The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Manicures and pedicures are luxuries that
are thankfully affordable in Egypt due to the wide price range offered by
salons around the country. We say
thankfully because they’re quite necessary in the dust and grime of the city,
and especially during the summer when the flip-flops are out in full force.

The Nail Spa is one of the few dedicated
nail salons in Cairo. The ladies-only spa has three branches in Cairo:
Mohandiseen, Heliopolis and Dandy Mall, and offers relaxing and luxurious
treatments in a very pink setting.

The spa’s Dandy Mall branch is located on
the basement level; just take the escalators next to Chilli’s to the lower
level and you’ll find it on your left-hand side. The Nail Spa is decked out in
bright fuchsia: fuchsia walls, fuchsia chairs and fuchsia table counters. Even
the spa technicians are dressed in fuchsia polo shirts. Otherwise, the space is
very white, with comfortable leather cushioned armchairs in front of foot
basins that you can sink into for your pedicure. A few stations are available
for your manicure or face treatments, while several back rooms are offered for
more sensitive treatments like waxing and threading.

The Nail Spa offers hand and foot
treatments, facials and eyebrow tweezing as well as threading for the face and
waxing/halawa for the body. Prices here
are slightly above average: 70LE for a classic pedicure and 50LE for a
manicure. More elaborate treatments are offered, such as the anti-aging
paraffin treatment for 110LE and the anti-oxidant citrus manicure for 175LE,
which this reviewer hopes is more complicated than squeezing a lemon on your
fingernails.

If you really want to go all out and pamper
yourself ridiculously, the luxury caviar pedicure treatment lasts one hour and
fifteen minutes at a shocking price of 715LE. Clearly, the caviar involved must
be to blame for this price, but as tempting as it sounds, 715LE is point-blank
ridiculous for a pedicure.

Instead, this reviewer opted for the
classic pedicure, which was thorough and efficient despite the technician
keeping this reviewer waiting for twenty minutes. The pedicure was completed
carefully and finished off with a leg scrub and rub with a moisturiser.
However, it’s unclear if the tools had been used before or if they had been
sterilised; so if you’re fickle about hygiene, bring along your own kit just in
case. Although this reviewer asked for a pedicure without nail polish colour,
the price was the same, which isn’t necessarily the case in other salons. If
you want to come back and touch up on your pedicure or manicure with a shape
and polish, it will set you back 30LE.

The 45-minute herbal helper sounds like an
attractive option: for 100LE you’ll get a pedicure with a luxurious foot mask
using cooling aloe vera gel. Equally attractive is the Pevnoia mini-facial for
only 85LE. Other offered treatments include a peppermint foot scrub, nail
whitening and permanent makeup. Acrylic nails are offered at 330LE for the
natural manicure and 350LE for the French manicure.

Their waxing, threading and halawa treatments
are surprisingly affordable: half-leg
waxing will set you back 55LE with arms in the same range, while a bikini wax
costs 70LE. Waxing three different body parts will cost close to 150LE, which
is very reasonable compared to other chic salons. Be sure to ask for Doaa;
she’s thorough, swift and careful, making it an almost painless experience.

Make a reservation at the Nail Spa or stop
by next time you’re in Dandy Mall and desperate for some foot pampering. Be
prepared to wait quite a while if you haven’t made a reservation.