http://www.fearnobeauty.com

I’m more of a sweets person than a savory person and, if given the chance, will chow down on sugar-packed morsels of goodness all day long. So, when I was invited to guest-judge Empire Beauty School’s Future Pros Expo in Hershey, Pennsylvania, I knew I’d be indulging in a little bit of chocolate. Hershey is, after all, the birthplace of Hershey chocolate.

What I didn’t know is that I’d be inhaling chocolate 24/7. And, no, I don’t mean figuratively (I only ate a couple of bars). I mean literally: The aroma of cocoa was just about everywhere, from the halls of The Hotel Hershey where I stayed to the provided bath gel. And the smell was especially strong when I settled into The Spa at The Hotel Hershey’s “Sweet Hands” manicure.

My nail tech, Amanda, started me off with an invigorating exfoliation (perfumed in chocolate), then enveloped my hands in a chocolatey mask that she wrapped with cellophane and then had me stuff into deliciously warmed Eco-Fin mitts, which can best be described as “cushion-y bear claws.” My hands felt like they were sleeping on their very own Tempur-Pedics, I kid you not. The Spa only carries SpaRitual polishes, so I plucked two gorgeous hues from the Pigment collection: grape Heliotrope and teal Indigo. I could tell Amanda wasn’t used to such selections; “our clients mostly select pale pink,” she confirmed.

(I absolutely adore these two hues together, and their opaque cream finish is super-chic! Shown: SpaRitual Indigo and Heliotrope.)

“Well, I’ll be your one client of the year who asks for not only something other than pink, but two colors at once!” I offered. And from there, she painted my nails exactly how I asked: One color dominant on one hand, the other dominant on my other mitt, with the ring finger of each stealing color from the opposing hand. “My friends and I call this ‘the friend,’” Amanda said of the singleton ring fingers. I like that: the “friend.”

Amanda sent me on my way, but not before advising that I run cold water over my nails to help speed-up the drying process. Seven hours later, as I left Hershey to return to NYC, I could still smell the chocolate mask on my skin. Thank goodness I’m a sweets person and not a savory one.

The “Sweet Hands” manicure is $55-$60 for 50 minutes at The Spa at The Hershey Hotel, 877.772.9988.

Would you indulge in a chocolate-theme manicure?

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