Ritz nailed it!

For two decades, I have been locked in a tempestuous affair with gel polish. It was a relationship built on convenience and a flawless, high-gloss facade. Beneath the veneer of perfect colour, however, lay a truth I could no longer ignore: my nails were suffering.

They were brittle, discoloured, and weak; a fragile foundation hidden under layers of toxic lacquer. I needed an intervention, and so I found myself at the most exclusive address for hands and feet in Bahrain: the Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio by Bastien Gonzalez at The Ritz-Carlton Spa.

Stepping into the pristine, light-filled studio is an immersion in serenity. The Pedi:Mani:Cure experience is not born of a nail technician’s whim but of Bastien Gonzalez’s deep medical understanding.

A trained podiatrist from France, his philosophy is rooted in the health of the nail and skin, combining clinical expertise with an artistic touch. His is a world where foot care is not an afterthought but a revered ritual.

My treatment was the famed ‘Duo’, an hour-plus symphony of synchronised hand and foot care performed by two expert therapists. It is the very definition of ultimate luxury.

First, Bastien himself conducted a meticulous, almost diagnostic, assessment of my hands and feet. The experience felt less like a spa consultation and more like an audience with a virtuoso. He observed the signs of my years-long beauty habit and, with a gentle, painless pinch to my skin, demonstrated its natural, underlying plumpness. He assured me my skin still possessed good elasticity, despite the persistent dryness.

He also noted the pesky corn on my left foot; a chronic point of minor discomfort I had almost forgotten.

All the while, every tool used was flawlessly sanitised and prepared with a hygienic precision that underscored the medical integrity of the entire process.

The performance began. At my hands, Amal Ammous, Bastien Gonzalez’s studio manager and therapist, set to work with a grace that spoke of profound expertise.

At my feet, Bastien mirrored her actions. The synchronicity was breathtaking. This is the essence of the ‘Duo’, a four-handed massage that elevates this treatment to a therapeutic art form.

The massage, beginning from my toes and fingertips and extending to my knees and elbows, wasn’t merely a fluff of the skin. It was a choreography designed to boost blood circulation and relieve tension, leaving a sensation of deep, total relaxation.

Unlike the rough buffing I had come to expect, they used a gentle bespoke technique involving a chamois leather ‘Révérence de Bastien Natural Horn Nail Buffer’ and the ‘Révérence de Bastien Mother-of-Pearl Nail Brightness Cream’, designed to reveal the natural luster of nails without using aggressive polishes or removers.

The buffing wasn’t about filing away flaws but about stimulating the nail bed and restoring its natural pearlescence from within. This method is Bastien’s signature, a secret passed down from his great-grandmother, and it’s a revelation. My nails, freed from their gel shackles, began to glow with a translucent, healthy sheen I hadn’t seen in years.

The most satisfying moment came with the address of my corn. Utilising his podiatric expertise, Bastien removed it with a precision that was swift and entirely without discomfort. The relief was immediate. This detail, more than any other, highlighted the true value of the Bastien Gonzalez method: it treats issues at their root, providing lasting health rather than just a fleeting cosmetic fix.

As the treatment drew to a close, I looked at my hands and feet. Gone was the sickly yellowing of my nails, replaced by a radiant, milky sheen. My skin felt soft, supple, and profoundly nourished.

This was a comeback story for my nails, a rebirth of sorts.

My two-decade-long affair with gel is now a closed chapter. It was fun while it lasted, but true luxury, I now know, is rooted in health and wellness, and Bastien Gonzalez’s treatments and products are the ultimate showcase to that truth.

Following your luxurious treatment, you can continue the exceptional care at home with a range of products from Révérence de Bastien.

Among the standout items available is the Black Diamond Scrub, a foaming mineral exfoliant. This unique product is blended with black diamond, mother-of-pearl particles, and black volcanic sand to provide vigorous and natural exfoliation, effectively helping to eliminate dead skin cells and leaving the skin feeling incredibly silky smooth.

The inclusion of thyme and sage essential oils, well known for their purifying properties, further contributes to maintaining healthy and elegant feet.

Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio by Bastien Gonzalez was recently awarded the World’s Best Nail Studio Brand 2025 at the 11th annual World Spa Awards.

For appointments, contact 17586808. Follow the hotel on Facebook and Instagram @ritzcarltonbahrain.