I moved to Yonkers about a year ago but I have not found my local go-tos just yet. In fact, I still…read moretake a drive into the Bronx for all of my beauty maintenance. But now I'm very, very pregnant and can only go so far at this time, so I realized its time to find some place closer, even if they become a back up to my usual Bronx spots. The Paint Nail House has been on my radar for awhile. The aesthetics from the outside are very inviting, it's hard to not be curious. So, I decided to stop by for a spa pedicure on a Saturday afternoon. I kept it simple because, for one, if they are not able to do a pedicure, then that speaks volumes on the staff's expertise. Moreover, I am a licensed nail tech, so there are specific things that I look for when choosing my beauty services.
Setting up an appointment was super easy. I logged into their site about 2 days prior, chose a date, time, and technician, and I was booked. On the day of my appointment, I easily found street parking and headed in. The salon is absolutely modern and beautiful inside! From the waiting area, to the service area, and the bathroom...beautiful! I checked in with the receptionist then headed over to the polish wall to find my color. They had a great selection of traditional polishes and I love a nail salon that organizes polishes by brand. I mean, one entire section for Essie, another for OPI, then another for Dazzle! I was in heaven. They also have multiple sample books for gel polishes. It took a few minutes but I was finally able to start my service. The staff at the front desk advised me to head over to one of the pedicure chairs based on its posted number, which I thought was genius. I've never seen that before.
I sat down and met with Lucy. She knew I wanted a pedicure but was unaware it was a spa pedicure. When I mentioned it, she showed me the menu of spa services and I pointed to the one I booked (Dream Spa). She left and came back with a box treatment of her choosing. I asked her if that was the only one as I wanted something different. She walked away and came back with 5-6 boxes to choose from. I chose a lavendar option and the service began. Overall, the service was good and relaxing. Lucy paid great attention to filing my nails, cleaning up the cuticles and providing a great massage. She also used some disposable tools like a cuticle pusher and nail file. Moreover, she did a good job with polishing and fixing a smudge.
However, there are 3 things I would've ask for more attention to - Firstly, she started the service by placing the spa mask on my leg first. I've seen this at other salons and I'm not sure why but the mask is the third step in the treatment (it's actually outlined on the product), are they trying to cut down the service time? Secondly, clean up and set up for the next customer is a little questionable. I sat through several clients and noticed the techs would take a sponge and what looks like antiseptic to clean the pedicure basin. That's not acceptable from a sanitation perspective. It took less than a minute which makes me wonder how clean and sanitized the basins actually are, but I'm not surprised as this is a common pratice in other salons I've experienced. Finally, there is a language barrier. It seems most of the staff are primarily Spanish speaking, which is nice since they can meet the needs of customers who need that however, basic communication in English was not present with my tech. For example, when I told Lucy about which pedicure treatment I wanted, she was a little puzzled. She looked at the tech next to her and asked her to translate. The tech and her customer ended up having to explain what I asked. Another example, I asked her to add glitter polish to my big toe. Again, she had to ask the tech next to her to translate. This is not a deal breaker or anything, but I do think language should be considered with customer service. Not only does it offer a more personable experience, but it saves time. Throughout my time, there were quite a few Spanish speaking customers that came in and I could see they had that personable experience given the more lengthy conversations being had. I did not have this issue with other staff but I also did'nt speak to anyone else but Lucy and the gentleman at the front desk.
All-in-all, I had a good experience. The atmosphere was relaxing and I enjoyed the service despite the aforementioned observations. Moreover, I like the final look of my nails and the facility itself appeared clean, especially the bathroom. My spa pedicure was $55 which is slightly above the usual that I pay, but not out of my budget. They do accept debit/credit cards but tip is cash only. I would return to try an enhancement service on my hand but I'm not sure if I'm ready to make them my overall go-to place just yet.
