I paid over $300 for a Russian manicure that took 3 hours. It blew American and Japanese gel out of the water.

Although I usually get my nails done in Chicago, my frequent visits to my hometown in New York allow me to dabble in the city’s nail scene.

I’ve been wanting to try Russian manicures for quite a while, specifically after watching TikTok videos of Irem Sahin’s clients praising her technique.

Luckily, I was able to snag an appointment with Sahin at her Midtown Manhattan salon, Say-It Nails.

Russian manicures — also known as dry, combination, and e-file manicures — originated in Russia around the 1990s. Despite its name, Sahin, who’s originally from Turkey, said the technique is used across Europe.

Instead of soaking nails in water or acetone, Russian manicures are done completely dry. The technique prioritizes removing excess skin from the cuticles and nail beds through the use of files, drills, and even scissors.

When there is less skin at the cuticle, there is more surface area for your nail tech to precisely apply gel polish.

During the polish application, the nail technician also focuses on correcting your nails’ apex (thickest part) to perfect the structure. Sahin said the practice keeps the nails strong.

My appointment, which included a hard-gel extension manicure with complex nail art, would take about three hours. This is a pretty standard timeframe for my monthly manicures, so I wasn’t phased.

I texted Sahin photos of my nail inspiration a week ahead of time. When I arrived, we picked out the colors for each nail design, and the nail tech applied sunscreen to my hands to protect my skin from the UV lamp light.

The nail-prep process included drilling down my nail beds and cutting the skin on my cuticles with nail scissors. It was beyond satisfying, and despite how it looked and sounded, it wasn’t painful at all.

I prefer the look of longer nails, and I like that hard-gel extensions provide a thicker, stronger base than regular gel polish.

When creating the extensions, Sahin applied a gel base, put gel polish in a plastic nail mold, removed the plastic mold, and shaped the nails accordingly.

I opted for an almond shape and noticed how the plastic mold helped make the extensions look realistic and elegant. After Sahin created the extensions, she went over them with another gel coat before applying the base colors.

During the manicure, Sahin and I chatted easily — discussing our shared Turkish heritage and families. As we conversed, I noticed other clients looking over to my table.

At one point, we had multiple nail technicians and clients looking and holding their breaths as Sahin focused on the lettering on my middle finger.

When my set was done, we all smiled and giggled in relief, happy with Sahin’s successful precision and for our own emotional investment in the design.

Before tax and tip — and with a 10%-off deal — my service was $243. All in, I paid over $300 for the set.

Although this was more expensive than my usual manicure, the difference in technique was beyond evident. I absolutely adored the final result and couldn’t get over how meticulous Sahin was.

The appointment was also long, but the hours were supplemented by game shows on the TV, idle chatter among nail technicians and clients, and a glimpse of Midtown through the large windows.

Between the clean atmosphere, included hand massage and cuticle oiling, and fantastic design technique, I feel inclined to say this is the best kind of manicure I’ve ever had.

If I still lived in New York, I’d make Say-It Nails my go-to spot for monthly manicures, price and all. But I could also make it more affordable by opting for simpler (or no) nail art.

In the hours after finishing the manicure, the 3D bow charms I originally had on my thumbs fell off. But I texted Sahin, and we were able to fix the issue quickly.

I decided to replace the charms with hand-painted bows, which took no more than 10 minutes.

After four weeks, my nails were still in perfect condition without any chipping or lifting. Although the growth was evident, they still looked great a full month later.

Overall, I found this manicure worth it and would fully consider making it a regular staple for my nail care.