I’m not really a nail person, but I do love to rock a hot pedicure during the summer months or when I’m wearing open-toed shoes. So, when I heard about this Minx Manicure thing a few months ago, I was absolutely totally hooked. Hot metallic designs? Stays on for weeks and weeks? No chipping or peeling? I was ready to throw down mega bucks by the time the procedure was highlighted on the Today Show.

Well, you know what they say: “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.” And that’s the crux of it. It is too good to be true. The Minx Manicure only works if you have perfect nails, never type, never get your hands wet, AND have a huge bank account. Unfortunately, I found all this out after my boyfriend booked me a pedi appointment at a really well known (i.e. expensive) salon and spa chain in NYC for my birthday.

“Sorry, this isn’t going to happen,” the nail tech sniffed at me after she looked at my feet. “Some of your nails have ridges – the metal film will peel off within a day if I put these on.” Geez, thanks for the heads-up, lady. Funny, how THAT isn’t noted anywhere in the promotional material for the procedure. Forced to go with a mani instead, I grew increasingly annoyed when most of the popular patterns I wanted were out of stock. I finally settled on a hot pink and silver fishnet design and tried not to lose it when the nail tech complained that my nails were too small (Minx is a lot like fake nails – they come on a pre-made sheet so they can’t be sized to fit every fingernail) and said she might not be able to do it at all.

After much haggling and searching through her drawers for extra sheets, we finally were on our way. The process itself is pretty simple: The nail tech peels the metallic designs off a sheet, sticks it on your fingers, sizes it to your nail, and then you have to put your hands or feet under a heat lamp for 5-10 minutes until they mold to your nail bed.

It wasn’t until we were done (and my poor boyfriend had forked over $55 bucks), that the nail tech let me know that Minx Manicure wasn’t going to stay if I got my hands overly wet or if I used them excessively to do simple things like typing on my computer or any housework. Ok, that’s all fine and good for famous Minx fans like Katy Perry and Eve, but what about the rest of us peons that don’t have a stable of personal assistants at their beck and call?

A week later, my boyfriend caught me in the bathroom peeling the suckers off my fingers over the trash can.  “What are you doing?” He exclaimed. “I just spent $55 on those!” One came off, I protested. What was I supposed to do? Glue it back on? (Which, by the way, I had warned wouldn’t work and would melt the metallic film.) Paint my orphan nail to match? Needless to say, the Minx Manicure broke my heart and our monthly beauty budget.

Thanks, but no thanks, Minx. From now on, I’m sticking to my $15 pedi at the Korean salon around the corner. It might not be as cool, but at least I get my money’s worth.