My nail tech at Dashing Diva treated me to a great manicure and pedicure--and I was out the door in just over an hour. The company provides promotional signage to switch out constantly so clients are always treated to fresh promotions.
The salon operates as a subsidiary of KMC Exim, a longtime manufacturer of professional nail products. Everything used in the services at Dashing Diva and sold in the retail boutique is the branded Dashing Diva line. The company, which plans to open several more locations in the New York area, will also be offering franchise options in the near future. A Dashing Diva on every corner? That's the idea--think Starbucks for nails.
Associate editor Erin Barajas and I made appointments for manicures before we got to New York, but they were more than accommodating when I asked if they also had time to give me a pedicure. The two custom pedicure couches are separate from the manicure area offering a more private area, but it's still conducive to women hanging out and getting pedicures together. The two couches face each other with four stations per side. Each station is complete with a pedi-sink with running water and a detachable spout perfect for cleaning the tub after each service.
Dashing Diva's look is hip and trendy, complete with flat screen plasma TVs playing the latest music videos. My pedicure--I chose a very uncharacteristic-for-me hot pink inspired by the salon colors--was followed up by a great manicure. I then joined Erin at the drying area, where there are two levels of dryers (one for the hands and one for the feet).
The salon sits in the heart of Greenwich Village, close to NYU and many great shops. When we were done, we continued our stroll through the throngs of people. The sun was shining and it was the perfect opportunity to show off my new toenails while trying on shoes in the Village.