One of the best things about Brighton has to be the many independent businesses and shops. With so many of the UK’s high streets looking identikit these days, Brighton still retails the uniqueness that comes from being a seaside stuffed with quirky little places you just won’t find anywhere else.
I was recently tweeted by one such independent business – Match Nails – and invited to come down to their city centre salon to see what they can do.
Match is on Brighton’s Duke Street AKA Chocolate Lane, cos of all the chocolate shops that line it. You’ll find Match a few doors down from Hotel Chocolat, just before Montezuma’s. The bottom two floors of the building consist of Match Bags, which sells exclusive Italian handbags and shoes.
But climb the narrow staircase to the third floor and you’re in an oasis of white calm.
For a business located right in the middle of one of Brighton’s busiest streets, the fact that Match Nails is three floors up means that it’s a lot quieter than the street outside.
It’s a spotlessly clean, luxurious and calming environment, specializing in OPI nail products. I don’t normally frequent places this glam, as demon cats and dust bunnies are more my style. My nails are more Putting out the bins than Putting on the Ritz, y’know?
So at Match I had a gel manicure, for no better reason than I’ve never had one before. I was pretty embarrassed at the state of my nails – this winter they seem unable to grow more than a few millimeters without breaking. Too much keyboard bashing is rough on the nails and to be honest, they looked like shit.
But beauty therapist Marianela, who has five years’ experience, did a great job of making them look far more presentable than they ought to be. After setting the gel polish with UV light, she finished the manicure with an exfoliating scrub and massage.
A week on, the manicure is still perfect with no chips at all. Marianela did a terrific job when, let’s face it, I didn’t give her much to work with. And all the Match crew seem to be a really nice bunch of people so take your talons to see them next time you’re in Brighton.
To find out more:
Match Nails is above Match Bags at 13 Duke Street, Brighton. Call 01273 71900 or visit them on Twitter and Facebook. If you’re quick they have a 50% off offer running during February.