PALOMA
11700 Post Oak Blvd.
Suite 2-150
For a while there, I was a big participant in the “Treat Yo’Self” revolution. Once I made a steady income, getting mani-pedis was a monthly must. It was a Saturday Girls’ Day thing or literally a my-hands-look-awful-SOS need. Although I’ve pretty recently cut back (I’ve probably gotten 3ish mani-pedis in the last year), I’m definitely FULLY aware of what the experience is like. Read: Not great.
I made this list of everything I hate about nail salons:
- The smell: You know the smell I’m talking about. I assume it’s a combination of dead skin and chemicals. Barf.
- The up sell: You want eyebrow? Like, no, LITERALLY JUST got my eyebrows done, and I know you probably ask everyone, but I can’t help think that you’re asking because you look at my eyebrows and think, “OYE, she needs some help here.”
- The furniture: Massage chairs are fine and everything, but they do neither the massage nor the chair thing completely right. Plus, on a busy Saturday, there’s 15 women crammed in a small salon with 30 women tending to them (manicurist AND pedicurists) with 30 boxes of tools and supplies. It’s cluttered and a Type A person’s (me) nightmare.
- The products: I always have major quality concerns when it comes to the products — especially when it comes to the health of the employees, thanks New York Times. Spoiler: Not great.
- It’s nothing like going to the spa: I think I always have the illusion that a mani-pedi is equal to a day at the spa (because, I mean, it almost costs as much). Wrong. It’s an hour in a busy, small salon that, besides the five minute neck, arm and leg massages, poses no relaxation opportunities.
Rejoice, because all of my concerns have been addressed with PALOMA.
First of all, it’s nails only. There’s no sketchy back room that you enter wondering, “Hmm, I wonder if they clean the furniture between clients,” and “What other services do they offer here… Nope. Stop that thought.” Nails, and that’s it.
Secondly, when I entered PALOMA, granted, it was on it’s first day of services, it smelled like a spa, not at all the normal nail salon smell. It was a scent from a burning candle (which they sell!) that instantly started my relaxation process.
Next, the salon is sleek af. Every piece of furniture is hand picked. There’s a beautiful gradient wall in the back, and the chairs for mani-pedis are up on a platform across a wall, which provides a symmetric aesthetic that is art in itself.
OK, I’m burying the lede here, but the biggest, most important part of PALOMA, is that all the products are toxin free (PALOMA’s website is v detailed, btw). Basically, every single product they sell or use passes the toxic-free, environmentally friendly, technician-friendly test.
Note: It’s obviously a tad more expensive than a normal salon, but it’s not actually that much more. If you’re like me — on a budget and only rarely in the “Treat Yo’Self” mood, it’s your spot.