Salon and Spa Directory: The Painted Nail at the W Hotel Hollywood

Back in early February, I took a trip to Los Angeles to celebrate my birthday. This was actually the third weekend in a row that involved me celebrating my birthday -- hey, you only turn 35 once, right? -- and concluded the #beautychickturns35 extravaganza. And what better way for me to celebrate than with a manicure and pedicure at a fabulous salon? Enter The Painted Nail at the W Hotel Hollywood.

Now, here's the thing. This. Salon. Is. Incredible. The Painted Nail is owned by manicurist Katie Cazorla, who was featured on two seasons of the TV show The Nail Files. The Painted Nail is also an Essie Premiere Salon, which means they carry over 250 (yes, TWO HUNDRED FIFTY) bottles of Essie polish. In case you're wondering, that means one entire wall of the salon is devoted to holding Essie nail polish bottles. It's an extremely beautiful sight. (My manicurist told me people stop in off the street every day just to ogle the wall -- and I actually saw that happen while I was there!) I had been to Samuel Shriqui in New York before -- another Essie Premiere salon -- so I knew what to expect, but it didn't mean I wasn't still blown away!

A closer view of the nail polish wall. Is that gorgeous or what?
The space is light, open and airy. Everything is done in charcoal, light purple and white -- so chic and inviting. And seriously, who wouldn't want to sit in a plush velvet throne with her own personal chandelier overhead?

A closer view of the pedicure chair. Seriously, who wouldn't want to be pampered here?
I was lucky enough to experience a manicure and pedicure at The Painted Nail, done simultaneously by two utterly fabulous nail technicians. I went for The Debut, which are the basic mani and pedi (but are really anything but, thanks to the amazing service and supreme attention to detail). After starting with a delightful fizzy soak, my nails were shaped and buffed to perfection. Seriously, the nails on my toes and tips were so smooth, they were like BUTTER. After a divinely relaxing arm and leg massage that pretty much put me into a coma, it was time for the polish. My nail technicians painstakingly applied two coats of polish and sealed it with top coat. My nails were left looking beyond perfect!

A look at the manicure stations.
The Debut Manicure is $20 and the Debut Pedicure is $30, or the combo Debut Manicure and Pedicure is $45. You can follow Katie Cazorla on Twitter here. For more information about The Painted Nail, visit thepaintednail.com.