Bellacures: Larchmont Village — Salon Review
Bellacures invited me to try out a complimentary service at one of their eight locations in Los Angeles so that I could tell you guys all about it. Get ready for the scoop!
Ambiance
One of the things that sets Bellacures apart from your average nail salon is the quality of the interior. The color scheme is a collection of soothing greens and taupes with warm maple accents.
The chairs are not the semi-controversial, whirling spa chairs; they are oversized, microsuede armchairs filled with accent pillows. To sit in a Bellacures chair is to feel enveloped by complete comfort. I also like that for a pedicure, they bring over a little green bucket and have sterilized tools. You can feel safe from fungi and the other gross varmints said to lurk in spa chairs when you're here. :)
The walls are used as space to display the pricing list and proudly show off framed PR mentions — of which there are many. Bellacures receives accolades on the reg.
The music selection was really great; it sounded like they were using Pandora or Sirius XM because I don’t remember hearing any commercials; just some fun Frank Sinatra, summery instrumentals, and contemporary (but not headache-inducing pop) hits.
The clientele was well-heeled — literally. I went to the Larchmont Village location, and if you’re an LA local, then you know that Hancock Park is a little hoighty-toighty. This is a place that caters to Ladies Who Lunch. The woman who sat beside me looked exactly like Bunny, Charlotte’s vile ex-mother-in-law from Sex and the City.
Color Selection
Bellacures has an incredible array of colors. It puts my personal stash to shame. One of the things that my inner goddess… I mean, control freak loved to see was that the bottles are organized by color. Look at how beautiful! They even have a great selection of gels. Professional pastels, bold plums and pinks, on-trend neons… you want it, they’ve got it.
Service
The service was fantastic. The entire staff was incredibly friendly. I know there are some cold, unfriendly salons out there where you feel as if you are an intruder; other salons have a detached, sanitized quality to them. Bellacures on Larchmont was a cheerful place, and I could feel it in the air.
Skill
One of my special hatreds is paying for a professional manicure and, when it’s complete, examining it to find that I could have done a better job myself. For free.
That was not the case here at Bellacures. The manicurist who worked with me was definitely a pro. My only critique was that the cuticle cleanup was a little too thorough; a little too much was cleaned up. My nails grow pretty fast, so although it’s only Day Four of my manicure, the grow out looks like Day Six. Just something to watch out for. That said, the cleanup did look really nice on Day One. For people with normal nails, this is probably a benefit. For me and my talons… well, we have special needs.
Pricing
Bellacures is not cheap. In fact, it’s tempting to call Bellacures overpriced. I’m sure there are plenty of salons in the city that may have higher prices... Then again, there are probably thousands that charge significantly less.
I do, however, think that the old adage is usually true — you get what you pay for. Although Bellacures is more costly than other salons, it is also better staffed, better stocked and better looking.
VERDICT
Although Bellacures is too expensive to be my regular once-a-month haunt, it is a salon I will consider for special events from time to time. For example, if I were going to treat a friend to a birthday gift card for a mani/pedi, I’d consider Bellacures for sure.
Stay Shiny, Francesca