This place is simply okay. It is an OK place to get a pedicure. Half the staff have misspelled names of the business embroidered on their coats (coMtempo), which confuses me, but whatever. They also have a sign that says "no checks" but when you try to hand them a credit card they say "you have check???" and want you to give them a check. If you don't, and you only have a credit card, there's no line for a tip on there so they give you dirty looks until your stupid nails dry and you can hurry on out of there. I usually feel rushed and after 3 fingernails in my mani/pedi, the lady said, "YOU PAY NOW!" Okay.....I'll pay now, but why? They barely speak English. You're 4 inches away from the person in the next seat. Their magazines are 3 years old. The tv is always on some weird channel you've never heard of. Skip this place. Pay a bit more and get treated like a person. read more

I went here for a mani/pedi and my nails are super beat up and bleeding. I have 4 marks on my fingers and one even on my knuckle where she hit me with the drill. My toes are also cut up because they were rushing me out and really rough. When i went to pay she told me cash was better and hit "no tip" for me on my card reader... really violating. I told her to redo it so i could pay the way i wanted to and she proceeded to stand over me and watch everything i typed in which made me super uncomfortable. I left feeling violated and sad :( yeah my nails look alright but I won't be returning. read more

contempo nails is the very best. Lynn does beautiful work. I'm staying out of town for the summer and will drive an hour and a half to get dip because of how well done my nails are here. read more

My sister raved about this place for years, saying how they were fast, cheaper than other places, and the people were sweet. We went in today together for gel manicures and were both disappointed. The woman who did my nails gave me a painful cut during the cuticle trim, and was very rude throughout the manicure because it wouldn't stop bleeding and that apparently annoyed her. When she doused my cut in alcohol, I twitched and chipped the polish on my other hand under the light, and she then snapped at me for messing up my nails. There also wasn't a massage at the end, which isn't a big deal, but it's pretty standard at most salons. They've also upped their prices to $30 for a gel manicure, which is also pretty standard, but honestly I expect much better service and a cleaner salon if they're going to charge the same rates as their competitors. read more

I honestly love this place, I've been going there for the last 5 years and I never had an issue, my gel manicure never chipped off . No appointment required, very efficient and Avery affordable, they normally charge between $30 and $40 other places in Boulder charge way more than that. I just got my New Years nails done and I love it !! read more

Contempo Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I came here with low expectations since I had seen so mixed reviews and got very positively surprised. Petjt helped me and I liked her very much! I showed her a picture of a design I wanted and she copied it perfectly. One nail got a little messed up when she took on the top coat because it wasn't fully dried. I didn't mind, but she fixed it without hesitation. She's also very sweet and talkative. I was very happy with this place, so my guess is that the employees must vary a lot. read more

Contempo Nails - Thank you Petjt for this design! I love it3 - Nail Salons Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I got the solar mani. My nails have bubbles in them, and a few of the tips are crooked. I didn't want to go through the process of removing them, and wasn't confident they would be done correctly the second time, so I was stuck with a bubbly manicure on my wedding day. It's not as though anyone other than myself would notice, but I was pretty disappointed. **UPDATE** Went back for polish only, and the polish started flaking off the same day that I got it. I was really hoping this place would work out, but I won't be giving it a third chance. read more

Contempo Nails - Bubbly solar mani - Nail Salons Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

My favorite nail salon in boulder! I've been coming here for years and it is the only place I trust. Their new remodel is stunning and the prices are very fair. Come support a family run business!! read more

Contempo Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I just want to take a minute to thank all the staff at Contempo nails. Especially the nail tech I go to and her name is Lisa.Lisa, doesn't excellent job !!!on my nails .takes her time and is very friendly. I never go into this place and it not be busy. They do walkins and will try to accommodate you in anyway they can. I like to support this business because it's family owned. thank you again Contempo nails for not only doing a great job but making me feel great. read more

This is our go-to place in Boulder. Friendly, clean and they consistently do a good job. We love the massage chairs too.

Et tu, Contempo Nails? For years, my shiny red nails were a testament to my committed attendance of Contempo Nails, with their talented staff who always left my talons looking fierce. While their shop is crowded and humble, it was more than made up for in the quality of work done by their lovely employees. But oh, how the tides have changed. On my most recent visit, I did not recognize any of the employees, and after waiting for a long time, was briskly called over by one girl, with whom I attempted polite conversation. Aside from brushing off my compliments of her blouse, she said nothing to me, but continued to look me up and down before twisting her neck and talking to her friends, all of whom laughed. While the cliche of believing that people are speaking about you is rarely true, this was clearly one of those moments. And even that could have been forgiven, were it not for the fact that she, in taking off my previous gel, hacked up my nails so badly that they were thinner than I've ever seen them, and broke off in days. Seeing how badly they were scarred, I left before she painted them to salvage the damage on my own. It took weeks to get my nails back, with a very clear line showing where she filed them down. I am shocked that such behaviour is taking place at Contempo Nails. It was a horrifying experience, and I will certainly never be back. I highly recommend that anyone thinking of going seeks other establishments. There is no excuse for rude and damaging work. read more

Slow down! I called for an appointment for a deluxe pedicure, then upon arrival, told them I was there for a deluxe pedicure. The gentleman who did my pedi was rushing at the speed of light, paying more attention to the lobby than what he was doing. A short, 25 minutes later (Which I think is super fast for a regular pedi, much less a deluxe one), he's painting my nails. When I told him I asked for a deluxe pedicure, he said "you need to let them know up front". To which I responded "I did. I also let them know what I wanted when I called in for my appointment". He then blamed the girl up front and continued on. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise because he wasn't very good at a regular pedi anyways. Feel like I paid for a really expensive polish change. May be time to go somewhere else. read more

Loved the way my nails came out. Thuy was great and made sure I loved every part of the service. Will be coming back soon.

A bit tucked away but a gem! This has to be the best full set I've ever gotten. Expert shaping and so much care taken. Thank you Mai for your handiwork. read more

Contempo Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

They did an okay job on my nails, but everything was super rushed and frantic so they didn't turn out great. The gal I had was in so much of a rush that when she was filing my acrylic it actually tore part of my real nail and the acrylic half way off. They don't look bad, but for the price I payed I was hoping they'd look alittle better. However, they were able to take my friend and I in within 10 minutes during a busy time. read more

Extremely overpriced for the quality of service. Nail tech made me bleed multiple times and charged me $20 extra for a design on two fingers-- that I was told I had to come back the next day to get done! Overall, the service is subpar and the staff is not welcoming nor professional. Powder dip mani and regular pedi after tip cost me $120. Will not be returning :/ read more

Plan to wait a little bit if they are busy but they will always schedule you in! Very reasonable priced for the services you get. They have gel, dip, and regular polish! Very nice and helpful. When my friend wanted a shellac color but in regular polish they quickly found her a corresponding color. read more

I'm truly saddened and angered by some of the negative reviews and unrealistic expectations concerning the experiences at Contempo. As a once-a-week regular of over 3 years, I feel like I've seen a lot of you (or those like you), coming in to the salon, expecting to get the full spa treatment... Well guess what- when you are paying prices this low, you are not going to get what you'll get at the St.Julien. This is NOT a spa salon. They don't great you at the door, they don't smile and ask how your day has been, many of them speak only broken english. Why do I and everyone I know here in Boulder keep coming back to them? Because they do the best job in Boulder. Period. There is so much white privilege going on in the attitudes towards Vietnamese (and other) nail salons. These women (and men) bust their ass in the same bad lighting/bad ventilation (that many of you complain about) all day, every day. The fact that some of you begrudge them chatting with their co-workers in their native language, or that they don't smile when you sit down, is so simple-minded. Living in NYC for 9 years (where the Asian-run salon is king) and now having been at Contempo for 3 years, it's become clear to me: you get from them what you bring in. The people who own and work at Contempo are wonderful people who are just trying to do a good job for the masses. Please look at them as human beings who are doing a tough, totally unglamorous job and leave your privileged expectations at the door. read more

I go here regularly and really like this place and all of the staff. This is my go to place for nails. Mai, Minh, Tony do a phenomenal job. I have been to some other technicians that are equally as good but I don't recall their names (Sorry). I highly recommend Contempo Nails. I am picky about my manicures, and Contempo meets my expectations 99% of the time. They also are able to work fast, if you are on a time limit, or take their time if you prefer. Prices are reasonable too. Not cheapest but not overpriced either. read more

If you are looking for a quite spa retreat this probably isn't for you. This place is consistently good and for a GREAT price. The new gel polish is by far the cheapest in boulder. ($25) I have been getting my nails done for three years now. You don't need an appointment. Just drop in the wait is never more then 15 mins. There is a language barrier so make an appointment can be difficult. They do a great job for a great price. read more

The Good: Contempo is a local's favorite for getting your nails done beautifully. They know the regulars and they always have done a perfect job for me, I keep going back. The Bad: Not the most welcoming atmosphere... They're always busy, no receptionist, no one to greet you. Stand there awkwardly for a minute and someone will go "can we help you" and a lot of times they can't take walk-ins because they're so busy. Say what you need (manicure, rebase, pedi, gel) and if they have time, they'll take you, if not, too bad so sad! The Service: Professional if not the most friendly. They do a fantastic job, I trust them to do my nails beautifully and they always have, for years. Sometimes they make small talk, but more often than not they don't try and I don't bug them while they work, I just sit there quietly and relax and let them do a great job. The Results: I have always been pleased with my nails after a trip here. They are super professional and excellent at what they do. Overall: This is my go-to place for nails -- it took a few trips for me to get the hang of the whole situation, but now that I know the drill, I am much more comfortable. It's in a strip mall off 28th with plenty of parking -- the quiet outside can be misleading, you walk in and it's usally a zoo in there! If there's more than two people waiting, just leave and come back later (or earlier!). Don't try to get in without an appointment on a weekend, go on a Tuesday morning or some other off time for a more relaxed experience. Know what you want. Be patient and polite and work with the language barrier. BRING CASH, they take cards but you can't tip on a card, don't look like a noob and have to leave to go to the ATM. read more

Got my nails done a few weeks ago by Mai, she did a wonderful job on a dip manicure! They had a lot of color options. I forgot to post a picture after my first visit. I went back a second time and had my nails done by Tracy (?) And she also did a great job. read more

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**EDITED** I've had to revise my former five star rating of Contempo. I now give them two stars, unfortunately. Here's the deal: When I first began going, I consistently received really good, thorough pedicures. The last two times, well, it's simply not been that good. I'm really disappointed. Seriously, the last time I went, the pedicure looked average at best when I left, and it only lasted a week. Literally, a week later I looked like I hadn't had a pedicure in two months. I've debated posting this...I like the people that work there...but I can't tell the world they're great when they haven't been. I almost feel like the first few times I went, they wanted to keep me coming back and they spent extra time making my feet look great...then, once they knew I was a regular, they started rushing through and doing a half a$$ed job because they knew I'd come back. They were wrong. I'm done...moving on. Sorry Contempo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This place is a hidden gem! Really, one of the best pedicures I've had in a very long time. The staff is friendly and the conditions are sanitary. The massage lasts forever, which is really the best part of any pedicure in my book. I've been to places that were double the price that delivered far less than Contempo. It's definitely a no-frills kind of place, but with the low prices who cares?! read more

I have been visiting Contempo Nails for about 2.5 years now and love it! Compared to other nail salons that I had tried in Boulder, this one was the best. There is a bit of a language barrier but the manicurists try, and they are VERY friendly. They got new pedicure / massage chairs, drying tables, and all new stations about a year ago. The place is always clean an well kept. They take their time, and give a great pedi massage :) This is not a quiet, meditative spa. It is a busy nail salon with a lot going on. The pedi chairs are close together but you are still in your own space. In the over two years that I have had my nails done here, I have only been asked to come back once or twice because they were busy (and I "walk in" every week.) The quality of work is top notch! This is a FABULOUS value for a quality mani and pedi. read more

Love me some contempo! They always do what I think is the best job in town. Even some of the more spa like locations in town can't hold a candle to Contempos final product. Staff I think is very friendly, especially if you are a regular. Sure. they can get busy and be the stereo typical nail place that moves them in and out like a mill, but that is because they are good! DQ read more

This place was good, but it wasn't great by any means. I have come here on and off for 3 years or so and I always leaving wishing I had had a better experience. Their acrylic nails do not last as long as others, and they do not put as much time and effort into them. The pedicure chairs are nice, but the place is a little cramped and I always get stuck in the chair behind the post. While I appreciate that Contempo Nails tries to double up and redo my nails while getting a pedicure, I would prefer to get them done separately. Getting a pedicure is my time to relax and enjoy the trashy magazines they have laying around, not acting like a pretzel so 3 people can work on my nails at once. The other MAJOR downside (more so for them and not me) is that they do not accept tips on credit cards. This sucks for me because 1) I never have cash and 2) I always forget until they have already started on my nails. As I said on my post for Polish Nail Salon, I would rate this as my #2 place to go in Boulder, but I would prefer to drive to Fort Collins to go to Nails 2000 instead. read more

It was more like a 3 1/2 star experience! Now I am not sure what others are complaining about wait and rudeness (maybe they went in on a busy day without appointment...which is common sense not to do) I went around 4 pm yesterday (Wednesday). I called ahead to find out wait time, there was none. So I drive there, plenty of parking... i go in, they ask me how can they help me. I asked for a pedicure....and the guys who brought me to my chair and did my pedicure were very nice and made sure I was happy with the service. The only thing i deducted a star was the whole thing lasted i'd say 20 mins. it was a quick pedicure...and i wish it was longer. It is $25 only...+5 tip so $30. Make sure you bring cash for tips. But I had no waiting time, everyone was polite and affordable. I might come back if i'm in this town again. MAYBE. read more

This place is amazing. I am visiting Boulder from Philly. This was the closest place to my hotel that was open at until 7pm. When I walked in I was greeted by a receptionist (not usual for nail salons). The establishment is so clean, modern, nice, well decorated, new, and comfortable. Everyone was so nice. Everything about this place is amazing. The color selection for gel was immense. Hands down the BEST nail salon I've ever been to. Would be willing to fly back here from philly every 3 weeks to get them done (not really but you get it) read more

I hadn't been here in a while. Not since the remodel, which looks great. It's bigger, brighter, lots of friendly staff, and they were ready to take me as a walk in, which is how I usually roll. They have many regular, gel, and dip colors, and amazing drying machines. Very clean. My new place! read more

I go here because I can walk-in and get a decent basic pedicure for $25 ($20 + $5 tip - I always decline the extra $5 for a "spa" pedicure that includes a lackluster massage), but I especially like Contempo because I want to relax and zone out during a pedicure, and since their technicians' English is limited, chatting is at a minimum :-) They also have new massage chairs and their utensils are obviously sterile. I do wish that they would actually give the foot basin a little scrub between customers though - that powdery blue stuff probably kills everything but...I just don't think about it :-) read more

I would really love to give contempo 4 stars but here's why I won't. I really love the friendly atmosphere in this salon, however I find it a bit rude that they all communicate in Vietnamese in front of customers, My regular nail salon does not allow their employees to talk in Vietnamese in front of customers, I find this to be really respectful. Also, when I ask for 4-5 coats of shellac they argued with me saying that it will chip easier with that many coats which is a flat out lie...I've been getting shellac for 4 years and I've always gotten at least 4 coats of color and it lasts forever, which is why they don't want to do that many coats, they want you to have to come back sooner to pay more money!! Don't listen to nail techs that tell you this...it's a lie! Sadly I probably won't be back because my shellac chipped too easily after only getting 3 coats of thin thin color...I went twice and the second time was worse :( read more

I am with Liz F. on this one. Contempo in Boulder is staffed with technicians who care deeply about your satisfaction (even getting to know you if you are willing to venture beyond the standard silence and take a sincere interest in making connections by working through the language barriers). Mai is the owner and sets the tone for great service and warmth, as well as humor, when customers are open to it. I have found the salon clean, reliable, competent and economical. What more could you want? read more

I have been coming here for years and I will not be coming back. They rush through your service. I had to go back to get my nails fixed today and they are even worse than before. They aren't the same shape, length, or direction. Horrible. read more

I'm giving this place two stars because it was clean If not I would give them one. I came in last Thursday and waited about 40 minutes and it took the girl about a hour to do a full set. I was in there about 2 hours. They also were very rough with my hands and the lady kept pulling my hand and cut me once. I broke my nail and called to make a appointment to see how much it would be. They guy was very rude and said "will see" and said I could not make a appointment. NEVER going back. read more

Contempo Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I'm a busy woman, and Contempo is the place to go if you want a quick, inexpensive, no-frills professional job. Their shellac manicure is the cheapest in town ($25) and they have every color under the sun. I don't care much for chit-chat or massages and I'm always in a rush, and this place gets me out the door with great looking nails and none of the fuss. I know other people complain about "unfriendly" service or the lack of a spa feel, but this is just not that place. Actually, if you get to know some of the staff, they are very friendly, and they know their repeat customers. If I'm in the mood for a relaxing spa like experience, I'll hit somewhere else in town, but I always seem to come back to Contempo for their reliably quality manicures. Just remember to bring cash; even though they accept credit cards, you can't tip on them. read more

I go here weekly and have never had a bad mani or pedi. The place is cheap and quick and most of the techs are very good. Great for walk-ins...never had to wait more than 5 minutes (go off times if possible). No tips on credit cards so bring a little cash. If you want a mani and pedi they will do both at the same time, which took a little getting used to but you get out of their in 45 minutes. read more

Locals favorite! I've been going to Contempo since 2005. This place is a true local favorite. If you're looking for a good, fast and reasonably priced manicure, shellac manicure or pedicure, look no further. Make sure to give very explicit instructions of what you want. Although all all of the ladies don't speak perfect English, they understand it and do a great job. I get compliments on my nails everywhere I go and am always proud to recommend Contempo. My mom, best friends, their moms and basically anyone who has been in Boulder for 10 years or longer swears by Contempo. read more

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Decent $15 mani for adults, $12 for kids. No frills, but if you are just looking for a quick fix it fits the bill. They were very busy and had nonstop walk-ins. I would suggest a reservation. A friend made the appointment for us and I was glad--I doubt we would have gotten in otherwise. They carry OPI and Essie and do gel/shellac and acrylic. Not sure what those cost 'cause I'm a basic bitch. read more

I never thought a manicure could be so expensive, not only did I pay for my nails to get butchered but I am now paying for epsom salt, a doctor appointment and an antibiotic for my infected nail. The woman who did my nails cut my cuticle too far back making my finger bleed, no big deal right? I didn't think much of it after having my nails done hundreds of times in the past until she pulled out a used nail glue for acrylic nails and put the tip directly in my wound to stop the bleeding with nail glue. I don't wanna think about how many nails that tip has touched and she used it as liquid band aid on me. read more

Contempo Nails - Infected pointer finger - Nail Salons Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

If I could give negative starts I would. This has to be the worst nail salon I've ever been to. They were in a rush even though I set up an appointment hours in advance. The lady who helped me I believe was Anne, she had no sense of what customer service is. She rushed through the whole process then moved on to the next girl. Never come to this place. I should've stuck to Boulder nails with Linda. After complaining about how dissatisfied I was with her work she said "that's what they're supposed to look like. Sorry" she offered no discount nor to fix her trashy work. They have awful customer service. read more

Contempo Nails - This is what I asked for on the right, and this is what I got on the left. - Nail Salons Near Me - Boulder, Colorado