My friend was going through a rough time; her mom recently passed away after a long, hard battle with cancer. I wanted to pamper her and help her to forget her troubles for a while, so I offered to take her for a mani-pedi. We were driving around near the Village, so I pulled up some places on my Yelp app and saw that the West U location of Isle PediSpa had good reviews, was right around the corner. When we checked in, they said that since we didn't have an appointment they couldn't take us for another hour -- but they could call their new West Ave location right down the street to see if they would take us. They could, so we drove over and checked in at about 7:15pm. They quickly shuffled us back to a private room that felt straight out of a Mariah Carey video: gold glitter wallpaper on one wall, gold foil and bright blue butterfly print wallpaper on another, rhinestones, mirrors, fluffy pillows, a flat-screen TV...etc. This felt perfect for treating my girl like a princess!
Then, the women who helped us kept talking like we were late for our appointment, and one of them tried to convince us to get the shorter "mini" services, because we didn't have much time (though it was only a little after 7, and they were open until 9). They eventually let us review the (extensive) menu, but said we needed to quickly make a decision. I told them I wanted the regular Isle Manicure ($24) and Isle Pedicure ($38), and my friend wanted the same. Each of us had 2 women working on us, and they finished the mani-pedis in a flash. It actually felt very rushed; for the price of these services, I'd expect a bit more pampering. My feet are still pretty calloused and rough, and on my fingers and toes they didn't paint all the way down to the cuticles. I think they just weren't expecting any evening appointments and hoped to leave early, and we threw a wrench in their Friday night plans by showing up unannounced.
On the plus side: this place has a great selection of OPI polish colors, they offered us bottled water or soda (even though they also have a nice selection of coffees and teas and fancier drinks...which weren't mentioned), and apart from the rush treatment, the women who were working on us were very warm, friendly, and funny. And the setting was BEAUTIFUL. Also: in the area where you dry your nails they have another flat screen TV AND a candy bar, where you can help yourself to chocolates, lollipops, fruity/gummy candies, etc. They also have great products in their retail area: OPI polishes and polish strips, delicious-smelling bath scrubs, lotions, and candles, high-end skin care products, etc., and the woman working the front desk was very helpful and didn't seem to be in any hurry to get us out of the shop. I ended up spending over $200 on services + tip, products, and a gift card for my mom's 50th birthday. Overall, it was a very fun girly splurge-y experience, and I think my friend enjoyed it. I'd love to go back again for a cal-gel glitter mani/pedi when I'm back in town for Christmas -- but I will definitely make an appointment next time, and recommend my mom do the same when she uses her gift card. read more