpa strives to make every human being look and feel their best at all times of the day, every day of their lives, and to enhance their outlook on life and increase their confidence in all spheres of their life,” Weerasinghe emphasised. Although we opted for something simple, Weerasinghe told us: “We want someone who has never had nail art to be able to come in and experience it for themselves, and create something simple and fun that is both wearable and beautiful.”
The NailSpa is constantly working towards providing a wide selection of luxurious treatments to make this a possibility for women and men.
After an hour or two, with the help of acrylics and a very patient nail tech, our once-stubby nails had transformed into long, attractive talons. Once we were done admiring our almond-shaped nails, and expressing our shock and awe to Weerasinghe, it was time to pick a colour. Although our go to colour is always purple for anything – we had a tough time deciding between the many shades they offered.
“Here, we only offer the finest Cuccio Naturale products. We use them all the time, and they are 100% original and imported, giving you the best quality products,” Weerasinghe chimed in, noticing we were stuck on picking a colour. You’re certainly going to need a few minutes to decide on a shade once you are presented with the catalogue, but luckily, the nail techs are all experienced and capable, and can use multiple colours, or even go for something a tad more artistic.
A constantly growing business
Speaking on the growth of their business over time, Weerasinghe noted that once the clients started coming in, the business naturally grew. “We had regulars who would come in every two weeks to have a chat and get their nails done, and it was great.”
NailSpa continues to offer a range of services, including micro-blading, eyebrow embroidery, eyeliner embroidery, eyelash extensions, and lip embroidery.
“Our hand and foot treatments, skin care treatments, foot detoxes, manicures, pedicures, nail art, and bridal packages are all done by skilled and trained personnel and headed by an internationally educated specialist to suit all our customers’ desires,” Weerasinghe added.
With hand and foot treatments being their key focus, complemented by eye, eyebrow, lip, and skin treatments, Weerasinghe told us that they constantly educate, train, and source new avenues to improve, maintain high levels of hygiene, and offer their clientele a service that supersedes all others.
We asked Weerasinghe if she had any advice for nail techs just starting out.
“We actually have our Cuccio Education where we give young creatives the opportunity to come in and learn the basics of nail art, shaping and more,” she said. As a successful leader in the industry, Cuccio is a provider of fabulous nail care products.
“We pride ourselves in our ability to provide quality training and support to help you take your first steps into the industry and continue to develop your skills and knowledge,” she told us, adding that in turn, those trained will be able to expand their services and techniques, becoming more competitive within the industry, and therefore increasing revenue and becoming more profitable.
Currently, a team of highly skilled technicians offer everything from beginner courses to intermediate workshops to ensure they can meet clients’ training requirements. All the courses and workshops are fully accredited, and certification is awarded upon successful completion of written assessments; a great first step into the ever-growing field of beauty technicians.
Speaking of growth, we also asked Weerasinghe if they had any grand plans coming up for the salon. NailSpa has several branches dotted all over the country, with them standing out due to the affordable, high-quality service. Although Weerasinghe did not want to reveal too much, another store may be in the works, and perhaps the addition of a few more services. Letting us in on a little secret, she told us to keep our eyes open for a few exciting offers and promotions coming up for the season as well.
