The Nail Story’s Advanced Pedicure Review: Will This Treatment Get Your Feet Fit For Public?

Looking ahead to summer (and sandals) Emma Gleason finds out if this treatment is truly transformative.

Until very recently, this Viva Test Drive in fact, I’d never had a proper pedicure before (polishes at the mall excluded). Considering my feet a lost cause, I’d always been somewhat sceptical about their potential. I’ve done chemical peels and DIY, but finally it felt like time to consult the professionals.

So, self-conscious about my toes and dreading summer footwear, when beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti tasked me with trying the special pedicure service at Nail Story in Victoria Park it seemed like the perfect opportunity to see what all the fuss was about.

With their salon only five minutes away from our office, I made my way down the hill one afternoon to put my poor feet in their expert hands.

The promise

The treatment I’m there for is the advanced pedicure, which can be tailored to your needs. The Nail Story says its “advanced pedicure is very popular, especially for those who struggle with calluses and dryness”.

I’m in the right place then.

The cornerstone of the service is a callus removal tonic (no jargon here). It will be applied to my feet during the next hour and fifteen minutes, alongside an array of other steps, all aiming to get my skin soft and supple.

The practice

First, your feet are covered in a callus removal tonic (special attention is paid to my problem areas) and wrapped with plastic for 40 minutes. While this is happening, they deal with my toes, pushing back and trimming the cuticles, clipping and filing the nails.

After the wrap is removed the technician gets to work (this feels really satisfying) manually removing all the dead skin using a 100/180 grit file. I can see the dead skin coming away. Another tool in the arsenal is something they call “e-file polo disks” with varying levels of abrasion, which smooth the skin.

Next is a neutralizer tonic before an exfoliation treatment. And after all that dead skin is sloughed off your feet comes a mud mask (feels lovely) and a good soak in an anti-bacterial bath. The last touches are cuticle oil and foot cream, which both hydrate the skin.

“For aftercare, we advise to moisturise hands and feet on a daily basis,” Nail Story says. “For feet, we recommend a professional cream with urea for better results and longer-lasting pedicures.”

I look down and don’t recognise my feet. My skin, toes and nails look … lovely. I’m dissociating as I leave the salon.

The place

The Nail Story is located in Victoria Park in central Auckland. It’s near the main bus routes, walking distance from the train station and ferry, and there’s plenty of parking nearby.

Owners Daria and Dasha launched the business in 2020, and what started with two stations has grown to seven technicians, doing everything from hair to brows and (of course) pedicures and manicures.

The price

The advanced pedicure is priced at $130 (or $150 if you opt for polish).

The verdict

Why didn’t I do this sooner?

In the weeks after the treatment I felt so much more confident wearing sandals. The internalised shame I’ve long carried about my feet was alleviated, and I couldn’t stop admiring my toes.

I’d would absolutely get this again, in spring and summer. And next time, now I know how good my feet can look, I’m getting polish.

Emma Gleason is the Herald’s deputy editor of lifestyle and entertainment (audience), and has worked on Viva for more than four years, contributing stories on culture, fashion and what’s going on in Auckland.

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