I'm not sure what exactly is American about American Nails, but it's a valid option if you're at Chermside and feel like getting a manicure or pedicure. It's very similar to a lot of the Asian run nail salons around (places like Professionail for example) so as usual you will come out with nicely polished nails. I find that thing that sets these numerous nail salons apart from each other is not the end result but the experience you have during your time in the store.
Usually when you arrive for a mani or pedi, you will be asked to pick the colour of nail polish you want applied. Like most places, American Nails has a rack of polishes on the wall at the back full of so many colours that you'll immediately be paralysed by choice. Some nail salons have legit colours, others keep the bottles of good nail polish brands like OPI and top them up with cheaper polish when they're empty. I suppose they expect that no one will notice, but if you're a frequent buyer ad wearer of nail polish you will notice because the names on the bottles won't match the colour that you know it's meant to be. American Nails is guilty of this little trick, but to be honest so many places are that although it does disappoint me a little it doesn't tend to deter me.
The next part of your experience will the the mani or pedi itself, and what characterises this is how long the staff spend perfecting your nails. A good mani or pedi will take at least fifteen minutes during which not only will your cuticles be fixed and nails filed, buffed, polished, and top-coated but your hands and forearms (or feet and legs in the case of a pedi) will be moisturised and massaged which is nice and relaxing. Some nail salons really rush things and basically all they've done is quickly filed and painted your nails. American Nails falls somewhere in between these two poles, and it depends on the time of day and who you get.
American Nails is definitely an example of a fairly typical nail salon and you will leave with pretty fingers and toes and the experience won't have been amazing nor terrible. read more