I just moved here and have been looking for a new nail place. I've tried a couple, and I fell in love with one, only for the nail tech I loved there to move to Texas after 2 appointments.
For the review:
I'll start with the fact that the guy who appears to be the owner is absolutely lovely. I called to inquire about aura nails; I never do designs but my birthday is in a few days and I wanted a little extra something to feel fabulous. It's been an absolutely insane week and I rescheduled here twice. He was very accommodating and kind about my scheduling needs.
Now, the less positive part: ***please note that I am only doing this review for the folks like me who take reviews really seriously and are particular about beauty-related things, specifically, in this case, nails. I have no desire to trash this place, because then were nice.***
That said, I was told that they could do the nails I wanted and I was excited based on the photos in their Yelp page. I felt really confident that they could do something I would absolutely love, specifically because their Yelp page says they do nail art and design, and whenever a salon does nail art and design, their basic nail techniques and everything else are typically great.
Unfortunately that is not the experience I had today.
I got an incredibly mid pedicure that actually looks 2 weeks old as I'm walking out of the salon right now. (Before leaving I told them that I did not like it, but it was late and I had to go and I could tell they were tired, which I didn't think would help my issue.)
On my way out the gentleman who did my manicure (he only did my hands, not feet) told me to come back the next day to have it redone. The problem is that I don't think I have time to go back tomorrow, and frankly, I shouldn't have to. I'm sorely disappointed in a $70 pedicure looking like I did it myself.
My other major issue is the color selection. I know not everybody is as maniacal about color as I am, so eat the fish and spit out the bones here. If you are pretty routine or have a basic range of colors that you're willing to try, you probably will not have an issue. I, however, am a brand designer/graphic designer and happen to be very color-sensitive. I always go to nail salons that have robust color selections because my eye can spot a vast difference between two pinks that might be right next to each other on the display. Not every color looks good on everyone's skintone, and I like what I like.
It was SO challenging to find a color here that I liked and honestly I was just looking for a pink from a Pinterest photo. The sample nails that they gave me to choose from were inside of a plastic container, which
1. Dulled the color
2. Put the nails under a glare from the lights so you couldn't really see them
The colors also just weren't great. It felt like a very old-fashioned selection of dip colors.
When I actually did choose a color (one I only liked a little) and she went to put it on my feet, it turned out to be a COMPLETELY different color, and I'm talking maybe 20 shades different than the color that I chose and a totally different undertone. I didn't want to belabor the point because she had another customer she was rushing to try to get to that seemed to be a regular customer of hers and I didn't want to take up more of her time. But I'm really disappointed because I came here with a vision, wanting something very specific and I left with a manicure and a pedicure I wish I just had not even gotten.
Honestly, my nails looked way better when I came in than when I left, which is saying a lot because both my hands and feet were nearly 3 weeks old. The only reason I didn't go back to who did them was because i was seeking nail design, and I ended up leaving with no nail design at all anyway! I feel like I flushed $140 down the drain, especially bc I will have to have this all fixed.
In summary, lots of people seem to love this salon, so although I really had a two-star experience, I gave them three, because I truly think this is a matter of just not being a fit for me. Every place isn't for everyone. If you're pretty easy like Sunday morning with your nails, you should likely just ignore this.
But if you are also particular about your nails like me, let this be a forewarning that this may not be the experience you're seeking.
Stay beautiful, guys. read more