Beautiful space, but their techniques could use work. First, the salon is located right in the Pelham Manor plaza, so there is plenty of parking and lots to do prior to or after your appointment. I easily made an appointment on their website the night before and then I received a confirmation the next day. My appointment was on a Monday in the early afternoon. It was a self-care day and I wanted a relaxing spa pedicure. I also needed to take off the gel polish on my toes. Upon walking in, I was highly impressed. The space is modern and beautiful. In addition, they have lots of space to keep a comfortable distance between guests. At the entrance, there is a small kitchenette area where a staff member is making mocktails and coffee based beverages.
I was instantly greeted when I walked in and asked if I had an appointment. I checked in using a kiosk and was guided to the pedicure chair. Within 1-2 minutes my technician, Mercy, came over to greet me and asked what service I was getting. She brought over a menu of services and I chose the deluxe spa pedicure. The set up was beautiful, I'm talking TikTok worthy lol. It included a serving tray with pedicure products including the foot scrub, orange slices, and soap petals. It really set the tone for a relaxing experience. With that said, let's breakdown my experience:
Pros:
- Again, beautiful space!
- Staff are generally kind and welcoming
- They have a full menu of services in a convenient book, thereby keeping things transparent when it comes to your services. It also reduces the need for you to wait until you're at the register to see pricing, like some places.
- Most services come with a free beverage. I had a bottle of water however, they seem to offer some enticing mocktails and boba tea.
- Their website is super easy to navigate.
- I didn't get to see the full polish inventory but they offer DND brand which is a reputable brand.
- They offer Sunday service and late weekday hours which is pretty rare compared with other salons in the area, and it's super convenient for me.
- In terms of the service, the tech took off the gel polish from my toes with ease. Filing and shaping were also acceptable. I loved the aesthetics of the serving tray and products used. It made it very relaxing. Overall the service was nice, I just think my tech could use more practice. The prices should reflect that too.
- Finally, payment (including tip) can be made with cash or card.
Cons:
- When it came down to the foot massage portion of the service, the nail tech lacked proper method. She spent the time rubbing my foot and leg up and down. There should've been more long, smooth gliding strokes. Now, I am a licensed nail tech and I could be bias, but I think the average customer would've expected more too.
- When it came down to polishing my toes, the final result was uneven application and the corners were missing some polish. At one point she had to start over on my big toe. I did not bother complaining because I was short on time but again, their techniques need work.
- They do not, (and I repeat, DO NOT) have nail driers. This wouldn't bother me if they only offered gel services but they offer regular polish. Why wouldn't you have nail driers in that case? When I asked for the nail dryer, I was advised that they didn't have any and to sit in the waiting area for a few minutes. That was terrible advice. I walked out to my car and turned the AC on feet car to dry them.
- The pedicure chair is weird. It's comfy to sit in but the massage features are confusing. For one, it kind of hugs you because there is cushion all around you. I tried to have it massage my upper back but either it didn't respond or I didn't know what I was doing because it would only massage my whole back. There is also a cozy nook under the arm rest to place your arms and get an all around massage. Do not do it. The feature started to squeeze my arms into a tight sandwich. I even tried it for the head rest and felt so stuck. I got out of it thinking, what an odd chair and why would they choose that model?
Overall, the pedicure was relaxing but I think some techniques could be worked on. I don't think I'll come back immediately but it was good enough to be a local back up if I really needed it. I would recommend it more for a very basic pedicure if you absolutely needed somewhere to go, but otherwise I'd recommend waiting a few more months for them to settle in otherwise. read more