Just stopped by again while I'm back home for Spring Break and was once again IN LOVE with the job they did! I didn't even choose a color and trusted the girls to decide for me and ended up adoring the blue they gave me. Love them so much!! read more

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My favorite nail salon! Make sure you get in with Sabrina! She's my favorite person there! She's always so happy and welcoming! And we always have a good conversation when I see her! Everyone there is sweet. I haven't seen them since February but they still remember who I am when I come in read more

La Vie Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

The employees at La Vie are top notch. I've been to several nail salons in the area and this is the one with the nicest employees where I always feel comfortable. They can carry out every challenge I give them and they even are able to give me custom acrylics for the unusually large thumb. I love their back rubs also. read more

UPDATE: if you are looking for a new salon, Kim's Nail Salon in Alameda on Park St is great. Everyone there is so polite & i never felt treated any differently because of my skin color. Stop going here if you can!!! read more

My feet are clean and rejuvenated not to mention cute cute cute!! My sciatica had been kicking my butt so the calf and foot massage changed my whole life. I also get ingrown nails so I really appreciate the attention to detail on cleaning my nails. I will absolutely be back! Thank you all so much! read more

La Vie Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

Kelly and Sabrina, are amazing. Hospitality on point, customer care on point, nails on point! Ivy came through with the neck and back massages as well. Very satisfied with our experience. read more

I have been going to LaVie for 11 years. The manicurists are all very accomplished and delightful. I especially love the leg and shoulder massages. Some of my friends have gotten beautiful nail art there. I highly recommend LaVie Nails. read more

Extremely rude and unwelcoming atmosphere. Overpriced for simple pedicure and no massage. Will be going elsewhere!

Proper sanitation is very important to me and should be to you as well. Remember when Paula Abdul got a random pedicure and got infected horribly because of improper tool sanitation? Well, don't let that be you. Also not sure why a review asks people to be respectful and nice...what does that have to do with here? We are writing reviews based on our experience. My experience was that the tools were unsanitary and that the staff were rude and dismissive themselves. You get what you pay for apparently. Including passive aggressive people who shame you for writing a negative review. Think about whether or not you are that much better than other reviewers. Lol! read more

I came here because 1)they take walk ins and 2)they are close to where I live. Got a classic mani-pedi and was greeted very positively. Overall, they provided a good service being thorough and adding extra touches, like a neck and leg massage. I never felt like anything was rushed. My nails looked great, particularly the pedicure. What I wish was better: their towels were very worn out that I didn't feel comfortable when they were used. My manicure was adequate but the polish could've been applied better. I may come back if I'm ever just need something convenient but still on the search for a place I feel pampered. I was surprised at how affordable the price was! Was charged $50 total. read more

Left with bare skin scrapped from dry sponge. No apology, applied Neosporin. I asked for the discount for the mistake. She said that she was already charging me with the discount of $5.00 off. I guess if you want your callus remove you better know that they may scrape extra skin too. By the way the one who did this was the owner, so 5.00 off was her best deal. read more

La Vie Nails - Left with skin scrapped off. - Nail Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

Dirty and small polish selection. I literally ran out after seeing the place. Go somewhere else

No regard for appointments, disrespectful of Clients time. Sabrina is good but greedy. I was warned of this but experienced it first hand myself. Arrived for my appointment on time and she'd just started on someone else. Initially ignored me. I asked how long she'd be. Silence. Her sister offered to rebook me. But no acknowledgment and no apologies. Disrespectful and disappointing. Not to mention I was a regular and generous tipper. Way too many nail salons out there to tolerate that. I'll spend my money with someone that demonstrates professionalism and values my business. read more

I have been living in the Bay Area now for 5 years. I have tried numerous different places and none of them have been as consistent as La Vie. I usually go somewhere and have one or two people that can do my mani and pedi. Here it does matter who I choose, they will always look good. I definitely recommend. read more

This place does the worse job. Gave them 3 chances & I'm done. Lumpy, bumping, uneven nails would be the perfect name for this nail Shop. Person filed my nails donwn so much there's no point in having acrylic nails. Had to select a star read more

I no longer live in Alameda or California, but as I've been to many salons over the years, I have to leave the best of reviews. I loved coming here for so many reasons. Perfect manicures and pedicures, best massages I've ever had (!!!), super friendly stylists, and regulars that you can tell really enjoy being here. I looked forward to my visits here and this was the only place that could get me to come regularly. Every bit of the experience was relaxing. I'll be back for sure if I ever have a trip to the bay area. read more

Overall they do a decent job. I've had both a gel manicure and regular pedicure. I will say the gel manicure chipped after a couple days which was disappointing. I want it to last a full two weeks! The one thing I don't necessarily enjoy is that I have yet to have one person complete my nails entirely. I've had this weird rotation where multiple people do my nails and it's just annoying honestly. One person files, one person does the painting, I'm honestly not too sure how efficient it is and it's hard to tip when multiple people are working on your nails. I also think they could be a little cleaner. They reuse the aluminum foil when you have your gel manicure taken off which is kind of gross. I get times are hard, but I think it should just be thrown out after someone has their nail polish removed... I probably would return but there are other places in Alameda that are cleaner and do a better job. There's just a ton of parking here and they are polite. read more

My go to nail spa for both mani & pedi but 90% of the time I just go for pedicures as I don't care to do my nails too often. I found them while I was searching for a nail spot to go during my lunch break. So glad I found them, all of the staff is super friendly & they really take their time to make you feel relaxed. The massages are amazing! read more

I did not leave a review after my first negative experience. but have decided to after this most recent visit. My usual person was not available and this place is close to my office. 1st visit: gel manicure & pedicure. the woman was too rough removing my previous gel and was trying to file my ACTUAL nails. I asked her not to and she stopped, but why didn't she know that the point of gel is to NOT damage one's nails? The new gel that was applied began chipping after 2 days. My usual person took 1 look and said that the tips of my nails were not sealed with gel. The pedicure was rushed, but decent. A different person did it. 2nd visit: my usual manicurist was again not available, but I needed the gel that she applied removed. needless to say, my real nails are RUINED. the woman said that the gel did not need to be soaked longer in acetone when I asked. She took a little tool to remove the small amounts still there. Please stay away from this salon until they learn how to care for nails and not just rush through as many people as they can. read more

I love going to La Vie Nails, they are always so nice to me and so unproblematic. Also everyone be loving my nails like do you see themmm!!! read more

La Vie Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

RUDE and Horrible service. I got my nails done here few times, but the last 2 times the Gel nail polish was very thick and started peeling off just after a week. I went back to get it fixed and the lady was so rude and told me to come back in 3hrs when it takes 10mins to fix. She was obviously just trying to get rid of me. Instead of being sorry she was yelling! Can't stand rude people! read more

La Vie Nails - Chipping and Peeling from the sides after a week and I get yelled at!!!! I am so angry at how they treated me! - Nail Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

They took me in last minute. Pleasant experience. Friendly staff. Plenty of parking. Might go back. I wish I could help them repaint and decorate. It could be so much nicer inside. read more

Sabrina at La Vie did an AMAZING job. She was quick and very skilled. I have been there twice before and will definitely keep going back!

Nails came out great but not sure about the cleanliness of their tools and the experience felt a little chaotic/not relaxing read more

La Vie Nails - Gel - a couple days old - Nail Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

They're open! I finally got my long awaited pedicure. Hallelujah! I called ahead to make an appointment and there was no wait when I arrived. The staff is super friendly and they're compliant with all the Covid/mask regulations so I felt completely safe. Kelly did an amazing job on my pedi! I'll definitely be back. read more

Just moved to Alameda and was looking for a good place to get my nails done. This is the place to go if your on the island. Very professional service. Did a fantastic job on my nails, and the design I requested. Also, I came in on a Tuesday afternoon and I was serviced immediately! I will definitely return for repeat visit! read more

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This place was ok. Called one Saturday after needing some major TLC for my feet (the Muay Thai foot pivot calluses are real). Lady told me to just come in, so I pulled myself together and headed in. Easy parking for once, stepped in the door to a very small crowded nail salon. Had to wait a bit (this place has nowhere to sit so i stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, picked out my colors from a very disorganized collection on the wall and was asked to sit in a rather old tattered looking massage chair. Oh boy. My pedicure was alright. The lady doing them was kind enough, but super quiet. It did include a killed leg massage so I'll give them that. My manicure was alright. Although the other lady doing that was obviously distracted by whatever was happening on her cell phone. Mostly, the place was just dirty and beat up looking, which meant as soon as I was done I just wanted to get out. Price point, you get a decent mani pedi for what you pay for (hence the 4/5 stars) however if you prefer somewhere where you don't feel crammed into a tiny fume filled room that looks like it needs a massive once over with some paint and bleach, I'd suggest elsewhere in the island. read more

My mani turned out fine but I had to leave a review after what I saw happen right before my eyes. It makes me uncomfortable to write this but what I witnessed today was appalling. It was my first time here because I heard good things, but it is definitely my last. I was getting my nails done when I heard this girl next to me very politely telling the nail tech that she didn't like her pedi. She still offered to pay for them and asked if she can just come back on another day to get them fixed. The manager said NO and told the girl to leave. The girl said she had a manicure scheduled but they shooed her away and said they didn't have time for her...even though she had an appointment?! Makes no sense. The girl was Black so I hope that wasn't the reason why she was getting treated so disrespectfully, but there's really no other viable reason. This place has left a sour taste in my mouth and I'm going to tell my friends to avoid this salon from now on. read more

This is my second time going to La Vie and all their nail artists are amazing. Sabrina did my nails yesterday and they turned out perfectly, she is so good at shaping and made them exactly even which can be tough with the almond shape I was looking for. I love that she was quick and efficient, but still took care at the detailed points to make sure they turned out great. Definitely will be coming back! read more

La Vie Nails - Tried out one of their new gel colors for Fall, love the metallic stripe! - Nail Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

Dirty, distracted, loud, unsanitary practices. Came here by random in need of a pedicure. Pros: cheap, Cons: I'm not sure what just happened. You get people from all walks of life in the chairs and I was shocked that they pulled out clippers and tools from a dirty drawer and after they used them on me just threw them back in to be re-used for another. Two women finished with their jobs and then came to the sink next to mine and just rinsed the tools with hand soap and then on to the next person!! How is this possible? That is disgusting, unsanitary, and disturbing. Every nail shop I've been to from CA to Buffalo, NY opened up a fully sanitized tools kit. I've never had filers reused either. They also pumiced my foot with a sponge stone that they used on someone else...all they did was rinse it in the water bath. It took all my strength to not quit. They were on the phone, touching money, and socializing. I actually had to ask the lady to wash her hands bc she just touched cash and phones etc before restarting on clipping my skin and she said "oh" and then used hand sanitizer. I got home and soaked my feet in rubbing alcohol, took a hot bath, and then put neosporin on my toes to ward off any possible start of infection. That said, the nail paint job was good. I love the color. read more

Ivy gives the absolute best gels I've ever had. My last set lasted nearly three weeks and still looked immaculate - I only had them redone because they were growing out. Only one thing, the woman who did my pedi is a bit rough on big toe cuticles. She's lovely and does a great job and I feel bad even mentioning it but once I jumped she was much less aggressive, which was lovely. read more

As I arrived for dinner in Alameda, I was a couple minutes early but my nails were badly chipped. I really hate my hands looking anything but perfect, but I really didn't have a lot of time, so I thought I's ask if I could get a "touch up". The two ladies looked at my nails and suggested to repaint them. "But I only have five minutes" I said. They grabbed my hands and while one took off the polish, the other applied a new coat, switching off, then hand drying my nails each. I was impressed with the excellent service and my nails were a stunning shiny black. Rawr. By the time we were done, I walked back and checked in to our table. Sat with my beautifully painted nails - like nothing ever happened. The service here was amazing, the girls were so sweet and accomodated my last minute diva request to polish up my tips. With little places like these that give great service, you can get done up in no time. No excuses why you don't have time to treat yourself. ;) read more

I came here for a Gel Manicure and regular pedicure. I was seated quickly and two girls started working on my nails. They did a really good paint job but unfortunately made my toes bleed really bad from trying to take out ingrown toe nails. The massage on my arms and legs was good but then they continued on to massage my back and it was the WORST thing ever. It hurt so bad and all I kept thinking is when it would stop. She grabed my back in all the wrong places and then started punching with her fists. My back hurt for the following days. I didn't tell her to stop because I didn't want to be rude and I thought that maybe that's what I needed since my back has been hurting from work. I don't see why they are allowed to do this. The massage is a good thing but if they did a good job, I don't even think they are licensed massage therapist, they most likely just have a manicurist license or cosmetologist. Also, I chose a purple color for my toes and asked if they could match my gel, so they did and they looked really pretty for the first day, but then the color changed to blue. Apparently they put a mood Gel Polish on me without telling me if that was okay or not. I really did not appreciate that, what if I had been going to a special event and wanted to match my nails with my outfit..?. So they don't have good communication, like other typical nail shops. I would come back but would definitely not get the massage part of the treatment and will need to be very specific in what I want. read more

La Vie Nails - Blue nails when they were supposed to be purple. Besides that great application! - Nail Salons Near Me - Alameda, California

Make this nail shop your main "go-to" nail shop because their manicure is the best i've ever had and heres why! Mostly all of them do their mani and pedicures the same. They are all skilled and have a unique way of applying the gel manicures. They first put the first layer on your nail bed, then the second layer they outline your nail bed (trust me this keeps your manicure good for 3-4weeks) Then they finish off w the last two layers and BOOM! You'll have the best manicure in alameda! (oh and they give you a shoulder massage!!!) I gave them 4 stars because the spot is a little dated, they should definitely focus on cleaning the spot & new flowers or art work on the walls. read more

I'm so glad that I found Sabrina, she does my gel manicure perfectly every time. Such a good job cleaning up my cuticles, much better than most of the expensive spa manicures I've gotten. The rest of the staff are very nice and good at pedicures as well. I cannot be happier or more impressed with my nails, I LOVE this place. I drive from San Leandro every week because no one else can compare! read more

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I've heard such good things about this salon and Sabrina specifically... I walked in there with high hopes and walked out very disappointed. She was nice at first but things took a weird turn when I politely asked her to reshape one of my nails. She took it to offense which I found very disrespectful and started to be very rude and passive aggressive. We continued the rest of the appointment in a very awkward silence... she would not say anything to me just would tap my hands and would aggressively put them under the light without telling me to. I've never felt more disrespected and uncomfortable in my life. For me getting my nails done is a form of therapy and not only was her attitude uncalled for but she was also very unsanitary. Nowadays sanitation is especially important and they did not seem to care at all. Would not recommend this place to even my worst enemy. read more

This place is great! I used to live around the corner, so it was a no-brainer to just walk there. Now, I live in Oakland and have other nail salons in walking distance. But I still come here. The ladies are always super nice and accomodating, even calling backup when it gets too crowded, so they don't have to send me away. My nails are always done perfectly - toenail polish even lasting for up to four weeks. I never get anything super fancy, the fanciest thing for me being French manicure. Never any nail art, so I cannot say anything about that. But the chairs are comfortable, the place looks a lot cleaner than other places (although still not up to my Southern German standards - but that is another story all together). They also do eyebrow and face waxing in a little back room (never tried it myself, but a friend raves about it). Their prices are good, they also offer gel manicure (which lasts a good week for me, friends have reported up to three weeks though). So yes, come to La Vie Nails, support those nice ladies! And please, leave a generous tip (cash)! P.S.: About the massages... I am a big girl, so maybe some of those tiny ladies think I can take it... so they usually TORTURE me (or maybe I am just too sensitive?). In any case, unlike other reviewers here, I do not come for the massages. Sometimes I even skip them, especially when my back is bad that day... read more

I will never come here again they are extremely unsanitary. Worst nails shop experience ever. Sabrina did my nails she seems nice at first then out of nowhere she's so rude for no reason and has a very mean attitude. They are super unprofessional with their clients and appointment times. Also no matter how kind you speak to them they all speak to you extremely disrespectful which is something I should've caught onto from how rude the lady was on the phone but still gave it a chance. A big waste of time, money, and felt so dirty. read more

Still my fav nail spot after moving out of alameda 4 years ago. I would come from anywhere to get my nails done here! read more

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This salon is a hidden gem! I decided to venture out and go some place new. I am so glad I did. I would highly recommended this salon. Especially if you enjoy the massage. Ivy and Ann worked on me today and did everything I asked and then some. Paid attention to very small details do nails last as well as thoroughly massing neck, shoulders and calves! So amazing. Highly recommended. read more

La Vie Nails - Gel and pedi! - Nail Salons Near Me - Alameda, California