Sunday 05 / May / 2024
It seems logical that wellness and beauty should go hand-in-hand, after all, the best way to achieve a healthy glow, vibrant skin, and a tight shape is through good self-care like getting plenty of sleep, exercising, and eating clean. So why is it that so many of us think twice about putting highly processed foods or non-organic produce on our plates, but we don’t bat an eyelash at the loads of chemicals going onto our skin, hair, and nails at the beauty salon?
Perhaps it is simply because we feel that we don’t have any other option. And there really is no substitute for the fresh, feminine feeling you get right after having your nails done. But shouldn’t there be a healthier option for this typically chemical-drenched beauty ritual? Just such a question inspired Lebanese-Italian business partners, Daisy and Isabel, to launch Dashing Nails back in 2012. After bemoaning the lack of natural options in Muscat, the pair was equally disappointed with the results they achieved using the “natural” and “organic” products they were able to get their hands on.
After searching the world for products that were both healthy and effective, the women opened a novel salon that was committed to high-quality beauty treatments that were socially, environmentally, and physically healthy. The team sourced clean products from around the world, from the American “slow-beauty” products of Sparitual, which are vegan, toxin-free, and sustainably produced, to the all-natural, Italian makeup and nail lacquer of Eva Garden and Italian skin and hair care products from Philip Martin.
The women found that educating their client base about natural beauty was as important as the products they were offering, and the idea began to resonate with women in the capital. The pair recently celebrated Dashing’s third year of operation in The Wave at Al Mouj, so I went to find out for myself if a healthy, socially conscious manicure, that wouldn’t chip after 30-minutes, was really on offer in Oman.
The shop itself is a bright, modern space outfitted with plush, comfortable pedicure stations, luxurious-looking product displays showcasing imported hair, skin, and nail tonics from around the world, and sparkling clean surfaces all around. The staff are cheerful, well-trained, and genuinely passionate about the products they use. As I leaned into my cushy seat, I wondered how much a mani-pedi in a place like this would cost.
The Dashing Signature mani-pedi makes use of the Sparitual product range, beginning with non-dehydrating lacquer remover made of essential oils and sugar-solvents to gently strip away the old polish, followed by a soak in an Argan oil skin softening footbath, a gentle micro algae scrub, and a slathering of massage cream made from natural seed oils and aloe vera, finished off with serum for deep moisturising. Hands and feet are wrapped in plastic and hot towels to ensure the pores open and absorb the maximum amount of moisture. While my skin was steaming, Daisy explained vegan nail polish to me.
“Do you know where the red colour in most nail lacquers comes from?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“Crushed beetles,” she said, adding, “and often times the shimmer comes from fish scales.”
“Really?” I said, genuinely surprised.
“Yep. Before I got into this business, I didn’t know that either. Even more than being animal-friendly and cruelty-free, I’m most proud of the fact that the products we use are all safe and natural, for both our clients and for our staff who have to work with them all day.”
Jun, my nail technician, has worked for Dashing for two-and-a-half years, almost since the beginning, and is both an expert in the application of the products, and in the best way to maximise their effects.
“The signature treatment is good to do once or twice per month, especially in this weather where feet get so dry and heels crack, but to really keep skin soft and prevent callus build-up, it is good to use the Sparitual masks and serums at home on a weekly basis,” she explained as she massaged serum into my hands.
She helped me select a beautiful slate blue from the Butter London collection. “It’s a great, creamy nail polish,” she said, as she applied a coat. Another customer peeked over and asked which colour I was wearing.
The products at the salon are especially great for those with sensitive skin or allergies, as they are all hypo-allergenic and super gentle. And, least you think that these “healthy products” are lacking in options, I found that Dashing carried more shades of polish than my usual salon.
My polish dried, and I ran a hand over my clean smooth skin, suitably impressed and feeling utterly refreshed. Absent was the slight, nagging headache I usually walked out of the salon with, thanks to the classic smell of acrylic fumes. All that remained was the million-dollar question—how much does a mani-pedi cost in a place like this, applied by an expert like her, using lux, all-natural products? The signature mani-pedi with polish was OMR21 and the basic with polish was OMR14, cheaper than most standard salons throughout the city. Seeing my surprised expression, Daisy explained.
“We are the exclusive wholesalers of these all-natural products throughout Muscat, so we can offer services using them at much lower prices than you’d find at, say, a hotel spa, for example. And we want our services to be accessible to people.”
It isn’t often that the healthiest, most eco-friendly, and downright luxurious option is also affordable. But Daisy and Isabel are true ambassadors of the sustainable, organic lifestyle. For them, offering natural beauty is more than a marketing tag-line, it stems from their passion for clean living, from the idea that true wellness is a desire to make not only your own body and your own family as healthy as possible, but also to help make the world around you a cleaner, more sustainable, more fair place. Now that’s a beautiful concept.
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Dashing Nails and Beauty Lounge
2nd Floor, The Walk, Al Mouj
+968 2455 5000
dashing-nails.com
