TL;DR: My big toes were messed up 3x and instead of taking accountability, the owner blamed me for…read morechoosing regular polish--a service she provides. No refund, no solution, and deeply unprofessional behavior.
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Service Overview & Pricing
I booked a same-day appointment that the owner accepted. I requested:
* #108 Gelixir purple gel polish + acrylic fill manicure
* #108 Gelixir purple regular polish + basic pedicure
The owner upsold heavily throughout. I even let her do extra work on my pinkies to build rapport.
Total: $81
Tip: $15 (tipped before the service was completed)
She opened the shop ~5 min late despite accepting my 9:30 AM appointment, & complained aloud, setting the tone for our session.
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Where Everything Went Wrong
1. First Mistake
Toe spacers were applied after polishing but before the paint was dry, immediately smudging the big toe.
2. Second Attempt
They only partially removed the polish to "fix" it. Because the initial coats weren't fully removed, the application was thick and uneven. After 40 minutes of "drying," the nail dented and the texture caught the lip of my shoe, scratching again. I told them I still had time if they wanted to properly redo it.
3. Third Attempt
A kind staff member accidentally damaged the other big toe while helping me into disposable sandals.
At this point, my toes had been ruined three separate times--all due to staff actions.
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The Owner's Response
When I asked if they could use gel on the big toes (since the mistakes were theirs), the owner refused and claimed:
1. The colors "wouldn't match."
2. Gel and regular polish can't match--despite the Gelixir palette offering both and my manicure proving otherwise.
3. That because I chose regular polish, the outcome was my fault. She repeated this many times.
4. That regular polish takes "hours to dry in cold weather," something she never mentioned and is simply not true.
By then I had been there from 9:30 AM to 12:20 PM, and the pedicure was the first service we started.
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Escalation & Unprofessional Conduct
When I calmly asked for a reasonable fix (or at least accountability for my time), the owner became rude, defensive, and dismissive. She offered:
* No refund
* No partial refund
* No refund of my tip
* No solution
She repeatedly told me I could "leave if I didn't like it" while her staff was trying to help me with bare toes. Instead of accountability, she lectured me with constant "you" statements and kept shifting blame. I stayed polite and attempted to de-escalate, but she kept escalating.
My friend who was with me also felt the owner was short, judgmental, and rude from the beginning. As a Filipina, I'm familiar with cultural bluntness--this wasn't bluntness. This was aggressiveness and unprofessionalism.
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Service Quality & Safety Concerns
* They used a pumice scrubber on my inner ankle bone, leaving raw skin and micro-cuts.
* The owner drilled harshly on the sides and cuticle area during my fill, causing irritation and cuts. When I said "ow," she told me I "needed lotion." (I regularly moisturize; the issue was her technique.)
* During upselling for designs/gems, she asked about two fingers. When I agreed, she worked on the wrong fingers, insisted I said "all," and did the same thing to my friend.
* Despite her picking my friend's shade, she acted annoyed when we asked to see it on one toe. Odd behavior throughout--there's truly no winning with her.
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Final Thoughts
Based on quality alone, this could have been a 2-star experience. But the owner's behavior makes it a 0-star experience.
Earlier, she told me her business struggles with retention but has some regulars. Now I understand why. The recurring reviews about poor customer service suddenly make complete sense. Even her responses to negative reviews show the same pattern--confrontational, defensive, and unwilling to take responsibility.
It's impossible to relax when the owner is hostile, unaccountable, and provides no customer care.
This was my first time going (only to accommodate my friend's work schedule) because in theory the 9:30 AM start time is competitive. But honestly, you're better off walking one minute over to Winchester Nails, which is actually my regular spot. I'll never cheat on them again.
