ItNs flawless nail color: It doesnNt chip, smell, damage, smudge, require any drying time—or any of that creative juggling with your keys, wallet, steering wheel and car door post-manicure. And, most notably, it lasts up to four weeks.
Minx manicures and pedicures are the brainchild of Janice Jordan, who was inspired by her husbandNs role in the vehicle-graphics business. The nail coverings act as a shrink wrap for the nails: The heat-activated adhesives are measured and cut precisely to fit. After a bit of gentle stretching and securing with a cuticle stick, youNre all ready to go.
Sound good? Hope you live close to the city of Orange: Kathy “Kat” McMahon at Salon Synergy is the only gal in the entire county trained to offer Minx nails.
I watched as McMahon applied black Minx coverings with metallic-silver polka dots to the nails of Christy McKee, a hair stylist who also works at Salon Synergy. But Minx is nothing like SephoraNs Nail Patches, which are difficult to apply and even harder to keep on. Minx fans rave about the range of activities their nails survive from swimming and gardening to doing the dishes.
“What these do is replace nail polish. It lasts two to four weeks, according to the growth of peopleNs nails and what they do,” McMahon says. “Christy is a busy hair stylist, and it lasts two weeks for her.”
Including a manicure and arm and hand massage, McKeeNs Minx experience was done within 90 minutes. The coverings can then be easily removed at home with a heat lamp or blow dryer.
This ease of application and already-done design means the possibilities are endless: metallics that look more like true metals than nail polish, personalized graphics and photo-quality design make up most of the Minx line. McMahon fans out a few sheets of client favorites: Día de los Muertos-inspired skulls, hot-pink-on-fuschia cheetah print, stripes, geometric prints. But Minx nails can be as wild (pink camo print?) or as conservative (dark and bright solids are readily available) as you want them to be. Minx offers more than 150 designs, with more being released every month.
Though it lasts considerably longer, the only downfall seems to be that the Minx process is pricier than your average nail session. A manicure runs $45 at Salon Synergy, while pedicures, which last five to six weeks, are $65—though consider these prices a bargain compared to LA-area nail salons, where Minx manicures start at $55.
Minx nails with Kathy “Kat” McMahon by appointment only at Salon Synergy, 1232 N. Tustin St., Orange, (714) 633-8520; or contact McMahon directly on her cell phone, (714) 606-4701.
For more Minx photos, click here.
