arigato mister robato

Who: me. dbunnies
What: manicure time!
Where: tokyo, japan--harajuku.
When: August? august.
Why: duh. just cause.

So, a couple things. I'm going to set this blog post off right and give props where props are due! [I know. I just said props. we don't judge here.]
The Peninsula Hotel, Ginza District, Tokyo.
I'm serious. it's that gleaming tower of luxury on the right.

are you fucking kidding me.

nope. not fucking kidding.

needless to say, this is the type of hotel that BRINGS YOU FRESH ICE FOR YOUR ICE BUCKET TWICE A DAY EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN YOUR ROOM. Also, they're the type of hotel that has the most tactful employees. Case in point:

Cullen of the Concierge: Goodafternoon Miss Ha. How can I be of service?
Dbunnies: hi. I'd really like to get my nails done and I love nail art.
Cullen: That's wonderful. Is there anything specific you're looking for?
Dbunnies: yes. I don't want classy nails. I want traaa uh
Cullen: I understand. You want to go to a nail salon that specializes in hip nail art.

HIP. he said HIP. I was going for 'trashy' but hip is a very good and descriptive word for something that is necessarily garish and not for the Peninsula. So, off Cullen goes to research my hip nail salon and he returns with Nail Deux Prier in Harajuku of Gwen Stefani fame. Sadly, I have to admit that without Gwen, I wouldn't have known about Harajuku for as long as I have been aware of it. I mean, sure, I would have learned about it eventually but Harajuku Lovers and her japanese backup dancers brought Harajuku to the fore of my pop culture knowledge first. [props. HA]

so, my nail experience. First, getting nail art apparently does not include getting your nails done and it is common to not get a manicure when coming into a place like this. I think. I'm not really sure. Keep in mind that Cullen went for the best he could find and it involved taking me to Deux Prier--a nail salon whose staff did not speak English. That's right. yours truly had her first non-vietnamese non-manicure manicure. I got most of a manicure but was missing the cuticle trim. I thought this was bizarre but I gave up trying to communicate wayyy before this point.

Nail Deux Prier did offer cuticle trims but I had no idea it wasn't part of the service and I could have paid for it but I already didn't understand why they were going through the trouble of pushing my cuticles back and filing my nails if they weren't going to trim them. by the time I realized they weren't going to trim them, we'd already moved onto basecoats. whatever.

I chose an essie gloss of a dark gunmetal grey and and a nail art that emphasized shiny. if there was one word for this manicure, it would easily be shiny...or as a friend told me, Hopes and Dreams. Here. let me show you.

Here are Hopes

and here are Dreams.


Let's break it down a little more. two sizes of silver glitter and five sizes of rhinestones ranging in shades of black to lavender. Some said that my nails were actually dipped in wishes but hey, whatever they were dipped in, it was amazing. One more look, yes?


LE SIGH.