This was my first time getting my nails done in the midcoast area, I saw that Elizabeth Nails Spa was decently reviewed, and had won an award for being the best in the area for over 10 years in a row so it seemed like a solid choice.
They have an online booking system so I submitted an appointment request for that day. I got a text from the service saying the shop would get back to me to confirm if they could fit me in. They never called. I ended up calling and confirmed they could see me, there was no indication that they ever intended to call to confirm.
When I got there, it's your standard, semi run down salon, the building had recently been renovated and I think they were still working on totally setting up.
From the beginning, they tried to upsell me. I asked for my previous gel manicure to be removed, she broke the seal on the old ones with the Dremel and then wrapped them to soak in the acetone. When done, she then proceeded to take off all of the old gel with the Dremel. I have never had a nail tech do it that way, I'm used to them using a non powered metal tool to scrape the rest of the old gel from my nail, she also never had me wash my hands after crating all the dust and using the cuticle cream.
After removing my old polish she asked me how short I wanted my nails but not what shape, and then didn't cut them as short as I had asked (a few times). She barely talked to me the whole time, including not giving me instructions, she just expected me to know what she wanted me to do, and when she wanted me to do it. She did occasionally speak to her coworkers and other clients. The shop was not busy but she did a very hasty job on my nails. They came out super bumpy, polish edges too close to the cuticle, cut /filed crookedly, and she sealed some of the ends of my nails to my fingertips. Oh and they also were aggressive enough in the upsell that I did get a paraffin wrap which was actually kind of nice.
When paying, they offered me a discount if I paid in cash which I didn't have.
The edges started lifting quickly and they were catching on things by the end of the day. I had to pick some of it off to stop this from happening.
Not wanting to go back, about a week later, when they were really lifting, I took them off myself. To my horror, I found that when she used the Dremel to remove the old polish, she had destroyed my nail beds. There are deep ridges exactly where the edges of my nails would have been when she did the manicure and many other deep marks from the Dremel. I feel like half of the bad polish job was related to the nail bed being so uneven when she was done with the Dremel and the other half was how she just really glopped it on there and didn't try to smooth it out.
I'm really not sure how this salon has won an award for as long as it has. I cannot recommend it and will never go back. read more