I have a confession. It’ll probably shock you.
Before this week, I had never gotten a gel manicure. No Shellac. No Axxium. No acrylics. Nothing.
I’ll chalk it up to my fear of commitment when it comes to nail polish. As much as I’m always on the hunt for a polish that’ll give me a manicure that lasts longer than a few days chip-free, I’ve never taken the gel plunge. All that changed this week when, in preparation for my upcoming trip to St. Maarten, I headed to Get Gelled Manicure Bar in Toronto for a mani/pedi date with my coworker Summer.
Located at 18 Irwin St., between Wellesley and College on Yonge, Get Gelled is housed in a gorgeous building. It’s as beautiful inside as out, the exposed brick walls, wooden floors and calming mint, grey and white colour scheme instantly putting you at ease. The salon has the feel of my dream living room – cozy and livable while being both vintage and modern.
Greeted by the owner, Sun, and a member of her staff, we were escorted to the back of the salon to get settled into the large, comfortable grey armchairs and get our soak on. Sun sprinkled sea salt scooped from the large apothecary jars across from our chairs into the built-in basins and we were offered delicious strawberry green tea from the tea bar at the front of the salon.
While our feet soaked, we were handed wheels of nail swatches to choose our polish colours. This method was a new one for me – I’m so used to choosing from rows of polish on a shelf – and I loved it. It kept me from being brand-biased (the salon carries a mix of brands & shades) and also gave me the opportunity to see how the shades would look with my skin tone without swatching layer upon layer of polish.
I decided on a coral shade for my toes and a coral gradient with glitter for my manicure. The pedicure was extremely thorough and relaxing, taking the better part of an hour and leaving me with silky smooth soles and a perfect pedi. The gel manicure took about 45 minutes and left me enamoured with my tips. I’ve always had a thing for gradient polish, but the glitter was the icing on the cake. Elaine from Toronto Beauty Reviews recently got her nails done at Get Gelled and ended up with gorgeously glittery tips, so I went in knowing I would want something super sparkly. I’m glad I decided to emulate her – the effect was stunning!
Overall, I’d highly recommend Get Gelled for experience, environment and the expert work they do. The salon’s signature Get Gelled manicure costs $50, with the gradient costing an extra $10 (well worth it). A Get Basic pedicure will run you $45. Thanks to Sun for being a wonderful hostess and Summer for recommending the salon! I can’t wait to go back again. I may just be a gel convert. I also have my eye on some of the amazing nail art designs Sun and her team created and displayed all over the salon. Check out Get Gelled on Instagram for a peek at some of their most amazing designs – I’m in lust!
Summer + Sun enjoying some girltalk while I got my gel manicure
Would you ever get a gel manicure? Where’s your favourite place to go in Toronto?
Disclosure: I paid for my services but did receive 30% off as part of Get Gelled’s grand opening special. Head in and check it out!
