San Francisco - August 12, 2005

The Drill Is Gone

Polished Lounge Nail Salon

Pick a color. Sit here. Feet up. Feet down. Pay now. Right hand. Left hand. Dry there.

Getting your nails done can feel more like a drill than a pampering session. And don’t even get us started on the atmosphere (none) and hygiene (or lack thereof).

Pauline Mai, owner of SOMA’s new Polished Lounge nail spa, is about to take the mani-pedi from your to-do list to your bliss list.

Hardwood floors and sunshine-colored walls brighten the inviting, soft-lit space. Sit in a comfy, overstuffed armchair (no bacteria-spewing whirlpools here) and relish the details: a warm, lavender-scented shoulder wrap, for starters, and a cup of strawberry-rhubarb tea.

Expert technicians take their time getting you primed and polished (read: no skimpy massage or just-used tools). The offerings are simple: The Tips & Toes Soft treatment uses Dead Sea salt to exfoliate and leave you silky smooth; the Renaissance Restoration removes acrylics for folks returning to au natural.

At $40, the classic mani-pedi is a steal, leaving you leftover cash for another treat from the boutique — like Thyme bath products, fancy European lip balm, or Snow & Graham letterpressed note cards.

Making it a routine that’s anything but.

Polished Lounge, 470 Third Street, between Bryant and Harrison Streets (415-543-0993 or polishedlounge.com).