TLDR
Not clean
No designs available even with reservation
Messy gel application
Subpar shaping
Do not recommend
"Chop shop nails" Google search result: A chop shop is a nail salon that offers fast service in an hour or less, but may cut corners and use low-quality products.
My friend and I booked a reservation at Miniluv several days in advance, both of us wanting a design. I even specified in my reservation note that I wanted a "douyin/korean inspired design," so Miniluv could prepare a technician who could do something similar. However, upon arrival to our appointment, not only were we yelled at from across the room, "What are you here for?" rather than being greeted at the front desk, but we were also told, "The girl who does designs has already left for the day."
It was 3pm.
They close at 6pm. (Sunday)
Reservation. Days. In. Advance.
Miniluv has only ONE technician who can do a design.
Upon making our reservation, there was radio silence for 2 days. No confirmation text. I had to call in to verify that our reservation was valid before a text was sent our way.
This was my friend's first time ever getting her nails done "professionally" at a salon, so I was really hoping for this to be a good experience for her. This was my first time at a salon in the States, my previous experiences being in Japan and South Korea. Already, we were off to a rocky start. Miniluv is NOT for the hopeful.
The technician first removed the regular nail polish already on my nails, a deep blue color. In my experience with removing dark polishes, it can get on the skin. Normally, one would use acetone to remove said polish on the skin. Not at Miniluv! Not right away, at least. He waited until the very END of the service - after adding the oils and lotions to my hand - before going back in with acetone that dried my skin out once more to remove the blue staining on my skin.
Since Miniluv is incapable of fun designs after 3pm, I settled for a simple almond gel-x French ombre with purple cat eye at the tips. Surely, anyone working at a salon could manage that much....no. I was given solid purple cat eye. No French. No ombre.
If I'm getting a service done by professionals, it's because I cannot perform that service for myself. A BEGINNER can do the solid cat eye that I was given.
Speaking of beginners, I got the sense that my technician was not experienced with gel-x. He used his bare hands to (unsuccessfully) press my natural nail to be flush with the extension while under the lamp, very clearly burning himself in the process (he sharply yanked his hand back with pain). Since my natural nail and the extension were not bonded as they should, an odd gap now exists between them for bacteria to fester. Loathe that!
Immediately after the gel-x was applied, I noticed how the skin on my right thumb had fused with the gel. My technician aggressively filed away at both my SKIN and the gel to peel them apart. Talk about ouch.
When it came to shaping, I had to hold my breath. Almond is already a tricky shape to master, and everyone has their own interpretation of it. While the pointed end turned out fine, something felt odd about the bulkiness. Rather than slim elegance, the silhouette of my nails resembles that of candycorn.
My friend's technician often paused to ask how things looked, to comment on the pretty color, and generally was up there in terms of customer service. Mine stayed SILENT. I felt like I was in a hostage situation with silence being the main form of torture.
When it came to painting color and top coat, my friend's cuticles were flooded with cured gel. We didn't notice until after we'd already left. My own cuticles were untouched by gel but VERY touched by the clippers that nipped into the living skin above. Thankfully, by some miracle, I didn't bleed.
Close to the end, final filing and shaping were performed. Great! Then, the oils and lotions were added without letting us wash off the gritty dust left behind from the aforementioned filing and shaping. Not great.
Finally, one of the BIGGEST points of concern was the cleanliness. Tools were reused between clients. I watched as technicians grabbed from each other's stations for a file or clipper that had just been used. No sanitization procedures were observed. No tools were procured from sterile packaging. I now live in mild fear that an infection will bloom on my candycorn-shaped nails any day now.
I like to start with 5 stars in mind when a service is about to be performed. Mililuv instantly lost 1 star with the lack of design despite a reservation + poor reception service. A 2nd star was dropped sheerly due to the lack of cleanliness. Though it pains me to dip below 3 stars, Miniluv lost their 3rd with the messy application, a risk for contact dermatitis. read more