As a little kid, going to the nail salon with my mom was a total treat and something I looked forward to on the rare occasion that she brought me with her. I envied her perfectly manicured acrylics and loved feeling like a big kid as someone else meticulously painted my nails. The older I got, the cooler it made me feel, especially when I was a pre-teen and I left the salon with the ~coolest~ flower on my ring finger nail that Jessica in 7th grade would be totally jealous of. Here are 12 experiences literally any 12-year-old had at the nail salon in the 2000s.
1. Walking in and immediately acting cool
You'd walk in with your BFF and your mom (because you couldn't drive yet) and would immediately start playing on your brand new sliding phone with the bedazzled case so that everyone in the salon would know you were too cool for school.
2. Picking a color
Tiger Beat said that yellow was totally in but Teen Vogue was boasting about blues this season. What color would be totally cool and make every 8th grader jealous? Do you choose just one color or do you make one finger an accent nail? Should you do every other nail a different color? TOO MANY OPTIONS
3. Getting settled
You plop into the big pedicure chair, but not before sliding off your limited too sneakers. The chair gives you a wedgie from your Bermuda shorts riding up but you pretend not to notice.
4. ~Relaxation~
You try and press the right button to get a nice, quiet massage but suddenly the chair is groaning and digging into your back. You try not to draw attention to yourself so you just sit there and let it attack your body.
5. Light Reading
You look over the magazine selection and see no familiar faces on the covers. Where's Tiger Beat? Where's Jesse McCartney or Miley Cyrus? What's Us Weekly? Who's Demi Moore?
6. Squared or Rounded?
The pedicurist starts to ask you what you want and you immediately realize that you have no idea what's happening and whether or not you want your nails cut or just filed. Do I want my cuticles pushed back? What is a cuticle?
7. Trying not to laugh
They start to scrub and massage your feet and you don't understand how all of the adults don't even crack a smile let alone burst out laughing from the tickling sensation. You can't even look at your BFF without dying of laughter.
8. Wanting to gossip
Luckily you and your BFF sit right next to each other. You desperately want to talk about how that boy in your geography class keeps sliding you notes during class or how you saw Chloe hugging Josh after band practice but you don't want your mom to overhear from 2 chairs over.
9. The Fake Flip Flops
You probably weren't paying attention or you're just not a well-seasoned pro at the whole nail salon thing but within seconds of getting your toe painted, you already managed to knick it and mess it up. Sorry!
12. Drying
They make you sit at the dryers for like 10 years. By the time you leave, it feels like it should be your high school graduation that's how long you were there. Whatever, you're finally done and you have a perfect pedicure that Nicole in your homeroom will be totally gaga for. Time to text some pics to all of your friends and thank your mom for tipping (what's a tip anyway?)
