This review update is for the gel manicure pedicure I received last time I went to Lan before a getaway to Mexico. I was going to do pink-and-white nails, but at $60 my wallet was screaming (hey, going to Mexico ain't free!), so the ladies convinced me to go for the gel manicure.
I have gotten gel manicures at other salons and I know they can last 10+ days if you use your hands quite a bit, and 3+ weeks for most people. I'm in the former category, but I went two days before vacation so I knew I'd be okay.
*ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE SALON* I noticed what appeared to be some bubbles under the gel. It was a light color so I thought maybe it was just a small error, and I could live with it. Boston is about 45 minutes from my house and there was no way I was going back to have it corrected for something so small.
The next day as I was packing, I realized two nails had started to lift! I have NEVER experienced this so soon after getting a gel manicure done. I was infuriated! I had no time to go to the salon to have it done so I was really panicked (it may seem shallow but who wants shabby hands on a tropical vacation!?). I ended up going to Trade Secret to get the same shade (Moon over Mumbai) in regular nailpolish to cover up the error, but honestly the shade in the polish and the shade in the gel were different, and by mid vacation, about 6 of my nails were one shade, and 4 were the original gel shade. Yuck.
I called the salon to complain, and while they told me I could come back to get it fixed, I had no time before vacation and as I said, it's 45 minutes away (without traffic). After vacation, I was too busy and mad to go back. All in all, I lost 6 nails' worth of gel within 4 days of having the manicure done. My pedicure (regular polish) also started to chip on vacation within only a few days. Very unprofessional job! Super disappointment.
I will say this, however: I got a brazilian again with my nail services, and it came out great -- the same $25, results definitely better than you pay for, little more painful than a high-end salon, but totally worth it. It's all I'll be coming to Lan for from now on.
Overall, if you go to Lan, just be weary -- some nail techs are more experienced than others, some services are better than others, and some days you just get better results than others. Not everything here is bad, but when I'm paying $30 for gel nailpolish, $25 for a pedi, and $25 for a brazilian ($95 after tip!) -- I want consistent, reliable results. read more