Treatments We Love: Jenni Draper/CACI Hand Rejuvenation Treatment
What’s been missing from our life? An in-hair-salon manicurist. Much as we love beauty treatments – some beauty treatments, anyway – we quite simply don’t have the time to trudge from one place to another to have our hair and extremities attended to.
That has always been the allure of an in-salon nail pro, for us. And since the pandemic, when our favourite hair salon, John Frieda on Aldford Street, stopped offering nail services, we’ve mostly taken care of our own manicures. (Fairly competently, but with nothing like the results from having an expert take care of cuticles and shaping.)
Still, we didn’t quite anticipate that one of the most stellar nail pros in the UK – Jenni Draper – would be taking up residency at Aldford Street. Quite frankly, it feels a bit like winning the beauty treatment lottery, to have Jenni literally at our fingertips. (And toetips, if they’re a thing.)
Jenni has cared for the hands of VIPs (and, whisper it, even royalty), including heroes of ours like Hannah Waddingham and Cate Blanchett. She has also worked on TV and film sets, and backstage at fashion shows around the world, leading the nail teams for names like Matthew Williamson, Aquascutum, Pringle of Scotland, and Amanda Wakeley. Proper A-list stuff.
What we truly like, though, is how Jenni’s nail care philosophy chimes with Beauty Bible’s own – focusing on healthy nails, above anything else. Polished, groomed, often natural and understated. (She told Jo during her treatment that almost all clients opt either for a ‘ballerina pink’ – she has Dior and CHANEL options – or for CHANEL Rouge-Noir, that famed deep-and-dark shade which has become a modern classic.) She also offers gel treatments – a kinder-to-nails version – but we are old-school when it comes to nails.
During her new Tuesday-and-Thursday slots at the Aldford Street salon, Jenni is also offering a rather revolutionary CACI Hand Rejuvenation Treatment, as part of the Signature Luxury Manicure, which is what Jo experienced (and so enjoyed).
We have been CACI devotees since this ‘non-surgical facelift’ was first introduced. In our book (literally in our book), nothing rivals it for sculpting and shaping the face, at least in the short-term. So, how does it work on hands? First of all, hands are slipped into a pair of plastic gloves which have been dosed inside with a nourishing hand treatment, featuring hyaluronic acid, shea butter and collagen, among other softening ingredients. (These are available as individual treatments to take away, and we’ll be using them at home – like a sheet mask, for faces, definitely worth a go before a special event.)
A second pair of gloves – quite thick – are then pulled on, and connected to a microcurrent device. The conductive microcurrent gloves feels slightly tingly and crackly but is generally subtler in feel than CACI for the face. The idea is to stimulate the hands and rev up circulation, to make hands look ‘revitalised’, while the treatment also encourages the mask to penetrate the skin. It actually feels rather lovely: something’s definitely happening! (With the bonus: Jo had to relax, because her hands were tethered to the microcurrent machine – meaning she couldn’t touch her computer!)
Jenni then worked her glossy manicure magic, while Jo got a haircolour overhaul from Zoe Irwin at the same time – and Jo’s hands look the best they have since… embarrassingly too long to count.
Meaning she can now walk out of John Frieda and enjoying not only a Good Hair Day, but a Good Hand Day. (And beyond.)
Signature Classic Manicure/£65 (pedicures from £105)
Signature Luxury Manicure (to include CACI Hand Rejuvenation Treatment)/£105
To book, call the John Frieda salon at 020-7491 0840
PS Professionals will also want to explore Jenni’s Personality range of manicure accessories, ‘nail-friendlier’ gels – and even her series of online courses, for pros.
