I just started putting gel on my natural nails. Michael does an amazing job. He takes his time and makes sure you are satisfied.

I was so excited to support this local nail salon, but unfortunately had an awful experience here. I came in on a Sunday for a quick pedicure and chose the standard option. I was seated fast and given water upon entering - which was very nice. The manicurist then approached me with the color I wanted and began working. As he started cutting my nails and cuticles, I was in instant pain. He claimed I had "cuticle damage" (news to me) and tried to repair the wounds with an oil and rubbing alcohol at a very high percentage. This was such a painful experience I cannot even begin to describe my discomfort. I was also incredibly worried about getting an infection from his products. In the same vein, the 'hot rocks' are not used or regulated properly. They nearly burnt my skin and left me feeling injured. From the jump, I noticed the polish was very old and was not able to sit well on my nail. When the manicurist tried to do multiple coats, nothing seemed to work and the nails chipped and smudged instantly as I left. The manager did offer me to redo my nails at a different time, but after this experience I will not be returning. I sincerely hope CK Nails & Spa can go under some sort of a rebrand to fix these issues. read more

I came in asking for a French manicure, but unfortunately, the result wasn't what I expected. The white tips looked very thick and unnatural, and cuticles were not properly trimmed. I politely asked if we could add a single coat of sheer pink color (to make tips less noticeable), but the technician refused. Instead, he told me that if I didn't like his work, I must be "one of those people who can never be satisfied." I'll let the photo speak for itself so others can decide whether my expectations were unreasonable. read more

CK Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Best Pedicures in Charlottesville, they take their time, very affordable and they do an amazing job! Peter thank you, you did a great job! read more

CK Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Went to get a pedicure and omg you will not believe what just happened to me. The pedicure occurred about a day ago and already there is an insane rash spreading a cross my legs. Will this continue, I'm not sure. I have been asking all close to me what is wrong with my legs. The only conclusion is that the rash has come from the pedicure. I have changed nothing else. The rash has begun to itch and I am concerned. Please be careful when coming to get pedicure, maybe something is weird in their water. Also the nails weren't great either. read more

CK Nails & Spa - Rash from pedicure - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Always nice and clean. Friendly customer service. Very pleased with my service every time.

Received a pedicure that caused burns on both legs from the hot stones, the attendant did not speak English and was poking and pushing my hand or leg. My manicure polished peeled off the same evening. Would not waste my money or time. read more

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This was the best pedicure I ever had. and I highly recommend getting the pearl pedicure. It is a little bit more money, but it is well worth it. I have had many pedicures in the past and this was the absolute best. Anna is amazing. Also got my eyebrows waxed, and it was great. and the vibe there was great. Everybody was very kind. read more

If you care about the health of your nails, do not go here! They use the electric filer for everything (literally everything). They even used the file to remove my cuticles. It's hurt as bad as it sounds. It's stung to wash my hands for days after because my fingers were cut so bad. As a result of the e-file, my nails have never been this thin in my life. I have to keep them cut as low as possible or else they break constantly. I had long thick nails and it'll be months before they're back to normal again. It was the worst manicure I've ever had, if you can even call it a manicure. They didn't soak my nails in water to soften my cuticles because they filed them off instead. No lotion, no massage. I had to peel dip off my fingers when I got home! I actually went twice: once to get dip, and again to get it removed (where I had to beg them to let them soak off because I didn't want them to use the e file again). read more

Probably the worst manicure I've gotten in Charlottesville. I went in for a dip mani and left with my cuticles untouched and dip polish all over my nailbeds and the sides. Exasperating but nothing I can't fix at home. Well three days later, four of my nails are chipped with a good portion of the polish missing. I'm pretty pissed bc I don't even want to go back to have them fixed. I'll just find another place to have the all redone. read more

CK Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Great place to go if you wanna be on the verge of tears the whole time. Awful. Had 3 different women work on my nails who did half ass jobs each time and also resulted in my nails being way over filed. And uneven. Got an acrylic set (even tho I wanted gel) with gel french tips. Paint job is awful. And then they upcharged like crazy for the smallest things. First time I've never not tip someone. My friend also came with me and would like to share her experience. Hi, I'm the friend. I wanted gel nails on top of my natural nails. They put chrome on top of my nails and upcharged me for $40. That's more than if I just got a full acrylic set. The chrome is patchy and not like the picture I showed them. Quite disappointed. read more

I love this place. They are so friendly and always a happy group to be around. They have beverages to drink (water, soda, etc) in case you're thirsty and they will change the channel on the tv to whatever you want. While I was waiting for my acetone to soak in my gel they asked me if I wanted to sit in a massage chair. Besides the great service, the quality of the nail work is great. Kelly did my nails today and she really took her time and made sure they were perfect. I get a gel manicure for $27 but it was well worth the price and it definitely lasts. The only downside is they really try to push you to buy more things when you initially arrive. They tell you about deals and how you should get a manicure/pedicure even though you only came for one thing. Not a big deal, but just a heads up. read more

CK Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I've had great mani-pedi's here and I've had horrible ones. The consistently horrible ones I've gotten from the elderly lady that works there. I'm not an anti-agist, I believe that I have gotten better with time! However, this woman just doesn't care about what she's doing. Gel manicures that peel and chip after 2 days. On her cellphone 19 times during the pedicure, stopping whatever she was doing to look at her phone and then forgetting which foot she was even working on. 3rd gel manicure I've had from her, it chipped my nails so badly that I had to file them down to nubs and then it CONTINUED chipping to the point of pain. (This was the day after the manicure). Went in and showed her what she'd done to my fingers (4 days later, I live 45 minutes away) and she said she'd re do the gel manicure. NO WAY was I letting her touch my nails again. I politely explained what happened and that I'd just like my money back and I'd go somewhere else to have them fixed."No money back, I'll fix" was her response. Explained again that I didn't want her to work on my nails, just wanted a refund. "No no no, no money back, I redo 4 nails (chipped to the nail bed!) for you, same color, that's all I do for you. No money back". I left and went somewhere else to have the gel removed and my nails fixed. It's too bad because I had great experiences and manicures with other nail technicians there, but I'll never go back. read more

The nail technicians were patient and polite and I really appreciated the attention to detail! They have so many colors available which makes it really easy to choose something you'll love. They currently offer a 5% discount if you use cash. read more

CK Nails & Spa - Coffin Shape Acrylic Gel Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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This was my first time getting a full set of acrylics and I am happy with the result! The nail technicians were friendly and had no issues doing the design that I wanted. The prices were also reasonable (I paid $50 plus tip). I will be going back in the future! read more

CK Nails & Spa - Acrylic set - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I went here because it was close to where I live and I was relived it wasn't busy and I was greeted immediately and the Technician was on her phone 1/2 the time and I could have been out of there more quickly! 3 days later my nails crack !! Polish is horrible as well! Maybe she'll do a better job if she stayed off the phone!! I will not be returning read more

CK Nails & Spa - Smh - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I used to love going there. The last 3 times I've gone (didn't want to give up hope) I've walked out with injuries. The last time not only was I cut, but both mani and pedi were horrible. They looked like they were shaped and polished by a 6 year old. read more

I paid $95 for a gel pedicure/gel full set just to not like it. The guy took really long with my pedicure and had to re paint a toe after they told him to & some of my toes weren't the same shape so the lady had to re shape them. I waited patiently the whole time but I guess they wanted to rush so she started on my nails in the pedicure chair (just to not do any better). I had to go back and get her to make all the nails even and sand underneath. Then she tried to calm me down with small talk when I'm telling her they should do better bc I don't mind waiting if it takes a while... Last time I went I had to fix my nails at home and didn't wanna complain but now I'm done being patient/overcharged for rushed and poor quality service. read more

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made an appointment with my friend for 2:30 didn't even get seen until 3:15. then when she finally started she did my acrylics so badly, my nails were peeling underneath and one of my nails actually fell completely off. i've had acrylics for over a year and have never had the issues i've had when getting acrylic here. then the women didn't even do my friends nails because she was too busy and made her go get all the colors in the gel version because she was too lazy. Overall would not recommend. read more

CK Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I wish we could give a 0. I went there on September 21. spent $121 for dip nail, pedicure and eyebrow wax. Three days later, the dip polish chipped and peeled of of my thumb nail. I went back and they glued the peeling dip in my nail and put a gel top coat on it. Two days afterwards, my pointer nail chipped. Returned and she painted gel polish on it. This morning another nail chipped. Called and spoke to them explaining what happened and wanted them to remove the dip and fix my nails. In 8 days there were three chipping nail problems. they did not want to stand by their shabby work. I even showed her my receipt and she still said that it had been weeks since I was there. She doesn't have to worry about seeing me again. Be careful with their dip nail service. read more

I only went here for a fill in and I deeply regret it!! I was moved to a different booth three times and two different people worked on my nails. The whole time the women kept getting up doing other things around the shop. The second lady was jittery and rushing EVERYTHING and it's obvious by the look of my nails! read more

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Best spa pedicure! They took their time and really gave me the much needed spa experience I was looking for. I wanted a massage and pampering of my feet which is exactly what they provided. read more

Reasonable price, great service. I would say go early if you are going on weekends without an appointment. Did my gel manicure for $32 and eyebrows waxing for $10 read more

About 2 years ago, I got scared with going to this place because they only had an average of 3 star review. I'm not sure why people are so harsh. I gave it a try and it was fabulous. I had a pedicure with a friend and they fixed my ingrown toe nail at no extra charge. The next time I came nearing a closing business hour and they treated me very well like a VVIP customer. For only $12 (tip excluded), I got an amazing manicure!! Another time I came for a chip in my nail (not their fault) and guess what? they fixed it at NO extra charge. Today, I just got myself a very nice set of acrylic (nails extension) plus nail dips which are better for your nails and allow them to breathe - Amazing place. Amazing people. Amazing price. You will be treated like a queen here. I'm not sure why people are leaving meh ratings. read more

My husband went there last week for a pedicure and ended up with a staff infection. He's currently on antibiotics and has to soak his foot 3 times a day in epson salts. DO GO THERE! read more

They are friendly, however my nails don't look as nice as other shops. The gel looks like it will peel off if I sneeze and my fill looks uneven. I going to have to go my regular place to get this fix... seems like my nail tech was distracted by chatting and was on her computer instead of focusing on the nails . Probably won't be back. read more

CK Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I went here the other day to get my nails done for the first time in a long time as a reward to myself for not biting them. I was hurried by the guy working to pick out my nail color and when I asked which color he liked the most out of the ones I was deciding between, I was given barely any assistance. I was told that it's a personal preference which I totally get but an indecisive person like me could really use some help when feeling as indecisive as I felt the other day. Don't rush me to decide AND refuse to help me decide at the same time. I explained to the guy doing my nails to be careful with my thumbs since the nail bed and cuticles are pretty messed up from biting, peeling and picking. Half way through he asked me what I had done to my thumbs, if I had slammed them in a door/if it was an injury. Thought to myself: yeah dude, I coincidentally slammed both of my thumbs in a door. I answered with "anxiety" (which I tried to explain earlier on but I guess he didn't get it) and he left me alone about it. The whole experience was hurried. I was probably in and out within 15 minutes (max). Hate to complain about a quick manicure but it didn't feel like much thought or care was put into it. The massage was lackluster as well. He did the same motion over and over for maybe 1 minute on each hand. The smell of the lotion was amazing and probably the best part of my experience. Overall, he did a good job on my nails, hence the two stars. However, I'll never go there again. I felt as though I was at a nail salon boot camp. There was nothing relaxing about the experience, whatsoever. He had to keep telling me to relax my fingers, probably because of how tense he had already made me feel before I even sat down. From now on, I'll stick to my favorite place, Red Handed Nail Salon. They are a little more expensive, and not as fast, but if you have time for a relaxing experience, go there. read more

I have no qualms about this place, and it is still one of my go-tos for several reasons. They have a huge space and always seem to have room for walk ins (and I'm never prepared enough to make an appointment). They have plenty of pedi chairs, spots for manis, and seats for drying. The space is clean and doesn't smell too much like a nail salon! Second, they have reasonable prices - not the cheapest but not the most expensive around town. I think the quality overall is pretty good for what you're paying actually. The staff is nice and friendly! read more

Very thorough care. Gentle, and the massage literally put me to sleep. I was so relaxed.

Covid-cautious, friendly, and most of all, do a great job with my pedicures and gel manicures. I've. even going to CK Nails for at least 4 years. read more

The perfect place for UVA students! I always get the dip nails and am very satisfied with the amount of colors they have to choose from. Every nail technician has done a great job. I especially recommend asking for Michael! Very detailed and patient. I like how clean it is too. My #1 place in Charltotesville! read more

Went to get a gel manicure and it took forever& I came out with my nails looking worse than when I went in. I wanted a couple of tips for my nails that had broken & were short. He put them on them cut them down to the same size as my regular nail and then filed all my nails down to be stub sized. The tips look terrible and super fake. Waste of 30$ & 1.5 hours. read more

CK Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I have gotten my nails done here twice! They are very fast, professional and kind. I got acrylic fill which was $20 and another fill with gel for $30. I recommend gel, it looks much nicer even for a higher price. Definitely will go again and is convenient for students since the Northline bus stops right across the street! read more

CK Nails & Spa - Nail Salons Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

They rushed me and my friend doing our nails, did an awful job and my acrylic flat with no arch. and did not do a cuticle cleaning, not quality work at all. They are cheap and unfinished. there's acrylic on my fingers. DO NOT GO HERE read more

What a wonderful experience! The place itself is very clean and well kept, with a large TV with digital cable on the wall to watch while getting your pedicure. Helen was very nice and made light conversation while she took care of my neglected cuticles, completely without judgment! All of the other staff members took the time to say hello to me, and it seemed like a great group of people. It only took about an hour and a half for the whole process, and at the end I felt well cared for, and my nails are beautiful! The prices are very reasonable (I paid $32 for mani/pedi), and it wasn't as hard for me to find as other Yelpers. Just turn into the Blockbuster parking lot from Arlington and it's right there, look for the flashing signs! read more

So glad I read about this place on Yelp! The last review was written a few months ago, and at that time there was still a Blockbuster I guess. Now there is no Blockbuster but it is still in a strip of businesses. I won't say strip mall because it is a nicer strip than the average, just behind the Old Navy and Wachovia at Barracks Road. I don't think this is a bad location at all! Now for the service, this was the best $22 pedicure ever! (It is $32 for a mani and pedi.) The man who did mine seemed to be the store manager too because he was answering the phones and manning the desk. He did have to take 1 phone call during my time, but he was so polite and apologized afterwards. Also, I was wearing a skort (which he clearly thought was just a skirt) and got a towel to put over my legs! I thought that was so considerate. As the other said, they take the time to massage your calves and feet which is always my favorite part! Plus they exfoliated the bottom of my feet which was nice. The place itself is nice with a huge flat screen on the wall to watch while getting a pedi. It is very nice, open and clean throughout. There are a few private rooms for waxing services. Definitely worth a trip! read more

Nick was nice... Until something went wrong! Two and a half hours after my manicure was over FOUR of my nails got ruined. I went back and he were so, so rude and unhelpful. I was shocked with how rudely he acted toward me. I had already paid him, I gave a good tip, and I wasn't even asking for my money back (which I should have). He acted as if it was my fault he used old nail polish and did a bad job. My cuticles look awful and the shape of my nails are all crooked! Not only that but it's been almost a week since that manicure and all of the paint chipped off. I had to go on a business trip with those awful nails. It was so embarrassing, and I had no time to fix them. I have gotten many, many manicures before. This is by far the WORST manicure and salon experience I have ever had. I'm still upset about it not only because I paid a respectful amount of money for the service, but because they were rude, and because at the end of the day, I'm left with ugly nails. They've definitely lost a customer. If you like risk throwing your money away and your nails beauty, then CK Nails is the place to go. read more

Perhaps I'm a bit spoiled because I've been going to the same nail place for most of my life, but my experience here was less than satisfactory. I was in Charlottesville for a few days visiting a friend and decided to get myself a manicure. I was shopping around the area and saw the large signs in the window that said "Walk-ins Welcome" or something to that tune. I decided to give it a shot. Let me first say that I did not mind waiting. I realize that even though walk-ins are welcome, appointments come first. This was not my first nail rodeo. I was quickly seated with my nails soaked for the manicure. I inquired immediately about a simple design with a picture from my phone - just a small design on one accent nail - and was told that they would not do it. Not a HUGE deal had it not been for the rest of the manicure being so mediocre. I definitely got the hint. Walk-ins are only welcome in between regulars and appointments. My manicure was the quickest, most unrelaxing experience I have had at a beauty shop. The actual manicure couldn't have taken longer than 5 minutes (including the hand massage). After my nails were painted, the lady pointed to the drying table. Again, I may just be used to my usual spot, but normally my manicurist grabs my belongings and brings them over to the table. This time, I had to gingerly grab my purse, kindle, and phone all while trying not to smudge my nails. On top of that, I wasn't overly impressed with their polish selection. A lot of drug store polish and not too many higher quality salon style polishes. read more

This place is great! I went there because of the reasonable (for Charlottesville) price & solid reviews on Yelp. The place is clean and welcoming. They have plenty of pedicure chairs (with nice massage features) as well as a many manicure stations. I went on a Friday afternoon, and I did not have to wait at all. I was served right away. Most of their nail polishes are O.P.I, some Essie (my preferred brand). I did wish the selection was a bit larger, but I found a color was happy with. Everyone seems sweet and attentive. They seem to try to truly do a good job and cater to your needs. I know my nail technician won't be there much longer, but my friend who got her nails done right before suggested someone else that I'll request. I think I found my Charlottesville mani/pedi place. Prices aren't bad either. $22 for pedi. $13 for mani. $32 for both. read more

I'm in town for the week and desparately needed a pedicure. Yelp reviews led me to CK Nails and did not lead me astray! The whole experience was great, and I would return without hesitation if I lived in the area. I came for a mani and pedi ($32), and the ladies got me in a chair right away to soak my feet (and enjoy the massage chair) for the 5-10 minutes that I had to wait for someone to become available. My manicurist was very professional and polite, and she was chatty without being intrusive or overly talkative. I was somewhat amused by the part of the calf and foot massage that involved smacking my calf and feet, having not experienced this before, but it was not unpleasant. She did a truly great job on my nails (and didn't flinch at their gnarly original state), hands and feet. I was probably there for an hour and twenty minutes, which seemed like a lot, but I am not complaining about extra time in the massage chair. I was prepared for this to be a really difficult place to find, but coming on foot from Emmet Road, it could not have been more visible. I would definitely recommend CK Nails! read more