Featuring this month’s Sonder/Sway playlist
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we find ourselves surrounded by pinks and reds, delicate hearts and beautiful florals. Pom-pom and heart garlands adorn local coffee shops, bouquets of roses grace the displays of every floral shop and heart shaped waffles are on brunch menus all around. It’s a great time of year to embrace your feminine side, and what better way to celebrate the holiday than to practice self-love and treat yourself to a festive manicure!
In true Mani Meets Coffee style, we went to Mirage Nails, then treated ourselves to cold brews at Sunday Morning Bakehouse. We couldn’t have asked for a better salon experience and our nail techs, Tina and Lucy, had us laughing up a storm and gossiping about cute boys. They not only gave us perfect manis, they made the experience so fun and enjoyable. Be sure to ask for them the next time you’re at Mirage!
We’ve compiled a few trendy Valentine’s Day-themed manicures to inspire you for your next manicure. So grab your Galentines and set a date to get your V-Day manicure!
Romantic Reds and Rosy Pinks
Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without pink and red, so it’s a classic choice for a Valentine’s Day mani. OPI Big Apple Red is a perfect red polish that’s universally flattering, never goes out of style, and will look great even after February 14th. Pink manis could range from soft pastels like Essie Ballet Slippers or bright and bold like OPI’s 15 Minutes of Flame. Whether you use red and pink together or create an ombre of one shade, these are go-to mani hues for the month.
Kristen’s Mani: Minimalistic and Chic
When I asked Lucy if she could paint small red hearts onto my favorite neutral polish, she nodded with enthusiasm. I knew I was in good hands right from the start. While I love a pop of color every once in a while, I’m a minimalist girlie at heart. I opted for a gel mani and asked for my favorite combo: two coats OPI Funny Bunny and two coats OPI Put It In Neutral. Funny Bunny is a sheer milky white and Put It In Neutral is a soft beige pink. Both of them together create a clean, minimal mani that gives a “no make-up make-up” vibe, just for your nails. Since this was a Valentine’s mani, adding nail art was a must. Lucy delicately painted tiny red hearts on each nail, keeping the manicure subtle, but so sweet. Not feeling pink or red hearts this year? Ditch the traditional colors and do black hearts instead.
Sadie’s Mani: French tip with a pop of color
If you’re looking for the perfect timeless manicure with a romantic twist, a French tip in a pink or red hue is a great option. French tips always look elegant and polished, plus the pop of color adds a touch of personal flair. In pink or red, the French tip is a great nod to Valentine’s Day in a timeless yet elevated way. After browsing the vast color selection Mirage had to offer, I landed on OPI’s Big Red Apple for the tip, and Tina, my nail tech recommended a clear Essie polish to finish off the rest of the manicure. The French tip pairs perfectly with an almond shaped nail, so for the first time ever, I swapped the square shape for almond. The impact of this mani is undeniable. When I catch a glimpse of my nails, I feel instantly chic and put together. It’s the perfect manicure for the season and Tina did such a good job.
Mani Meets Coffee is a lifestyle brand created by Kristen Garaffo and Sadie Albert. Born from their mutual love of drinking coffee and indulging in self-care, they love exploring coffee shops in the DMV area and romanticizing their experiences. Kristen and Sadie both write on their own, but Mani Meets Coffee gives them a space to use their friendship and shared interests to create something new. When Kristen isn’t sipping on iced coffee, you can usually find her crushing a Crossfit workout, designing her next dream space, and blasting Taylor Swift, while you can find Sadie hitting a new PR at the gym, making different niche playlists on Spotify and learning more about astrology.
