What's It Like To Get A Bastien Gonzalez Pedicure At The Mandarin Oriental

Nestled within The Oriental Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bastien Gonzales’ Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio is the only place in town where you can get a medical mani-pedi treatment. The famed podiatrist is known to be extremely selective of where he opens his outlets and he has decided that the legendary hotel is the only spot he trusts to have his studio in Thailand. Bastien Gonzales trains all his podiatrists himself, and at the studio in Bangkok, we have Syrine Trigui. After our appointment with her, we can confirm that the rumours of Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio’s godliness are true. Here are a few things to know about Bastien Gonzales’ manicure and pedicure treatments:  

Syrine Trigui is a podiatrist, and her tools are the specialised medical kinds that only certified practitioners are allowed to touch. If you peek over at her table, you will see objects that look like those of a surgeon’s—scalpels, gauge blades and drill heads. There are no typical nail clippers nor colourful bottles of nail varnish in sight, and as informed by Syrine, with each use, every piece of equipment is disinfected.  

Unlike most beauty salons, podiatrists only work on dry skin as the true state of the skin and cuticles should not be distorted by moisture. After cleansing your feet with alcohol, she starts clipping your nails with special clippers. She adds curved sides to the flat-top nails as sharp edges put on unnecessary pressure and friction onto the nail bed, which can ultimately lead to ingrown nails. After shaping the nails, it’s time to rework the texture with the drill. Damaged top layers of the nail are removed, exposing new healthy layers. Everything is done dry. 

The cardinal rule is to follow the natural curves and lines. To prevent cracked heels, you might use pumice stones or files but at Bantien Gonzales’, friction is a big no. While using the file to thin out the skin may seem like an effective option, Syrine argues that it is actually quite counterproductive as the skin will grow even thicker with that method. Instead, she uses the small sharp scalpel to carefully carve out the excess skin, following the flow of the fingerprint. 

After dealing with issues such as excess skin, ingrown nails and damaged tissues, it’s time to polish. Of course, we are not talking about applying nail polish but a special technique that will make your nails shine naturally. Using nail buffers, the matted surface of the nails are smoothened and polished with chamois and buffing cream. 

Finishing up the nail work, the “Onguent” nail and cuticle mask is applied to prolong the shine and also to prevent inflammation. Before Syrine allows you to leave the bed, she performs the final process, which is a special massage using a waterbased cream that consists of 80 per cent water to deeply hydrate and relax the feet. This step, like all the other steps, is not merely for beautification. Hydration is important for maintaining optimum health for the feet. Not many of us realise that feet are complex with 128 different articulations. When a few do not work properly, it affects your daily performance in ways you may not even realise.

To book a session now, visit mandarinoriental.com.