TLDR: Karen tried to ruin our day and the Basecoat team is AWESOME!!!! I've been a loyal client of Basecoat on 5th for a reason--they consistently provide excellent service, and my nails always look amazing! However, during my most recent visit, I witnessed something that solidified my appreciation for this team even more. A disgruntled customer came in (happens to be the review directly before this one), loudly demeaning and condescending to the nail artists, demanding a full refund despite the salon's clear no-refund policy (a standard in nearly all salons). The team remained calm, professional, and respectful throughout her tirade, doing everything they could to resolve the situation. When I made a quiet comment to my tech about how someone's gotta pay the rent after multiple times demanding a refund, she chose to lash out at me as well, culminating in some truly inappropriate and over-the-top remarks that left everyone shocked. Despite her behavior, my nail tech went above and beyond, breaking policy to give her cash to leave and protect both the staff and other customers. Thank god he did because she continued to say to me (which I'm sure she felt incredibly righteous in doing so) that she hopes I "wake up with cracked and bloody nails." She was gently forced from the salon afterwards. I can't praise the Basecoat on 5th team enough for their patience, professionalism, and dedication to ensuring their employees and customers feel safe and valued, even in the face of such absurd behavior. As someone who works in the service industry myself, I know how challenging these situations can be, and they handled it with grace and compassion. Every manicure I've received here has been top-notch, and this experience only reinforced why I'll continue to come back. Thank you for always going above and beyond! P.S. The only reason she got a refund at all is because she became aggressive with me, telling me to shut up etc. They were more than happy to take ALL the product off, but she had decided to come in 30 minutes before an appointment (yes...I heard everything) so of course they could not since she was insistent she couldn't be late. That's a YOU problem! It sounds like she was pretty concerned about her health, so we can reasonably assume she's never had a hangnail. If you're that concerned, do it at home where you can't bully people. And don't lie in your reviews! Your indignancy and petulance will affect people's livelihood. Let's remember to have EMPATHY people!!! Love the Basecoat team!!! read more

Nice and clean place. I really liked how thorough and detailed Lisa was with the cleaning of my nails. She asked if I wanted a particular shape and I said almond. I've never been to a nail place that charges $5 extra for a shape and she didn't say it was an extra fee and I didn't realize it was until after looking on the menu at add-ons. That's the only downside is them adding a fee to nail shapes. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I needed some dip nails and a pedicure with gel while I was out of town (away from home) while working. I guess an empty salon should have been a clue. Sorry, the service took forever and it was expensive. After paying more than usual, I had to get my nails & toes done again once I returned home. After 2 days, my nail polish was peeling off in layers. The pedicure was good, but no massage chairs. Parking was difficult as well. read more

The work is always good but I don 't understand the staffing and appointments. They take walk-ins but when you walk in they tell you their techs are all with someone and ask you to make an appointment. I make an appointment for the next day and only 2 techs are working. The walk-ins here before me get served before me and I end up waiting for 65 minutes past my appointment. I could have stayed yesterday and waited when I had the time. Today I do not have the time to waste sitting here. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Waiting on this for too long. - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I was in Basecoat on 5th yesterday visiting from Chicago and needed a quick manicure. I received the best manicure from Lisa. The shape, the care of the nail and the polish were excellent! If you're looking for a nail technician near UAB, check her out. read more

Went to this salon while visiting Birmingham. Got SNS dip with gel. Less than 3 days later, my nails started to chip! Totally unacceptable for an $80 (!!) service. Way overpriced and poor quality. read more

Lisa was very warm, friendly and detail-oriented; she made my visit as chill as I needed it to be. Very quiet and upscale vibe. No massage chairs, but it was so relaxing I didn't care. read more

The atmosphere was great and relaxing, my nail tech was so friendly and ensured I knew what services they offered. So many colors to choose from and overall just an amazing experience. read more

BEWARE: Prices unclear/misleading! Making sure to post and share that you should definitely attempt to get clarity before engaging in services. I wasn't going to go off over a few dollars, but was irritated at the brazen nature of the situation at checkout. I get manicures twice a month and needed one while I'm visiting. I am familiar with pricing and come from a city with a higher cost of living. This one was close and looked promising, so I booked for a dip manicure. On the website, Dip Powder + Manicure reflects including nail shaping and cuticle care at $55. Dip Powder w/Removal is $50. Riddle me how I walked out owing $75. UPCHARGE CENTRAL! I can get charging extra for the manicure or removal part, but the extra $20 on top of the presumed fee was shocking--I was even charged a line item for shaping. When I tried to engage about it, it would have been nice to have been given more of an explanation/clarity on the matter and make it right. Not here to talk about my actual manicure because I'm fine with the product (although not my favorite and a small selection of colors). My technician was nice and the facility was clean. But I don't appreciate shady business practices. read more

Beautiful salon with very friendly staff! I got a pedicure in a whim while traveling for work and wish I was a local so I could be a regular here. This was the nicest and most relaxing pedicure I've had in a very long time. I will be back if I'm ever back in town! read more

I needed a light hand to do my nails. I don't know if you can tell, but Holland was very gentle and took her time with the drill giving me a lot peace as this was happening! I've been in a space where I felt like I had to watch out for injury and she was so calming that I completely trusted her process! Thanks Holland! I would recommend this place. You can also make appointments which is very nice! I'll definitely be back! read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Manny dip powder options - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Very bad product quality, I request manicure with gel, she put my hands on cold water, after that she doesn't clean up y nails that supposed to be as other salon , she wipes my hands and start putting colors , she did 4 layers of colors that next days get removed very fast , Means I paid 45$ for nothing . Never back again. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Colors off - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Rude. I stood at the desk for 15 min no one acknowledged me or said anything. awful staff

Updated my review to reflect that they do not do acrylic nails here! To my surprise this place is right next door to my gym (HotWorx). So I decided to give this place a try since they just opened ,and I was in desperate need of a pedicure. If you are looking for the traditional massage chairs that are typically at nail salons this is not your place. The decor is so modern and open it doesn't even look like a traditional nail salon. They offer a variety of services including: regular polish, gel, and SNS (Reasonable prices) I also loved that they had the latest OPI collection. I can definitely see the potential in this place and I am excited to make this my new go to nail salon. Also, the staff was very friendly. I received gnew client discount. read more

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The location is a very trendy place. The atmosphere is very chic. The place is decorated with cute 60's looking chairs and upscsle looking basins for your feet. The staff is very friendly and they work quickly. The pedicure was very was nice. It was reasonably priced and worth every dime. I did get a nail refill with shilac (sorry I am not sure of the spelling but it is when they dry your nails with the blue light) and although they had more than $$ I was surprised at the price of $75 for a rebase plus nail repair and cut down was over $100. I Ask the price for your services don't get caught with sticker shock. Also know if you are using a credit card they pass the cost of using a card on to the consumer. read more

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Left in pain and with bloody toes!! I've always received rushed service here but the outcome was at least decent and consistent. Not today. The young female tech was trimming my toenail cuticles and cut far too deep on one. She then spent the next 30 minutes in silence, continuing to wipe my toe down with alcohol which created even more pain and an unpleasant experience. After it all, I was still charged $100 for subpar service and left in immense pain. Completely unacceptable to overcharge and then do nothing about this. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

The nail techs are awesome, and always do a great job. Most everyone is kind. However, they've lost my online appointment twice (I made them the night before, so apparently this is how they got lost) and I've waited 45 minutes to an hour an a half even with an appointment before. I was supposed to have an appointment at 5:45pm for tips and dip, no design. I soaked my nails off before because I know they close at 7pm and wanted to be considerate. I got there, and my appointment was not in the books, so they told me they didn't have time for me. Disappointing because I'm trying to grow my nails out, but they're paper thin, so I'll probably just have to cut them off because now it it too late to get somewhere else. If you have time to wait and are not busy, you're sure to be happy with your nails! I just need a bit more reliability! read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Example of Nails! - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I have never had such a bad manicure in my life. I got my nails done on Thursday of last week (and was in the salon for three hours for a pedicure and a soak off & SNS) And by Saturday I already had two nails break off. I took the attached pictures on Wednesday, so not even a full week after I got them done, and FIVE of them had broken off. I am devastated. These were my natural nails and I'd been growing them out since the end of June. My nails are very fragile and break if they're not done. The experience was fine and other than being there for three hours, it was enjoyable. But I am so upset about my nails. I paid well over $60 for this and half of them broke in less than a week. I haven't been tougher than usual on them, and most of the broken ones were on my non dominant hand, they just came off one by one, and then my natural nail later. It seems like my nail is coming away from the dip powder before they break. I don't think I'll be returning. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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BaseCoat is my new spot!!!! Haven't done my nails in years, so I went last month to a different place and did not like my experience. They were nice but not the quality I paid for. So My friend recommended BaseCoat! She's a regular here with one of their technicians and always raves. Im glad I gave it a shot. I was seen faster than I could pick a nail color. I was told they're really busy on Saturday's, so it may have just been my luck! Quincy was my nail tech and he is also the owner! He was so kind, patient, and he explained to me every step and product that was a part of the process (dip). Really appreciate this place, the technicians and aesthetic! read more

Miriam did an immaculate job on my manicure and pedicure. I'd rate her 10 of 10! She had a nimble accuracy that made me extremely comfortable. I started to wiggle in delight each time she filed or added Polish with switch brush strokes!! I am a cosmetologist and cosmetology teacher and find pure joy in a professional who is as technical and professional as accurate and fashionable. The gel manicure was $40 and classic pedicure $40. It looks like I paid for an editorial nail service! I am pleased and will visit Basecoat when I'm Back in town..... By the way I got "My Buff Vampire" on the toes and "Bare My Soul" on my fingers:-)))))) read more

we as people of color need to stop supporting businesses like theirs, they don't put back into our communities at all. I booked an appointment they had open only to come and they were closed. There are several brown business owners that does nails, check out google for brown nail shop owners. read more

Great service. Beautiful atmosphere. And the end result was exactly what I asked for. Andrew was excellent. Thank you. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - gel french tip pedicure. - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I made an appointment and arrived on time, checked in. No one greeted me or gave me pallet to choose a color for over 20 minutes or more! What's the point of making an appointment? Even if I would not be served at my appointment time, it would have been nice to be told that or even told hello!! Then when I was finally acknowledged, I was told that it would be a 30-40 minute wait. If you are that short-staffed then don't allow people to make appointments that you won't honor!! NO THANK YOU read more

I'm hesitant to share how truly amazing this place is, because I don't want the word to get out!! they're usually busy but they always do such amazing work. they're detail oriented and the customer service is umatched. the shop is also clean, relaxing, and they have a great selection of polishes to choose from. I pass by many nail shops to go to this one, and it's the only place I'll go now! read more

Base coat Made an appointment with Jan for 2pm, arrived at 1:50-ish, she wasn't available. She finished the pedicure she was doing and started doing doing another one at @2:15pm. The front desk person assigned someone else, who didn't do designs on toes, and used a drill to remove the gel from my toes. Jan wouldn't even look my way, speak, or even apologize for the inconvenience. This nail shop is expensive and therefore I expected quality service. I will not be returning nor will my partner get to experience them, family, and coworkers. Special shout-out to Quincy for doing my design, it turned out well. Yes I am man but my feet aren't that bad Jan. Lol read more

Cute nails but definitely not worth $103. I didn't even get a manicure. $80 for gel full set, $15 for shaping along with some other prices thrown in there that weren't listed on the website. Don't recommend because of these outrageous prices. I originally had 3 stars but after this company took it upon themselves to take money from my card without my consent, I have lowered this review to 1 star. I would put 0 stars if I could. Do NOT recommend!!! read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

This place is fantastic! Quincy did my nails. I has sns dip nail, and have to keep them short because I bake. That did not hinder his incredible artistic ability! He was kind, professional, and insanely talented. Amazing service and great prices! read more

Basecoat On Fifth - SNS with custom Snorlax design - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Excellent manicure!!! One of the best I have ever had!! Very clean, staff was extremely courteous!! I will definitely go back.

My friend and I here went here on a whim and love the place! The host at the front desk was very kind and engaging! He answered all of our questions and directed us patiently when we were confused! Offered us a complimentary drink and communicated with well. The gentleman who did my toes was also great! He was efficient and through while being quick. He didn't talk too much which is honestly the kinda thing I'm looking for when I want to relax. The place is beautiful and soothing. Overall great experience and will be back again! read more

Decided to treat myself to a pedicure and manicure a few weeks ago and this place was on my list of new places to check out downtown thanks to some other great reviews from some fellow yelpers. It did not disappoint. Upon walking in I was greeted and asked to sign in, only had to wait about 15 minutes which isn't bad considering I was just a walk in. This place is beautiful, sleek and modern, and my favorite part is it doesn't smell like a nail salon. No terrible acrylic smell. Which means no headaches for me! I was put in a pedicure chair and offered a drink. The pedicure was fantastic, lemons and limes in my water, super comfy chairs and the guy that did my pedicure was very polite and took his time with me. The manicure was just as perfect, I believe her name was Jobie, or Jodie. Super sweet and professional. She did a fabulous job on my S & S nails with tips. My polish has held up great, I will most definitely make this my new nail home! Go check them Out! read more

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Best customer service ever! Great pedicure, extremely clean facility!!!! Would highly recommend read more

Basecoat On Fifth - 5 stars !!! This place was clean. - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Made an appointment and was seated almost immediately after signing in! I love how nice and clean the salon was as well as the friendly staff. The price is definitely worth the experience and proximity (UAB student) . Will definitely come back. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - gel manicure - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Wait time was minimal, pedicure was done very professionally, nail specialists seemed to enjoy their work and my nails look great!

Updated my original review because I have since been back, and I am honestly even more disappointed. This was $61, and I still have hangnails. The tip color is full of bubbles, there is extra gel polish hanging off the edge of the nail, and it just doesn't look like a crisp, fresh, french manicure. I wanted to love it, I really did, but I just don't. I understand why french manicures are more expensive than regular mani's, but I expect to get what I pay for. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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They always have the best prices and the best customer service. I always go last minute and the always try to accommodate me.

The customer service was good and my nails were super cute. However, a day later the top coat cracked and I had to get it fixed. Which they did for free. But, not even a week later three of my extensions broke off. One of them, making a crack in my real nail. Which makes me suspect that they are using cheap materials at this salon. This is the first time any fake nail broke on me. And it's super sad to me since I spent almost a hundred to have my nails break within a week. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I recently found a gift card that my son purchased in 2021 for me. I called and apologized that it's been a while and was there a problem with me still using it. They told me that " unfortunately, it's not gonna be in the system anymore so we won't honor it " I found that crazy as a small business because I'm sure the money is in their system!! So, be careful if you purchase a gift card here @ Basecoat. So sad that I won't find out if it's a good nail salon or not. I cannot recommend this place. read more

This new salon is at a super convenient location and so nice! They offer OPI regular polish, gel and dip powder options. Really great color options and beautifully displayed. The staff is very polite. They made sure to offer everyone something to drink, and even have complimentary wine. My only issue was that we waited for almost an hour to get a manicure. They apologized multiple times and explained that they were still trying to figure out the staffing as a new business. I'm not sure why they would be understaffed rather than overstaffed for their first month. There were multiple staff members there that don't actually do nails, so only 4 staff were actively helping customers. When we finally did get our nails done, they did a great job. The guys were very nice and personable. I'll definitely be going back, hopefully they are better staffed! read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Absolutely perfect service! Very considerate of the pandemic and the manicure was immaculate and detailed!

I received a luxury pedicure and dip powder nails with tips and designs. Everyone was really nice and the customer service was great! The salon was clean and really cute. My appointment started on time and everything turned out exactly how I wanted it. Will visit again. read more

Basecoat On Fifth - Nail Salons Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama