I've been to Avalon a few times and each time I'm left feeling like my experience could have been better. I don't get my nails done as consistently as I once did, so whenever I've come to Avalon it's usually because I'm in a pinch and have an event to go to and need a place that's close and takes walk-ins.
Let's start with the positives. Avalon is conveniently located right off the Westbank expressway by Manhattan. The shop is spacious and clean. They have a decent color selection, do natural nails and acrylics, every nail tech that I've had is kind, and as a walk-in I've rarely waited more than about 30 minutes to get into the chair. Whenever I've gotten a pedicure it comes with a leg and foot massage and the gentleman that typically does the massage is absolutely fabulous. He works out kinks in your shin that you didn't even know where there.
Where I'm usually left wanting more is in the quality of the service. Over the course of all the times I've visited, I've had some decent sets and I've had some that weren't so great. I typically get dip powder on my natural nails as it tends to last the longest for me without much wear and tear in between visits. I'm accustomed to other shops doing a gel top coat with this style and curing it under the lamp. Here, they dip your nails and just put on a fast drying polish for the top coat. This may work for others, but for me my nails always crack and chip well before my normal week and a half - two weeks of wear. I asked once if I could get gel as the top coat for my dip so it wouldn't crack, but was told it would have been an additional charge. This is usually included at other salons. I also asked for square as my nail shape and I'm not really sure what shape I walked out with. I expected square to come with a bit more of a defined line and edges, but I what I got was more round and inconsistent from nail to nail.
The techs also aren't great with color matching. As I mentioned before I get dip and usually like to have my toes match my nail color. I'm not new to getting my nails done so I'm aware that sometimes the dip color and the accompanying polish don't match exactly. However, in my experience with other salons the techs are knowledgeable of their color library and can suggest a color that may be a better match. Here I'm usually forced to pick a complementary neutral for my toes which isn't terrible, just not what I prefer most of the time.
All of these things aren't really the end of the world, and are things that I tend to overlook because I'm the one in a rush, but what really turned me off this past time was how they handle their pricing. They have a menu of services with prices at the front desk where I picked which services I wanted, but when I checked out the price was more than advertised. I got a full dip set (I didn't have anything on my nails prior so there was no takeoff necessary) and I keep my nails pretty short and stick to just a single color. The menu said that it was $45, but I was charged $50. Only $5 so not a huge deal, but I was curious and asked the gentleman checking me out and he seemed confused and said that because I had gotten a new, full set that it was extra. This was odd to me because with dip powder salons typically don't do refills, you have to do a take off and get a new set every time. Not only that, but the menu price was for a new set. I showed him the picture of the menu that I had snapped and he said that it was strange and that it would be addressed and changed. He didn't apologize for the mix up or offer to honor the price that was displayed. The menu did say sport length, but as I mentioned before I keep my nails short, so I can't imagine I was charged for extra length. While the $5 didn't break me, I was a little disappointed to not have the menu price honored especially when the quality of service isn't up to par.
Maybe the folks in the shop who are more skilled are always booked up, I also know that some shops are better overall with nail extensions than working with natural nails, so maybe that's the case. Just be aware that if you're going to walk-in that it can sometimes be a mixed bag in terms of quality. read more