Ondy Sweeting meets Think Pink salon star Arvy Arief to talk nails, glam and going gangbusters. Images: Lucky 8.
Jetset gypsies have long known that the Day One island essential is to get your holiday glam on with a serious salon session.
Forget about running in the rain for a lunch break manicure, Saturday spray tan or an after work wax to brush up on beauty. Why bust the budget before boarding an aircraft when Bali has some of the world’s finest salons to do the job in luxury.
Think Pink Nails – a New York City style nail salon in Bali has holiday beauty wrapped up. Set aside several hours for unadulterated indulgence. A series of treatments such as waxing, a facial and massage plus lash extensions can be finished off with a manicure and pedicure that will have your nails polished and buffed to perfection – all under one very glamorous roof.
Think Pink’s chauffeur driven car can be pre-booked to pick up guests and once installed on a rolling massage chair enjoy a range of treatments while sipping on blended juices, teas, coffee and even protein shakes.
Vast hand and nail treatments are on the menu and a collection of more than 2,500 colours from prestigious nail polish purveyors is dazzling from classics and urban to Chanel and Louboutin. The O.P.I Pro Spa is delivered by two technicians in a private room.
“This is my seven year itch,” says Think Pink founder Arvy who opened the salon in 2012 after decades in the fast lane of New York fashion.
““I’ve always loved nails. It’s a real passion of mine. Nails and high heels – all day, every day. Nails and waxing go together but I added other treatments due to demand. People were always asking me about facials so I chose Kiehls as our product because of its global reputation. We do massage, threading and spray tans and hair but of course we are famous for our nails.”
Apart from cotton balls and acetone, every product at Think Pink is imported. “This is the only way to maintain our high standard of quality. I never cut corners when it comes to quality.”
Excellence is part of the Think Pink experience from the gorgeous girls. From one treatment to the next, therapists do not miss a beat.
Waxing is gentle with soft “hot” but warm wax for those sensitive spots, while traditional strip wax is reserved for elsewhere. Delivery is quick, painless and clean in a pretty environment studded with cool quotes from iconic actresses.
The cast of regulars includes Miss Bali, Indonesian actresses, famous stylists, holidaymakers and expats. The vibe is happy with people chatting and laughing. A popular trick among people coming from winter is to have an arrival make over and return two days later for a spray tan – because waxing and tanning never go together. Have a hair mask while enjoying nail treatments. While nail technicians are on your toes and fingers you can enjoy a head and shoulder massage while the hair treatment takes effect. The liberal use of hot towels on tight shoulders that have been stressed by carrying heavy bags is divine.
“My clients – the regulars – are expats, moneyed Indonesian women and visitors to Bali. We also have cabin crew from Garuda because they need to always look superb and some of the hotel front desk staff. It’s a wonderful thing to see our clients leaving so happy,” says Arvy who is a well-known Indonesian TV celebrity from lifestyle shows.
She believes that Bali is a bit like the Hamptons are to New York with a wonderful lifestyle of restaurants, parties and beaches.
“When I came to Bali with my now ex-husband, I had a single demand and that was to be within 30 minutes of somewhere that serves foie gras. So Think Pink was created in Batu Belig near the restaurant Metis, which has wonderful foie gras,” she says.
Arvy, in her trademark high heels, is always on the floor chatting and charming guests and working with her team. “I love to dress up and concentrate on work. I eat lunch at the table with my staff every day. I put a lot of time into training and my people stay with me for years.”
Once a year the entrepreneur takes two of her team to an international competition.
“I love to enter the competitions and we go to Nailympia, which has entrants from 103 countries. It is so much fun and we’ve been to Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Malaysia and this year we gained 3rd place in Sydney at the Beauty Expo 2018. I took the girls shopping at Gucci after that win. My dream is to compete at Nailympia in London.”
Arvy and Think Pink are involved in local charity work as part of Bali Divas. As a fund raiser for the Divas’ 10th anniversary Think Pink has set a goal to raise IDR50 million to take at the salon on June 18, 100 per cent of which will be donated to the John Fawcett Foundation, which performs corrective eye surgery for the children and the poor.
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