Polished Nail Spa

Ah, the strip mall. I remember traveling down near Atlanta and seeing them EVERYWHERE. And while the shops in each one varied slightly, every single one seemed to have a dry cleaners and a nail salon. I remember wondering if there was actually enough population out there to keep all those dry cleaners and nail salons in business. We joked that maybe the real purpose was to launder something other than clothes.

Take Fairfield though, and the number of both strip malls and nail salons have sat at nothing for years. Now there’s a little strip mall out South Main Street, and another one over on Burlington seems to be gaining tenants as well. While there are places in town you can get your nails done, none of them are dedicated solely to nails. So when I was traveling out towards Hy-Vee and glanced over at the little blue strip building just past the Dairy Bar earlier this summer and I noticed the simple yet pretty sign that said “Polished Nail Spa”, I was curious but didn’t have time to stop.

Finally, several weeks later, I actually had a chance to swing by and check it out. I was delighted to find a hip, open space with contemporary decor and a sweet woman named Connie behind the counter. She showed me the room with two big comfy lounger chairs and the big bowls that she filled with stones for foot soaks. Eager for a chance to relax and treat myself to something special, I signed up for a pedicure later that week.

When I returned, the first thing I got to do was pick out my polish. Connie uses Zoya Polish, which is free of toxic ingredients like toluene, formaldehyde, DBP and camphor that are found in many other nail polishes! I chose a deep metallic purple from the wall with what seemed like hundreds of colors. Then I settled in to a lounger chair to discover that it was more than just big and comfy, it was a massage chair! Connie let me choose which soak I wanted (papaya or cherry blossom, I went for the papaya) and told me I could choose a channel on the big TV on the wall. After a bit of a soak she used a salt scrub for calluses and some other lotions to moisturize my feet and ankles. Then came the pretty purple polish and finally a cuticle oil that also helped to set the polish.

All throughout the pedicure, Connie was very friendly and knowledgeable, telling me what the various steps were for and giving me a few tips for how I could take a little better care of my feet on my own as well. She was also very gentle and she didn’t cut the cuticles, which I really appreciated, as some people I’ve had do pedicures have been rather rough, and I’ve once ended up with a bit of an infected toe from someone cutting the cuticle before I could ask them not to do so.

Purple toenail polish!

As I was leaving I commented on how I noticed the distinct lack of the overwhelming odor that generally overpowers you even when just walking by a typical nail salon with a big open entryway in a mall. Connie told me that she did do acrylic nails but she uses a special odorless kind because she couldn’t stand the smell either. I’ve never had acrylic nails but it’s nice to know I don’t have to worry about choking on fumes any time that I go back to Polished, because I’m definitely going back! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked down at my feet since that day and smiled both at the fun color and at the fact that I did something nice for myself.

Polished offers a full selection of services from basic manicures and pedicures to French tips, acrylics, paraffin dips and more. Connie gave me a couple of referral coupons good for $10 off your next service, so if you’re interested let me know!

Connie Mellott
Polished Nail Spa
1100 W Burlington Ave, Suite 1B
Fairfield, IA 52556
641-919-0906

Hours are Tues – Fri, 2-8pm and Sat 9am – 2pm
Services are available by appointment only.

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