Miss Q got her first pedicure at 19 months old. I know that sounds crazy to some people, and many would argue that exposing toddlers to activities that are normally reserved for the tween or teen years leaves little to create special moments down the road, but our Great Wolf Lodge package included a kids’ pedicure and when I asked her if she wanted to try it, her eyes lit up.
We’ve never looked back.
Maybe I’m creating a mini-me monster, but it’s not uncommon to find Miss Q and I at one of our local salons getting our toes done on a Friday morning while her brother’s at school. We both love it. I love being able to share one-on-one time with her doing something we both enjoy, and she adores trying out new colours and is always thrilled when the aesthetician uses sparkles for the flowers that adorn her big toes.
I’m good with it because the way I see it, by the time she’s a teenager, she may not want to do this stuff with me. I’m going to take it while I can get it.
So it’ll come as no surprise that we were THRILLED to be invited to visit Pretty in Pink Spa in Oakville one morning for some pampering togetherness.
THE GOOD
Pretty in Pink Spa is everything you hope it will turn out to be based on its name. It’s spacious enough that you don’t feel like you’re on top of others around you but intimate enough that with only a few people in the space it doesn’t feel like everything you say will echo. It’s pretty. And it’s very pink. If you don’t like pink, this is not the place for you. At least out front. Miss Q and I happen to share a deep, deep affinity for pink, so it was right up our alley.
The cupcake bar (located in the retail area in front of the spa) is to die for. It’s an actual glassed-in shelving unit that you’d see in any good bakery, and what’s inside looks like the most decadent cupcakes you’ve ever seen. But they’re soap! In a couple of different sizes and all gloriously glittery and complete with details that will make the stylist in you swoon. We keep Miss Q’s as part of a vignette on her desk in her bedroom. It’s just too pretty to use.
I love that the owner is so committed to clean products. And I’m not talking about the kind of pretend clean that you find on your regular store shelves (the kind that are labelled “natural” and are anything but). I am notorious for picking apart ingredient lists and not only could I not pick apart any of the products I picked up, I bought a 100% Pure shampoo/body wash before we left and have been using it on my kids ever since. (Incidentally, it’s great as body wash but not for shampooing any more than very short hair.)
“Clean products” continue into the spa, where only nail polish brands that don’t contain nasties like toluene and formaldehyde.
Let’s get to the really fun part: mommy and daughter side-by-side manis and pedis. It’s set up like any higher-end nail bar you’ve visited, but scaled down in size to accommodate little girls. It’s pretty much the cutest thing ever. There are pint-sized pink robes for the wee customers and reading material (American Girl magazines). Miss Q and I got to sit together while we had our toes done (she got pink sparkles; I got near-black), and then we moved to a different spot to get our nails done. Again, we were side-by-side the whole time. You’ve never seen a two year old smile so much. And by some stroke of evil, all of the photos I took that day are inexplicably gone. #sadface
I loved the extra touches, like pink lemonade in melamine champagne glasses (for both of us). And Miss Q was presented with a pink cupcake in between services, which she assured me was very tasty.
I checked out the birthday party options at Pretty in Pink Spa and they were extremely reasonable.
We parted with an amazing toxin-free lip balm that smells (and tastes) like heaven, which bigger girls can actually make onsite.
Miss Q’s toenail polish stayed on longer than any other pedicure she’s ever had. Chip-free sparkles for weeks!
We both felt special throughout the morning, and if we lived closer, we’d surely be a permanent fixture at Pretty in Pink Spa.
THE GAFFE
My express mani was nothing to write home about. It chipped within a day or so and didn’t include any of the little touches you get at the “el cheapo” nail places you might normally frequent. Miss Q’s mani lasted a little longer.
We had only one aesthetician between us, which meant we were there for a long time. This is good if you want a really drawn-out experience, but if you want to get in and out quickly, be sure you make it clear when you book that you need side-by-side aestheticians, too!
THE GEARS
4.5/5
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