On Friday evening I discovered the perfect little place in Cambridge to spend a relaxing hour forgetting the stresses of a long week. I decided to book a manicure at the quirky little salon on the corner of Lensfield Road in Cambridge because the natural nail services are well-priced and I fancied a little pick-me-up without breaking the bank! I've always been intrigued by the narrow, old building; a triangular shaped room nestling at the front, in between a couple of Chinese takeaways, the farmers' outlet and The Oak Bistro, housing a couple of nail bars, spa pedicure chairs and fish pedicure tanks. Rows of brightly coloured O.P.I nail polishes line the walls, alongside oriental-styled nail design posters and trailing plants. 

I was welcomed by the lovely Anh, who asked me to take my pick of the many polishes whilst she brought me a cup of green tea in a gorgeous blue and white china yunomi. The salon was quiet apart from the relaxing sound of the running water in the fish spas and Anh expertly got to work on my nails. I found it really interesting that Anh focused more on explaining the benefits of each aspect of the manicure and how I could improve the quality of my nails by increasing my intake of certain vitamins or proteins, than on how the nails looked in the latest shade of pink. She also told me about the homemade hand and nail cream that she used; made completely from natural ingredients with fantastic healing and moisturizing properties for dry and weak skin and nails. The result was neat, gleaming nails and soft skin, and the whole experience was a welcome change from expensive manicures at big salons where one is just paying for the brand name. At under fifteen pounds for a gorgeous manicure, hand massage and polish, with some expert advice thrown in, The Kimono wins hands down! 

P.s. In keeping with the Japanese theme I grabbed some dinner at YO! Sushi, including a fabulous new dish called Natsu Maki - Scottish salmon, cucumber, avocado, masago and mayonnaise wrapped in ultra-thin rice paper with a special Asian dipping sauce. Fresh, creamy, with little bursts of flavour from the roe, the dressing and rice paper gave the maki a Vietnamese twist. Delicious! 

Enjoy :-)