I slip into my new shiny golden slippers and look down to admire my feet in them. A gasp of horror escapes, unbidden. The slippers are beautiful, my feet are decidedly not. A network of cracks encircles my sole, scabs of dry skin adorn my instep, and my toe nails are jagged and overgrown. Six months of absolute neglect has taken its toll -- I need a pedicure and badly.
The Signora Spa and Salon in Indiranagar beckons me invitingly. The uncluttered space is pristine and beautifully done up in soothing shades of white and pink. Founded by Shoba, a passionate beauty care professional, the spa offers a range of services including make-up, nail care, de-tanning treatments, glycolic peels, hair spas, massages and depilation.
A consultation is made. I show them my calloused feet. Gasps and sighs emanate and they recommend a paraffin pedicure to soften and smoothen my long-suffering feet. I agree and grabbing a stack of girly magazines, allow myself to be led to my seat.
Chaitana, my pedicurist, admonishes me being so negligent but nevertheless seems surprisingly unfazed by the task ahead. She first scrapes off the remnants of ancient nail-polish clinging to my toe nails and proceeds to shape them before slathering them with cuticle cream and pushing my feet into a tub of warm water.
I lie back and relax, read a particularly juicy article on Sonam Kapoor and allow the warm eddies to caress my feet and loosen the layer of grime that encases it. My revere is soon broken as shampoo is lathered on them and my feet are firmly scrubbed with a no-nonsense hand.
Dead skin peels off and I watch ashamedly as the drain of the basin gets clogged with my debris. “Do a pedicure every month at least to prevent this from happening next time,” she smiles applying a scraper to my feet.
A few more lotions and unguents are applied and massaged into my pedal extremities. It’s nice to be pampered so much. I lie back feeling rather like Cleopatra, though am extremely glad that asses milk is not part of this procedure.
The piece de la resistance follows. A layer of warmed paraffin is applied and then sealed with cling wrap. I look down, somewhat bemusedly at my feet, which looks exactly like something out of Dexter. Thankfully there are no sharp objects around so I’m safe. At least I like to think so.
After a five minute wait, she peels off the layer of cling wrap and gives me another cream massage. She then does my nails. A coat of clear nail polish is applied and then another of cheery fire engine red.
I look down at my feet and am thrilled-it looks as soft as a baby’s bottom, the cracks are all but gone, my nails are beautifully shaped and gleam softly in the fading evening light. I feel like a thousand bucks and skip gaily away promising myself that I will treat myself to another one in a month for sure.
Signora Salon and Spa is located on 12th main Indiranagar. Call 9880426096.
