Of affordable pampering and keeping the
marital peace
by
Eric Michael Santos
When my wife asked me—nicely
and twice—to go with her to a nail and face salon, I decided to make the smart decision.
I manned up, overcame my male instincts and obliged the missus. Keep the peace,
avoid the pain and suffering. I even went the extra mile and agreed to get a
foot spa.
Full disclosure: my
decision wasn’t really that hard to make. The foot spa, my wife pointed out,
includes trimming of ingrown toenails, a condition which I have a congenital
predilection to and zero skills in remedying. Moreover, the proprietors of Luxe
Aura Nail and Face Studio are an amiable, engaging couple whose obsession for
quality and attention to details I can personally vouch for.
The newest addition to
Better Living Subdivision’s row of commercial and business establishments along
Doña Soledad Avenue, Luxe Aura offers a wide range of services such as nail
spa, waxing, facials, body rituals and hair and make-up. It’s located about a
hundred meters away from Parañaque Doctors Hospital (PDH), on the second floor
of the brand spanking new Silverio Building across Puregold Jr. That’s the stylish
edifice at the corner of Doña Soledad Avenue and Peru Street with an EastWest
Bank on the ground floor and an adjacent 7-Eleven. There’s ample parking space
on the front and right side of the building. Free Wi-Fi access will be
available at Luxe Aura before the end of August.
“Luxe Aura provides
pampering in a relaxing environment, using only premium-quality products and
services—‘me time’ every customer deserves,” says obstetrician-gynecologist Dr.
Angel Rodriguez-Bandola.
Indeed, pampered was how I
felt as I sat on a cushy sofa chair enjoying the foot spa my courteous and
efficient therapist Dolly was giving. Sitting beside me and also visibly
relishing her foot spa and manicure-pedicure was my beaming wife. Thanks to the
superb airconditioning system, the ambient temperature was comfortably cool.
Luxe Aura’s “modern classic” interior design with its black, cream and gold
color scheme lent a soothing, relaxing ambience to the salon.
“The salon’s interiors were
designed to be gender-neutral because we want Luxe Aura to appeal to both women
and men,” explains anesthesiologist Dr. Eric Bandola. “We also offer
child-friendly foot spa oils and masks, so kids are welcome to pamper
themselves in our salon as well.”
As my wife and I were
savoring our foot spa, salon manager Irene hovered constantly, checking for any
customer questions or concerns while supervising the therapists who I thought
didn’t need any supervision. Garbed in professionally-tailored, motif-matching uniforms
(black with gold trims), the therapists informed customers about the treatments,
masks, or oils prior to applying them. They asked whether the massage pressure
was just right or the hot towel was too hot. Watching Dolly trim my ingrown
toenails was like witnessing a master at work. I felt no pain or discomfort
while she cut those darned ingrowns, a testament to how good Dolly is. And yes,
all manicure and pedicure sets used in Luxe Aura are zapped free of germs by an
Ultraviolet (UV) Light Sterilizer. Doctors as nail and face salon owners are
always good news, hygiene-wise.
“Luxe Aura offers
affordable luxuries,” Dr. Eric says, a claim I later confirmed when I settled the
bill, which amounted to only P1,500 (including tips to our three therapists).
When I told her about our bill, my wife’s eyes immediately lit up and her lips
slowly formed a mischievous grin—clear indications that the country’s nail
polish index will spike shortly.
Free of painful ingrown
toenails and unsightly feet calluses, pampered and rejuvenated, I guess I can’t
blame my better half. The next time my wife wants me to go with her to Luxe
Aura, she won’t have to ask me twice.