Caveating this review with understanding that businesses may be busier than usual with reopening after COVID and I've had decent experiences with KT nails before. That said after a long and stressful week, I called at 930am and made an appointment for a gel mani and pedi for 2pm on a Friday. I was confirmed over the phone for an appointment and cleared my work calendar to come. I'm a full time working mom of 3 so rarely get time to myself so was really looking forward to the appointment. When I arrived for my appointment time it was packed. I shared my name and that I had an appointment with Kelly, she looked around spoke with her coworkers, and everyone looked around at one another avoiding eye contact with me. She asked another lady waiting what her name was, asked me what my name was again, proceeded to finish up with another customer, then finally came over to me and said they were "stuck" and could I come back in an hour?!? Clearly appointments do not mean anything to this business. Happy to see they have lots of customers, because I will not be one that returns. read more

I love KT nails, I've been going for four years now and I always end up with nice clean nails! I take my friends all the time and they always end up going back themselves, pricing is great, people there are nice and I will continue to go back! read more

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I have been coming here for years and years and I will not come here again. I called to say can I come in 15 minutes for a pedicure - they said yes. I said again, are you sure you will have someone available I have a flight to catch? They said yes no problem. I get there - I told them I'm the one who called and they go LIE and said oh you have to wait now because you're late you said 12! I called at 12! Then they ignored me as I sat thinking they're going to help me. Done going to this place. They lost someone who has been going for years. read more

I popped in for a super quick gel polish removal because it happened to be right next door to Ignite where I was scheduled to meet a coworker for happy hour. Nina (or was it Dena? I couldn't quite catch it.) did an AWESOME job for me. I'll be honest - I have no idea how gel polish is supposed to *actually* be removed because I've seen it done so many different ways now. But Nina took her time and gave amazing attention to my nails. The polish was perfectly removed and with no damage to the nail whatsoever. So glad this place is close to my work because I have a feeling I'll be back. :-) read more

First time here, came in for a pedicure and manicure with family. They accommodated all four of us for a 3pm reservation. We waited around 10 minutes before being seated for the pedicure. I chose the deluxe spa pedicure which included a scrub and lotion treatment along with a 10 minute massage. The chairs there are massage chairs so you can just sit and relax with a back massage while they work on your pedicure. She used a scrub first then applied a tingly mint lotion and left it on for about ten minutes. My legs were freezing afterward - that mint is STRONG, but the massage was very soothing! The rest of the pedicure was fairly basic - she applied more lotion and then did my color. The application was on point and really well done - my toes look good! The manicure was a lot quicker - I didn't do any colors on my hands or gel/acrylic so she just fixed up my nails and left a natural buffed shine. Even this made my nails look like they weren't actually mine haha, they look very clean and neat! The customer service was also very good the whole time, she was very polite! Definitely would recommend this place - the ambiance is a little divey and small - there's just some music playing, no TV on despite there being a TV in the room. It also seems a little old and outdated, the fixtures could be replaced, but the quality of the manicure and the price point are definitely well worth the visit. The pedicure was $25 and the manicure was $10. I think the buffing was an extra $3. So in total it was around $38 + tip! read more

Stephanie does a great job! I get my pedicure and gel manicures with her. The only reason I didn't give 5 starts is because they don't start appointment on time. So if you are going make sure you have plenty of time read more

I came in here because I had a gift certificate for then from Christmas. The service was eh, I wouldn't come here for their manicures, I'm guessing they're better at their other services. I set an appointment but came ahead of time as I had gotten there earlier than expected and asked to be seen a little earlier. Surely they did, but the lady was working on me and her other client at the same time, switching back and forth, without washing her hands. I understand she wanted to make sure she wouldn't lose business, but I'd rather have waited an extra 10 minutes for her to finish, I wasn't aware she was still with someone. I also asked for her to do something extremely simple, and the manicurist said she couldn't do it with the colors I wanted. I over looked it though because she was very gentle handed and have a great hand massage, I was at least relaxed for a little while. However she wasn't the most friendly. She said hello, pick your color, what are you here for today and that was it. I didn't even get her name until I had to ask when I left. And I had to judge for myself when to get up and leave because she left and started working on someone else without saying anything to me. Which lead to me having to fix a carless mistake she over looked. It was kind of like once she had my money she didn't care too much about me anymore. All in all my nails came out decent. They could have been cleaned up and fixed up a little better but it's not too noticeable, my nails look better than before, I guess, and the service wasn't the worst I've ever had. Still not sure if I'm going back though. We'll see. If I do, it will be for a different service, and will hopefully have a better experience read more

I always get my nails done here! Such a calm environment and they always do an amazing job. My acrylics never break and the shape is always perfect. read more

Van is my go to lady :-) I always get the GEL mani and pedi. She does such an awesome job that my mani lasts up to 3 weeks and pedi lasts for about 2 months! This is amazing because I wash my hands like I have OCD (I'm a teacher) and my feet are in flip flops, sneakers, sand or water. Van takes the time to clean up my crazy cuticles and make my nails pretty :-) I highly recommend this place! read more

Went in for a gel mani and pedicure with callous remove, stopped the technician from continuing on with the manicure because she cut two of my fingers and they were bleeding. It was quite deep because it didn't stop even after a while. In the end the salon still charged me for nail polish removal. REALLY????!!!!! read more

Dina did a great job on my acrylics. ...however I can not day the same for the woman who did my spa pedi ....by far the worst foot massage I have ever had..... prices are cheap.....but you get what you pay for.... Sorry to say I will not be returning. read more

AMAZING. I can't NOT give KT a great review. Could it use a facelift, yeah, the pink walls are a bit much, but the service was FANTASTIC. I HATE going to new salons, but due to my new relocation, I had no choice. I try really hard to be upfront and say exactly what I want and the ladies stepped right up to the plate. I have NEVER had such a perfect first time manicure. I followed the advice of other reviews and was lucky enough to get Dina to do my manicure. Even in her on the verge of giving birth state, lol, she did a PHENOMENAL job, I mean perfect. I didn't get the name of the gal who did my pedicure, but she was fantastic as well. I LOVE that they knew my name the second I walked in and treated me as if I was a life long customer. Especially considering the extremely convenient location, This is definitely my go to nail salon down here. Love it!!!! read more

KT Nails & Spa - So in love with this gel manicure!! Thank you Dina!!!! - Nail Salons Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Done with this place. Been coming here for years and I'm tired of waiting more than 30 minutes for my appt. I have 3 small kids and my time is limited. I scheduled my "Mother's Day" pedi and mani one week in advance and specified I need my toes AND nails done at same time (I breastfeed and I'm on a time constraint). Never happened. I waited 30 minutes past my appointment time. Nail tech took hour and half for pedicure and no one ever touched my nails. After 2 HOURS, nail tech then asked about my manicure. Ummm no thanks. Will never come back ever again. Waste of my time. read more

I had my first mani/pedi post Covid an was very impressed with KT Nails. Clean! A well administered Covid health process was clear from the minute you stepped through the door. Temperature check, hand sanitizer, everyone masked, limited # of people and partitions. Plus a high quality service for natural nails. I won't wait so long for my next appointment! read more

This place used to be great,but now it seems that they are more interested in making money than taking care of customers! They didn't honor my appointment time, nor did they honor 2 other customers behind me. The owner did my nails while on the phone with someone else and obviously didn't do a great job. Then they pretended the credit card machine wasn't working and asked me to say my venmo payment was for lunch! I won't be back! read more

They did an amazing job on my daughter's nails! Check the picture! They're still a favorite-although-as I've said before-the owner could update the place a bit. read more

KT Nails & Spa - Somebody has good grades and wanted a snowman! They've stepped up their game! Good job! - Nail Salons Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I recently moved from SF and previously lived on the east coast. Ever since moving from the east, its been hard to find a salon that gets the job done without being overpriced. Previously, I had been to Gel Touch Salon, and their services are impeccable (as a GEL-mani/ basic pedi cost me $75, before tip) but my gel polished chipped after just one day!! SO, I decided to check out the other end of the spectrum at KT nails, which only cost me $55 (for DIP nail polish and basic pedi). Overall my experience was fine, aside from the fact that at the end of my manicure, the technician (Kelly) placed a gel top coat over my dip nail polish. I thought this was odd, as every other salon I've been too, never used gel or UV curing when doing a dip polish set. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to assume she was wrong, but before I could even get to my car, my shiny top coat looked like it was peeling! I walked right back in and she did fix it (with more gel), but now a day later 5 out of my 10 nails are missing their top coat. Another reviewer had mentioned this same problem, but the price and service outweighed the subpar manicure, and next time I'll just ask them to use a basic clear coat! read more

They were all very nice ladies. Very welcoming. I walked in with no appointment and was sat immediately. The lady Kim that did my acrylics was sweet and helped me pick out a light pink but after.... the shape wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I am very picky with my paint jobs and nail shape. So although her customer service was 3 stars I probably won't be returning because of the outcome of my nails. read more

KT Nails & Spa - Not terrible but not the shape I wanted and my middle finger nail was crooked and over filed. Also left over glue and torn cuticle. - Nail Salons Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I have been going to KT Nails for at least 10 years. They're friendly and I always walk out happy. I even moved to Cardiff but still go see these ladies because I didn't find a salon in this area I like better. I have been back since the pandemic-reopening, but the other review that spoke to their sanitization practices gave me some peace of mind. read more

I have tried to visit this nail salon several times on different days of the week and they are always too busy and tell me to come back at another time even though I'm willing to wait. It's a bummer because they're so close to my house but I have officially gave up on trying this place out. It seems like they have a set of regulars to consistently go back but I've heard this from other customers too. read more

KT Nails & Spa is by far my favorite nail spot- I've been going here for years and I've never had a bad experience. I call in ahead of time and they usually take me right away. Their prices AND quality cannot be beat! I just went in today and they checked my temperature and sanitized everything. I felt super safe and they were very thorough. 10/10 recommend! read more

So bad. I won't ever go back. Went in today at 240ish they told me to come back at 3:30 so I did.. only for them to have taken another client! What a waste of time and gas. They kept telling me to get a pedicure when all I needed was a fill and color change. Also the shape was all messed up from the first time but I wanted to give them another shot ! Now I just won't go back read more

I use to love this place and brought them a lot of business but I went in to get my toes painted and asked for a flower bc the menu advertises nail art, the woman said no I don't know how to do and then charged $8 just to put polish on with adding a flower that's just ridiculous. I've gotten flowers before and she was just being a pill. She didn't say thank you she didn't even look at me when I paid. Rude. read more

The owner of the shop is very friendly and the prices are great. Ive gotten acrylics done here and asked for coffin nails. They did not charge me extra which was great! Good deal and quality nails for $20. Pedicure was a great too. The only concern is that the workers speak in their native language often (which is totally fine with me) but they make it seem like they are talking about you which is what I do not like other than that it is a great facility. read more

I wish I could give them less than one star, maybe like -2? Had the most horrible experience here! Came here to get my nails done on New Years Eve. I had just gotten engaged on Christmas, and wanted to get my nails done so they would be as awesome as my gorgeous ring. I had gotten a gift certificate for KT nails for Christmas, so I thought I'd give them a try. I didn't want anything too complicated, pink and white gel. First off, I waited almost an hour. When I walked in, they said it would be about 30 minutes. They're we're only two other people getting their nails done in front of me, and about four people that worked there. I guess only one of the ladies knew how to do acrylic/gel nails? When I decided to get up to leave, they decided they were ready for me. I waited about 10 minutes in a chair for the one lady. When it was finally my turn, they woman doing my nails was awful! She was very rough, and cut my cuticles up! She blamed it on the fact that her little machine was new, and sharp. When she had finally finished, I took a look, and it was horrible! They were bubbly and crooked. I had to ask her to fix the noticeable difference before I left. I was so disappointed! I would be showing off my ring, with all the cuts and dry blood along my cuticles that would only bleed more when I would try to clean it off, even after an hour after leaving there! Horrible! I kept them on for less than a week, and decided to go back to ask them to remove them. I didn't think they could do much damage just dipping my fingers in acetone to get them off... WRONG! It was torture getting them off! The lady would cut them with nail clippers, and then shove another nail under it to get it to pop off! I now not only had messed up cuticles, I also had holes in my nails, skin deep, that were bleeding from the woman using her new machine again and nail clippers! My nails were left paper thin! And she charged me $11 to get them off! I know it's my own fault for going back the second time. Never again! I hope my horrible experience will help others stay away! read more

Coming here for years now. Very nice pedis at a reasonable price. All the gals do a good job with attention to detail. There can be a long wait some days so call ahead if possible. read more

The best in North County, the girls are so sweet and treat everyone like a special customer. Their work and prices are the best around

This is a small nail salon across from the cinopolis movie theater on El Camino. I found it because even though my mother and I had made appointments at Color Salon across the street, when we arrived they said we would have to wait. No thanks! So we drove across the street to KT Nails and they sat us right away. We had pedicures and the massages were nice and long! My toes still look great and it was nice to spend time with my mom doing something girlie. I will definitely use this place again in the future. read more

Unpretentious KT's has everything a nail spa needs...massage chairs, TV, good color selection and a nice staff. I only get pedicures, so I can't speak to the other services. At $15, the basic pedicure even comes with a 7 minute foot massage. read more

I went in on a Sunday and really enjoyed this salon. Van was very diligent and it has honestly been the best manicure I have ever received. It was just a little bit more expensive than where I usually go but it was worth a little more for sure. Next time Ì i have a free time I will be back read more

THE WORST PLACE EVER. I have tried this salon for over a year because of the convenience & cheap prices. Never do I feel relaxed or treated well while getting my nails done, but I suck it up for the simple fact they are cheap. However, after my last experience with this salon I will NEVER set foot in the place again nor should anyone else. If you want RUDE, unprofessional, DIRTY chairs/stations-literally dust everywhere and ingrown nails ... this is your place. Before the nail tech cut my nails I showed her an exact picture of the shape, (nothing fancy-square & round on the edge). She agreed and said yes to that shape. After she cut/shaped my nails, she asked me if I liked my nail shape. I politely pointed out that my nails were not even, some nails visibly longer than others. The shape was nowhere near the picture I showed her. I politely said do you mind making them straight and like the picture we discussed. Her response STUNNED me. She literally started YELLING in my FACE that she did not like me, yes she literally said "I do NOT like you," then proceeded to tell me the picture was fake and the nails are straight. I asked her to please stop yelling at me she was making me very uncomfortable in front of an entire salon. Another customer looked over at me and whispered I am so sorry she is treating you like that. I walked out of the salon with a horrific gel manicure and to top if of AN INGROWN NAIL. THIS IS MY THIRD INGROWN nail from this salon. Despite the dirty, unprofessional staff, ingrown nails I probably would continue to go there...but I am drawing a line when someone YELLS in your face because they messed up their job. I get people have bad days, and I hate that I have to write a negative review but this is just not acceptable customer service or service in general. Hopefully they will look at this and the other negative reviews and change something for their own benefit. read more

Worst gel manicure I have ever gotten. She got the polish all over my skin and would have left it there if I didn't say something. There was also no lotion or massage after. I could have painted my own nails a lot better. Never will i go there again. read more

I was near for a work event and really needed a mani/pedi. I went in and they had a very limited amount of nail colors. I waited despite making an appointment (didn't bug me much - only waited maybe 15 minutes). They sat me and the pedicure chairs were a bit old but were fine. As I was getting the services , there was a lady cleaning the tubs of the other chairs so I was glad to see it was clean. However my manicure is awful! It chipped after less than a day & was completely dull after 4 days. She didn't get the edges of my fingernails during the first coat & I told her. She said she'd get them on the second. Well, the color is gone from there. The way she cut my cuticles, they look all raggedy already. Overall, I'm so glad I don't live in Carlsbad and think that is a good place. At least it was cheap. read more

GREAT Prices! for a manicure, its $9.99! If they did an update/renovation in the salon, it would be a 5star. My manicurist was very quite and did a great job on my toes and hands. I recommend the #3 for a spa pedicure, it was 15 minutes of getting a leg massage with sugar. I also give a shout out because she didn't paint my cuticles and i left feeling very satisfied. read more

3 stars- sitting with feet in water waiting for pedicures with daughter and I think my toes are prunes! The chair my daughter is in doesn't work, and mine barely works! read more

Wonderful place, affordable, conveniently located, great staff, awesome colors and design options. The girls are very quick and efficient, very caring people, I never have to tell them how I like my nails, once you are a regular, they remember all my details. I cant even recommend one technician over the other, they are all great! And I never need an appointment, they always accommodate every walk in and keep a lively upbeat atmosphere. If you want quick inexpensive, but beautiful nails, go there! read more

Great job on the pedicures and reasonable too at $15 and $19. I broke out in hives from the brow wax and this never usually happens. She did do a good job, if it hadn't been for the reaction. Perhaps it was the oils she used afterwards. Either way, I'd return for the pedicure but not the brow wax. read more

I found this salon on Yelp and tried it based on someone else's recommendation of Nina and have to agree she is fabulous. She did a great job on my gel french manicure for $25 + tip! Very detail oriented. Ask for her. read more

My daughter and I had eyebrow waxing and the wax was so hot we had burn marks for a week !!

Sadly I wanted this place to work because it is literally walking distance from me, however my experience was absolutely horrible. I went in after just having a baby and not getting my nails done in a while, I wanted a pedicure and gel manicure. They took so long that I could only get the pedicure, I suffer from ingrown toe nails and she did not take care of cutting the nails properly to relieve the pressure. I told them I would come back to get my manicure since I had to get my baby. I left with my toes in pain but did not think too much of it since my mind was preoccupied. The next day I go back and get the gel manicure, first of all the girl must have been new because she took way too long to finish. The next day my hands start hurting... fast forward to two days later and I realized I had two cuticle infections on my finger Nails. It was horrible! Especially since I could not take antibiotics because I am breastfeeding. I went to my old nail salon in San Marcos so they could fix my ingrown toe nails since I was still in pain and sure enough they showed me I had an infection on my toes as well. If I could put zero stars I would, I will never go back they clearly do not sanitize their tools well or at all. This is like a month later and I'm still having to put a cream on my toes and keep having to soak in hot water to control the infection since again I can't take antibiotics. Do not go there! read more