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Everything at new nail parlor Julep is well thought out, from the moveable seating to the champagne-chocolate truffles included with the champagne pedicure. "I thought about the concept of the salon for two and a half years," says owner Jane Park. Even the technicians have a fancy name -- vernisseur -- a derivative of the French word vernis, which means polish.

Park worked with architects and designers to create a space conducive to get-togethers and parties. All the furniture moves, including the tasteful, '70s-inspired seating, as does the dramatic lighting: drum-shaped, reddish-orange lamp shades suspended from long silver arms. Park wanted to create a "third place," a revamping of sorts of the beauty parlor, where women used to convene for weekly sets and perms to dish, gossip and hang out.

The salon, which is located across from University Village in a new strip mall, offers a variety of nail services and waxing, including classic 30-minute manicures, 45-minute pedicures, signature manicures and pedicures. More luxurious treatments include a foot reflexology add-on, a champagne foot soak and a skin-quenching pomegranate balm.

At Julep, men don't get lost in the shuffle. They can choose from a "Man"-Icure or a sports pedicure, with special attention paid to those tough calluses. Everything is squeaky clean, autoclaved or disposable: Single-use paraffin is used for manicures (no double dipping), and the nail file goes with you in a cute little colored bag when you leave.

Park and her staff even developed their own line of polish -- 36 custom-blended bottles with movie-star names and no "bad chemicals." They also offer their own line of lotions with natural ingredients such as grape seed and pomegranate oil, and cuticle oil with an easy roller-ball applicator (clever, not messy).