The Gilded Margin

By Shyanne Gines

There are some places you go once, have a good experience, and then eventually try somewhere else.

And then there are the places where you find your person and just keep going back.

For me, that’s Cime Nails in Roanoke.

I’ve had several different nail designs done there, and I’ve genuinely loved every one of them. But the reason I keep going back is Chloe.

She’s the manager, so yes, sometimes she has to step away in the middle of my appointment to deal with manager things. I honestly don’t mind. I understand that she has an entire salon to run, and every time she comes back to my nails, she picks right back up where she left off.

And her work is worth it.

I’m particular about my nails. I know what length I like. I know how I like them shaped. I want them even. And when I ask for a design, I want it to actually look like the design I had in my head.

Chloe gets that.

She cuts them the length I want, gets the shape right, and somehow manages to make all ten of them look like they belong to the same hand—which should probably be a completely normal expectation, but apparently isn’t always.

And then there’s the nail art.

The set I got this time might be one of my favorites.

It has the blue and lime, little botanical details, citrus, an eye, tiny gold accents and the dark navy nails with the little gold starbursts.

It’s colorful without being obnoxious. Different without every nail screaming for attention.

Basically, it looks like me.

And that’s one of the reasons I appreciate having someone I trust to do my nails. I don’t always want to pick something off a wall and say, “I’ll take that.” Sometimes I have an idea that is a little weird, a little specific, or a combination of five different pictures I found online.

Chloe rolls with it.

It’s not just the nails

The salon itself is really pretty.

It’s clean, bright and has a much more relaxing feel than some of the nail salons I’ve been to where you feel like you’re sitting in the middle of a busy production line.

There are the big pedicure chairs, manicure stations, chandeliers, plants and this really pretty greenery-and-flower wall in the back.

It feels a little fancy without feeling like you have to dress up to go get your nails done.

And every time I’ve been there, I’ve been comfortable with the cleanliness of the place. That matters to me a lot with a salon.

I don’t want to sit down and immediately start wondering when the last time something was cleaned.

I’ve never had that feeling at Cime.

I even added an eyebrow wax

On my last visit, I decided to have my eyebrows waxed while I was there.

Julie did them, and she did a great job.

I’m always slightly nervous about letting someone touch my eyebrows because there’s a very fine line between “Can you clean these up?” and “Congratulations, you now have half an eyebrow.”

Thankfully, that didn’t happen.

They looked cleaned up without looking completely different, which is exactly what I wanted.

So would I recommend it?

Yep.

Especially if you’re looking for someone who can actually do nail art and you’re willing to book with the person whose work you like.

For me, that’s Chloe.

I’m not saying she’s the only good nail tech there. I’m saying she’s the one I’ve found who consistently gives me exactly what I want, and that’s worth a lot.

I’d rather drive somewhere I know I’m going to be happy than save myself ten minutes and leave somewhere irritated because my nails aren’t shaped right.

And let’s be honest—when you spend money on something like this, you want to enjoy looking at it afterward.

I do.

I catch myself looking at my hands constantly after I get them done.

Driving? Looking at my nails.

Sitting at my desk? Looking at my nails.

Waiting somewhere? Looking at my nails.

Apparently this is what self-care has turned into.

Tiny artwork on my fingertips.

I’m not mad about it.

Cime Nails has become one of my Roanoke favorites.

If you’re looking for a salon where you can get a basic manicure, that’s one thing.

But if you’re looking for someone who can take an idea and turn it into something you’ll actually be excited to look at for the next few weeks, I’d recommend giving Cime a try.

Just book ahead.

Because apparently I’m not the only one who figured out that they are good.

Adventure Files | Life Outside the Conference Room

Sometimes an adventure is a weekend trip.

Sometimes it’s trying a new restaurant.

And sometimes it’s sitting in a salon chair for a couple of hours and leaving with tiny works of art on your hands.

Cime Nails — Roanoke, Texas

5/5 for my experience.