I've been to the Royal Oak location of Nails 07 twice now and plan to make it the one nail salon that I will use. Over the years, I've tried a national chain and several small local nail shops, so I can say from experience that Nails 07 is the real deal.
First, the decor and atmosphere. This location just opened a few months ago, so everything is new. This is a relaxing place. Quiet music with no blaring TVs or crappy radio. It's spacious - you're not crammed in. Rather than sitting at separate table for manicures, customers are seated at a long bar, with the nail techs seated on the other side. You can sit next to your friend. The chairs are very comfortable. The bar is made out of a pretty material that has colored glass bits embedded in it. The whole salon is so clean that surfaces sparkle. The bathroom is clean, spacious and nicely decorated. To sum it up: this is not a shabby, run-down neighborhood place where you wince from the overhead fluorescent lights and suspect "sanitization" routines. In fact, it got awards two years running from Allure magazine.
(Parking is a snap - no small thing in Royal Oak.)
Next, the quality of the work. So far in my two visits to Nails, 07 I've had a gel manicure, a pedicure and a lower leg wax. Mia and Michelle each did part of the manicure, Mia did my pedicure and Serena did the waxing. EVERY SINGLE THING WAS PERFECT. I'm a stickler for perfection in manicures, pedicures and waxes, I've had good outcomes and bad ones, so trust me, I know PERFECT. Perfect shaping, perfect cuticles, perfect polish application. Plus, they have a huge selection of nail polishes, obsessively organized by brand and color. Mia even recommended a polish color to match my sweater and it was a spot-on great choice.
An example of the attention to detail and comfort is what the techs do with the used cotton pieces that were soaked in stinky nail polish remover: instead of throwing them in a garbage where they fill the room with headache-making smells, they put them into little bottles and close the top tightly on the bottle. Or how as my toes were drying after the pedicure, Mia put my shoes and stockings in a plastic bag so I could easily carry them to my car. Or how Serena closely scanned my legs several times to catch any stray hairs that hadn't been pulled out by the wax, using a tweezer to grab those. Did I mention that waxing services are performed in private rooms with doors that close? Yes, indeed. No flimsy curtain between your lady parts and curious eyes, but instead, a door.
The little massage that accompanies the pedicure and manicure was not the longest or best that I've had but it was fine. My guess is that once I've become a regular, I could ask for more pressure.
Finally, the prices. The prices were a dollar higher than what I've paid in shabby neighborhood places, which seems completely reasonable given what you get in terms of amenities and professionalism. Currently, there is a gift card sale where you get a big discount if you purchase a pedicure and manicure at the same time.
The bottom line: Royal Oak's Nails 07 is a great place to relax, get a little pampering and have your claws transformed into perfect, gleaming nails. Highly recommended. read more