So I'm vietnamese but most people can't tell.... I love going to get my nails done and seeing what they say... I had a guy name jack do my mani/pedi, he was sweet. He didn't talk much at all...and was pretty good at giving massages...everything was great..until I asked for a design. He first said it was 5 dollars, which is fine. He brought over a case for me to pick and I picked one I really liked, and he told me he couldn't do it, and if i wanted it he can get someone to do it for me. I said that was fine. 2 mins later after he kept looking at the design he tells me it'll actually be 7 dollars for that design...why? I didn't ask but i figured he didn't want to do it. He attempted to do it and could not do it. He brought over a girl to do it, and she says in vietnamese to him "you should have just told her, that her nail was too small to do that design." and he says "I tried but it didn't work"...umm no you didn't... She managed to do the design...it looked nothing like that sample but I didn't want to make a fuss.. Overall I enjoyed everything up until the design part. Don't have samples if you can't do them.... He also ended up charging me 6 dollars for the design not 7...So overall 42 for mani/pedi with a design on my index fingers...I've gotten better manicures with better designs for less. But like others said the place is very nicely decorated and the handtowels are a plus. read more

It wasn't my first time there, but it will be my last. After making my toes bleed, yes more than one of them, she continued to do the same with my hands. The woman took a small chunk out of my finger! Took over 5 minutes to get it to stop bleeding!! I will NEVER return there!! read more

Golden Nails - She took a small chunk out of my finger! Took 5 minutes to get it to stop bleeding! Will never return there! - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

This review is for Jack and Jack only :), not the nail salon, he is the best! I have pointy nails and always come to him with some sort of unconventional nail art idea. I asked him about a year ago to embed paper flowers under my acrylic. Which isn't easy, it had to be done with such a light layer of acrylic so it looks almost like the flowers are under glass. If its too thick on top it can cloud over the flowers and blur them. Anywoo, Jack had never done it. I asked him and he kindly obliged. They came out absolutely beautiful. He has been painting, gluing and sticking designs to my nails for a while now, he has patience ( not that uncomfortable "they are talking about me" aura I get from most other nail salons I've been to with my pointy talons ) Just left with blood red nails, black under the tips!!!!!! Yess! Love Love Love, I will post pics. So, if you want fun, different, fabulous, he is your guy! ;) read more

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I wish I had read the reviews before going in for a quick manicure... Which turned into a huge ordeal and an additional 45 minutes to try to fix ONE nail. I was the only person in the nail salon and the woman rushed through the manicure so quickly, clipping the sides of my nails and then trying to correct it by over filing them. The polish job was so bad, I asked to have to nails fixed. The woman then pushed on them to see if they were dry and practically escorted me out of the salon. When I got to the car I noticed the smudge marks and a piece of glitter in one of the nails she fixed so I went back in. She put soooo much polish on the next round that after 15 minutes the nail still wasn't dry and I had a puddle of polish pooling in the side of my nail. Sooo, asked her to please redo it one more time, which she did, while practically squeezing my finger and actually leaving me for a minute to go tell something in the back...??? Venting off steam? I have never written a bad review. I always give someone the benefit of the doubt, but in all the many years of having manicures done this was by far the worst manicure job I have ever experienced. read more

Golden Nails - Worst manicure I've ever gotten. Never again! - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

This legitimately is one of the most negative experiences I've had with a business. I normally get individual lashes done from a different salon. That owner moved away, making it necessary that I find someone new. I decided to try 3/1 lashes for the second time. The end result is very upsetting. She used glue I am allergic to. My left eye was glued shut at one point and she had to take me back in the room and flush it with water, pry it a part and fan me. I took this picture while at the salon and asked her if she thought she did a good job? She said yes! This is what I always do. I told her several times I was unhappy. She told the individual doing my nails that she doesn't understand why I am complaining, it looks good. I was given a 15 dollar discount. The lashes have progressively fallen out since last night... money thrown away. DON'T do it! read more

Golden Nails - Horrible execution - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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Really wanted to like this place after having weird crap experience from jess nails (read my jess nails review if you're curious). It has a cute interior and people are nice here. I went for a pedi and the girl did an awesome job with the colors except one MAJOR BOOBOO: she keeps all her tools in a plastic box and they don't get sanitized....EVER. She just grabbed things out of her box and stashed right back in there after she used them on my toes. SO GROSS. I don't want other people's crap. I guess I'll just have to stay away from these cheap places. YUCK. read more

Horrible terrible service. Very bad manicure. There were 3 ladies not talking English, they couldn't understand what color i want, neither I understood what they were trying to say. The who was doing manicure and pedicure made me bleed twice! When I came home I discover all my pedicure was messed up cause she had rushed me out saying is already dry!!! read more

Golden Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

I've had mixed experiences with this place, but I still go back, which is a measure of either the place's overall value, or at least my reluctance to change. The place is huge and always very clean. It can get crowded on weekends, but I go in around 5 or 6pm on a weeknight and I'm usually the only customer there. Call ahead to ensure you have an appointment but don't worry too much about it. They are INCREDIBLY thorough when it comes to shaping your cuticles and nails -- the pre-polish stuff. This means that the manicures last for a while and always look great, but once it took a full 90 minutes for a basic mani/pedi. Everyone who works there is great, so no need to suggest someone specific to ensure it's worth it. Also, best if you've got a car, as it's inside a mall just over the river in Watertown. read more

i am challenged to decided on how to rate them. i have decided though, don't worry. Three stars only because of the quality of the work and the presentation and cleanliness of the store. i Usually go very simple with acrylic nails and get white tips to make a french manicure full set. i am very picky about which nails salon i go to so have been going to the same one for almost 3 yrs. this time i wanted to get my nails decorated either by hand or air brush I had NO CLUE what i really wanted because of this the girl started to seem like she was in a rush. when i finally decided on the color of the painted tips she had already started without putting a top under coat...! Basically colored (gold) with a barrier strip in blCK on plain natural colored nails. not my fave. they quality of that NAILS are very good though. read more

This is my spot for nails and pedis. It's spacious, clean, and nicely decorated in Asian minimalism. It doesn't matter who works on your hands and feet as they all do a great job. Correction: they all do a good job but Long (sp?) does a great job and I only go to him. There is ample parking and it's located just inside the mall entrance on the left. Pedi and fill comes to $50 +tip. Not bad. read more

I had been going here for years and was very satisfied with the overall quality for the price. The girl that usually does them (I think her name might be Jade) does a great job and is very friendly and helpful! The last time I was there, some guy with a faux hawk and too tight neon shirt did my nails and did a terrible job. It took nearly two hours, was blotchy, he didn't push in my cuticles, filed my nails badly, and was incredibly rude. I could have done a better job myself. They did allow me to come back and redo my manicure, but when I did I saw him pointing at me and yelling things in another language which made me very uncomfortable. Needless to say, I don't need this kind of drama with my manicure and am now in the market for a new nail spot. read more

Golden Nails - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

I usually have the only guy in the parlor do my manicure that I usually love. However, the last time I was there a not-so-friendly Vietnamese lady did my nails. I had a french manicure that I hated. The entire time that I was there she was talking to the other lady in her language which made me feel uncomfortable since she had a frown on her face the whole time. A blind person would have done a better job on my cuticles and I just hated the way the french was done. It looked terrible so as soon as I got home I took the polish off (which took me forever because it just wouldn't come off) and I soaked my hands and redid my nails myself. What a waste of $18.00. If I had known I would have kept my money, wouldn't have wasted my time driving there, and wouldn't have been pissed off. I certainly won't be going back. read more

Another terrible Boston nail salon. I swear to God I went to a salon in Florida over Thanksgiving and damn near cried - stiletto acrylic nails with jewel embellsments...I didn't need a fill for three weeks and literally everywhere I went people asked me where I got my nails done. Fast forward to a hack job on a basic basic basic Christmas design elsewhere..I came here to get a fresh full set. Long story short - my nails are the oddest mishshapen, uneven, badly polished full set I've had in quite a while...and that list is long and illustrious in Boston and New England (where southern nail techs need to relocate and retire millionaires from all the women here desperate for some REAL style and high quality work). Its odd because I've been here several years and it used to be you couldn't get an appointment in this place. Opposite of Red Persimmon across the street (which is I think affiliated they share workers) - it was golden dark with nice chairs and atmosphere. Very nice for a mall joint. Now its an empty shell, feeling dirty, quiet, tense between the workers. Just ugh. So I expected to get a great job by Jenny or maybe someone young and fun and drew this old lady from across the street who was stubborn and ridiculously unprepared to give a full set. Like I wanted a french but she didn't even file down the tip line so it wouldn't show - so there was this ugly line and then she did super thin patchy acrylic. I had to choose a dark color gel just to get out of there ASAP. Like I have baby nails on my hands its weird. They're so bad they almost look natural with a homemade nice paintjob. She knew I was unhappy and there was no effort to compensate or fix this terrible work. Very uncool. And then she scoffed when I tipped her $5. Lady, it was meant to be an insult, your work and attitude are terrible you don't get $20 girlfriend. Bad Bad Bad Bad Bad. I'm going to start reviewing all of these joints. Massachusetts nail techs need to CLEAN IT UP. So tired of these filthy salons and uninspired work! AVOID Brighton Nails in Brighton Center very very good if I have to be in this area. Red Persimmon next choice but just barely. read more

Just left this place after being told to wait after 15 minutes of waiting the worker has the nerve to ask to come back in two hours. Like really?? You have got to be out of your mind!! Jenny is the owner and apparently does not know how to run a business. Well off I go to one of the many nail salons that exist. Stupid is what Stupid does!!! Jenny if you have any sense you should read these reviews. Your business is going down hill. 1 star and not worth it!! read more

Absolutely terrible....I was so poorly treated and uncomfortable the whole time I almost stopped the guy in the middle of my pedicure. I will NEVER EVER go back and I hope the rudeness I experienced doesn't happen to anyone else. The man made rude remarks about me a few times and I almost wanted to cry. Horrible service, save yourself the headache and go somewhere else! :( read more

This is the worst place you can ever end up going. I really needed my nails to be done and I decided to go to a nail salon close to the house. How naive of me. First of when I walked in I saw that they didn't have as many workers as usual, considering it was the holiday season, and had some people in line. First question asked was how long is the waiting time. 20 minutes was the answer. I was brushed off with a pick a color sentence. After 20 minute wait I asked again and I mentioned if they were not sure about the time I will go to another place, because I wasn't ready to wait long. But I was assured that with in next 10-20 minutes I would be seated down. I said ok. So long story short "20 minutes" ended up being an hour and a half wait. You may ask why was I waiting this long and didn't leave? I kept getting promises about the service and all other places were closed or were unable to take me due to them closing soon. So finally after a long time and me getting above and beyond frustrated I was seated down. I told the nail technician, Ken, how upset I was with the management and that tech should've been honest with me about time. He tried to apologize and I said I was not mad at him personally just mad at this whole situation. So he started saying how he will give a discount, which I said wasn't needed because all I want at that point quick and good service. He said he will do gel for me, instead of acrylics on which I explained that gel doesn't work for me and I want acrylic. So he started to work, well not really. He was very agitated and had an awful attitude on which I said that "please do not treat me with an attitude". We got to the part where he applied tips and started cutting them. He asked how short I wanted them and I said please cut till the middle and then I will be able to tell you if I need more or not. I'm very particular about how I want my nails done and I think it's a good idea to tell the technician how you want it, so you can start everything correctly from the very beginning. He cut the middle and it was long so I asked if he can cut a bit more, and he did, but this time it was too much and I got upset. I told him quote "oh it's too much, but it's ok, I'll be ok. Please just continue. I'm aggravated enough to start all over. This will be ok. Please go on." Next thing I know he jumps out of his seat, throws the tip cutter at the table where I was sitting, which could've hit me, starts yelling and screaming. Cursing out and throwing a tantrum like a 5 year old. I didn't understand what happened. I honestly thought he cut himself. But that wasn't the case. Apparently he got mad at me for giving him instructions. So for the next 5 minutes I was sitting in my seat like an idiot listening to him curse in another language. All people staring at me and all workers giving me a dirty look. No one came up to me. I got pissed off. I started pilling the tips off and because they were just glued on I cut my nail and stared bleeding. No one seemed to care. I took my stuff and left to see if someone had a band aid. After applying that I came back to solve this issue. I was greeted with an attitude, 3 people raising their voice at me and me being blamed. Obviously neither the manager or salon owner was available to assist. In the end of this mess I was kicked out of the salon. Disrespected. Yelled on. Cursed out and blamed for everything. So if you want a good experience with your nails this is not the place. I will stay away from this place as far as I can. read more

Golden Nails - Ruined nails instead of a manicure. Yep it's all about this place. Stay away if you want to keep your nails happy and healthy. - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

worst manicure i've ever had. rushed through my manicure, left dirt on my cuticles, my nails are uneven and not filed. never coming back. i asked for my money back and they refused. horrible experience. we also were the only people there so there was absolutely no need for her to rush. terrible service. she also made my friend bleed really badly by cutting her cuticle open. read more

Golden Nails - made me bleed really badly - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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Terrible service! Both my toe and finger were cut during manicure and pedicure. They didn't say sorry until I asked for a discount and they laughed. I had to plead with the manager to acknowledge their mistake and got a $8 discount. So I paid $50 for an hour of tortute! Stay away!!!!! read more

Horrible customer service. Was charges $18 for a partial shellac removal because when I got home I still had shellac left on my nails. I also got a manicure with no color this was too expensive for the poor work that was done read more

Best mani/pedi I ever got. The polish lasted forever and I loved the way the girl shaped my nails. I also had a health scare while in the pedicure chair, I almost passed out, and the girl was so attentive and wonderful. She brought me water and candy and a cool cloth and waited until I felt better to quickly finish my mani. She also gave a great massage and was very nice. Talk about perfect, you get great nails and people who actually care about you. read more

I was here earlier today (waiting in line at the RMV, why not be a little more beautiful on the other side?). I went in for a manicure, and as the gentleman was getting ready to start trimming my cuticles I noticed that the tools still had someone else's dead skin on it! I asked him to clean the station, and he wiped off the nipper with a bit of alcohol and then got ready to start again. Needless to say, I did not stay! Regardless of all other factors, cleanliness is IMPERATIVE in this industry! read more

Unfortunately this place has really gone downhill. It is never clean now, they don't even rinse out the footbaths between clients, the handles on the sinks are loose, and worst...I used to love that they had washcloths to dry your hands. They are now all ratty and stringy. I've also watched them "rinse" them out in the sink, roll them then stick them in the autoclave to dry. They don't even use a washing machine. The floor in front of the footbaths are down to the original cement. I'm not going back. Any recommendations for a good nail salon? read more

Got a manicure and pedicure here. Had to remove the polish on my hands when I got home. polish was uneven on some finger, all over the place on others or just missing. Lady didn't even try to remove all of my old polish even when I pointed it out to her. It was a half hearted job all the way around. That plus the uncomfortable pedicure chairs means I'll give this place a pass. read more

I have only had two mani/pedis in my life. This was the second. They did a much better job than the first place and it cost a lot less. I went with my friend and it felt sort of like a mini spa... very relaxing. I liked the massage chair a lot. The people were nice and the color selection and quality was very good. It was a nice treat. This was two weeks ago and my toe nail color is still perfect. read more

This is by far one of the worst nail salons I've ever been to. I got my nails done two days ago and the gel is already coming off. The service was awful, the man that did my nails was just rushing through. I'm never going back again read more

Golden Nails - Gel nail polish after a day. Very disappointed - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Went to this place with friend for a pedi. Like other posters have mentioned they also used rags. At one point the lady whipped out a cheese grater (it did not look like one for the feet - looked like one for feet) when was done used a news paper to clean it. Bottom of my feet are all cut up and sore.Cheese grater was also used on my friend... I got off easy because her feet are all cut up, sore and now burning - she will be seeing a doctor today... read more

I went to this place after a treacherous mani/pedi 2 weeks prior at a different place. The lady at the bad place destroyed one of my toes and my technician at Golden Nails was very careful and gentle. First off- I LOVE the pedicure chairs. I'm very petite and the chairs usually are too big and hurt my back, these were so comfortable that I could have fallen asleep. The man I had did a great job. I was so very relaxed which isn't always the case. No chips to my nails yet. He also did the manicure in the pedicure chair which I love. The place has a good ambiance and is in the Watertown mall so parking is not an issue. I'm very happy I came here and will make this my go-to Watertown mani/pedi place! They take credit cards but tip is cash only. read more

I have tried to like this place because of the ample parking but every time I go, I am always disappointed. I went this last Sunday to get a gel manicure and after only 2 days it was cracking! I went back and a new manicurist did a redo for a discounted price however he did not use a bonder or a basecoat! What good nail tech doesn't do these things? I even called him out on it and he was rude and refused to do it the right way since "the manicure was almost over". Seriously disappointed and guess what? My gel nail chipped today already. After a day and a half. This place is unclean and unprofessional. They are only interested in turning customers quickly to make money and do not care about nail quality. My advice? Skip this place and take ten extra minutes to drive to Allston nail salon. They have better quality and much fairer prices. read more

If I Could Rate this Nail Salon Zero Stars I Would!! OMG, I just wish so badly that I had pulled out my phone and read these Yelp reviews before visiting this salon tonight, ugh! Both my experience in the salon and the services that I received were **awful**!! I should have known I was in for a terrible experience when I placed my feet into the basin to prepare for my pedicure and it was freezing cold!! I asked the male "technician" to please make the water hot, and when he did it was lukewarm at best...really?! I requested that he cut my nails down, and not only did he cut them down to stubs, they were completely shapeless and uneven (which I unfortunately didn't notice later until I was in better lighting). Also, the paint job that he did on my toes looked like something from a toddler's coloring book with most of the polish on my skin rather than my actual nails (sadly, something else I noticed once in better lighting). Nightmare Part II: "The Manicure" So, I was switched off to a younger male "technician" to have my manicure done. I figured since I was getting a **basic** manicure that left little room for error so at least I could rely on that being done well...WRONG! This was the sloppiest, most unclean, rushed and unattractive manicure I have ever gotten in my life!! I pointed out the areas that were being missed to the nail technician, and he just glanced over them without taking the time to really clean up my nail beds whatsoever! I quite honestly could have let my 14-year-old niece given me a manicure at home that would have looked ten times better than this one! When he was done my hands looked just us unmanicured as they had when I walked in!! I can honestly say that this is only the second time in my entire adult life where I have left a salon without leaving a tip. I am very diligent about tipping every employee of the service industry, but the quality and service here was so bad I could not even bring myself to leave a small tip. It took all of my self-control and personal responsibility to not just leave without paying for these services all together. Please do not make the same mistake that I did by visiting this salon! WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!! read more

BOY one star and I am doing them a favor! I guess I can give them one star for the decor but nothing else! They were the rudest of any foreigner owned nail spa I have ever been too! I don't mind some banter back and forth in a language I don't understand but this was the whole damn time and on top of it they were talking about me! (This I know because they kept saying "indo" and I am of Indian descent. Finally I said to them " It is rude to talk about someone in another language" the response I got was big eyes like they were in trouble. No apologies or anything. On top of it I have had surgery done to my lymph nodes in my armpit which has swollen my one arm to a fairly larger size than the other. The other two ladies in there kept pointing it out to each other and discussing it! Now to the pedicure: I could have had a better one does in my own home. They did not use that callus remover blade thing nor were my feet scrubbed. This could partly be due to the fact that at this point I had called them out on their rudeness. The lady doing my pedicure never asked me what I wanted on my toes, and when I said "Oh I forgot to pick my color" The response I got was "Just do a french tip it go wid evething" I explained I am attending an Indian wedding and a french tip would not look as nice. She then said "well just wait till I finish then get up". A few seconds later she asked if I wanted a manicure as well. To which I said yes I did. She then asked another gentleman to start on my nails. Which was great because I would get out of there faster...Nope not the case. The man didn't soak my hands in anything,push my cuticles back or anything, and to make it worse he did not move to my right side when he was finished with the left rather asked me to move my right hand over to him. So he I was sitting getting my feet barely touched and stretching my arm over to the other side while he put on my tips. It was not relaxing at all! When my pseudo "pedicure" was complete I was moved over to a place when I can sit to get my hands completed....I asked the man twice to put lotion on my hands or to push my cuticle back or moisturize them to which he said no no the machine does it all....hmmmm really now the machine (he was referring to the drill) does not put lotion on my cuticles. Once my nails were completed and they had me go sit under that UV light thing...the lady who did my pedicure came over put something on my toes and said okay you Can put your boots on....I said are you sure I have to walk home I don't want to ruin it...and she said no its fine.... Of course when I get home and take my shoes off ...no the toes are not fine they are smudged in a color that will be impossible for me to find on my own! The manicure is nothing to brag about either some reason even though its completely dried it looks like all ten fingernails while wet touched a bedsheet....some weird sort of texture that I have never experienced at any other salon ever. A 75$ including a tip I would say save your money ladies...your toes, bank account, and self respect will thank you for it! read more

The absolute worst manicure I have EVER had! The girl I had was the rudest person I have ever encountered! I had long nails walking in & left with barely anything left!! Trim was fine but she filed them all the way down to nothing. I asked for a round shape & she shaped the first 2 square, then I asked for round again.. & she repeated after me then square again. When I asked again for round she snapped at me 'yeah round!'. She then filed them down to nothing! Some look like daggers, a few round, some flat. Polished terribly with bubbles. Never had me go to the uv station/dryer. Got up & left me at her station w/out a word for 10 minutes until I walked out without leaving her a tip! Don't waste your time or money in this DUMP! Zero stars if I could!! read more

DO NOT come here under any circumstances. They do really poor work! Didnt properly remove my nail polish and cut my nails really unevenly and insisted it was fine even though I protested. I regret coming here. read more

Since the face-lift the store received sometime last year (early this year?) it's more comfortable to get my nails done here. The prices have not changed much (perhaps a dollar or two more expensive) since the people changed at this store last time around I have really had no desire to go here, unless I find myself drawn to Target and talk myself into getting my nails done, or need to treat myself after a long wait at the RMV. read more

Three stars because my nails did in fact come out beautifully and it is inside the Watertown Mall so there is ample parking. But their customer service is horrible. Very cold people, no sense of humor, and they get offended when you make suggestions to the work they're doing on YOUR nails. The quality is good though and the price was decent. $46 for a mani, pedi, and a floral/gem design on my big toes & index finger. read more

Golden Nails - Pink shade by Essie, floral print with gem on both index fingers and big toes. $46 - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Got a beautiful pedicure here today ! Very happy with service as I always am ! The best massage on legs and feet super relaxing . My feet are so clean of all dead skin soft and pretty . I've tried other places on a whim but I always get the best here. ! Looking forward to going back :) read more

This is my place for doing nails during the last 2 years... I always do my meni/pedi with Ken. He is the best !!! Always careful, helpful and just amazing !!!Cannot say anything about other masters. read more

Golden Nails - 05/21/15 - Nail Salons Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

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Wow what a horrible nail salon. They charge for every single thing. I'm writing this review as I'm getting my pedicure done by this lady who doesn't even speak English. She's definitely not going to get a tip for me. I picked out a color for a mani and pedi and they told me the polish I picked is going to be an extra 5 dollars cuz it stays on for a week? Also i came in with a gel manicure and for them to take it off is another 5 dollars? This lady isn't even doing a good job on my feet..I'm only here cuz most nails salons r closed on Sunday so I had no choice but to come here. I just told them to give me a pedi so I can get the fuck outta here..what a terrible place read more

I loved the place. First it was neatly decorated. Second I had called in advance to make an appointment and requested some one with experience as I had not done my nails in years. The girls that answered mentioned Ben and two others and I requested Ben. When I arrived I immediately was sat down. He did my nails exactly as I wanted them, no cut or scraPes in the sides, just perfect. I wanted a french and he was very perfectionist, as I wanted a French with nail polish not airbrush. I was very pleased with nails and I am definitely going back to get my refill. read more

twice I've gone there and twice my toes have smudged. I sat for 1.5 hours to get a mani-pedi. There is no reason why my toes should smudge. Nice people but won't go there again for a pedi. read more

I wish I could give 0 stars. Terrible customer service AND terrible quality polish. I had a gel manicure and within 3 days half my nails were peeling and chipping. Don't waste your money here, i wish i read the reviews before going. read more