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    Nails First

    3.6 (114 reviews)
    ModerateNail Salons
    Closed 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    Services - Nails First

    Nail fill-in

    Toe nail fill-in

    Hand nail fill-in

    13 More Services

    Hand and toe nail fill-in

    Manicure

    Manicure and pedicure

    Pedicure

    Nail polish change

    Toe polish change

    Hand polish change

    Hand and toe polish change

    Nail polish removal

    Toe polish removal

    Hand polish removal

    Hand and toe polish removal

    Nail repair

    Nails First Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Nails First

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    Reviews With Photos

    Best place in palatine!
    Munia P.

    Been coming here for years. Love the service and it last so long. Ryan is amazing. This design is done by Lyn.

    Ombré French tip w design

    I have been getting my nails done here for a while now, Vicky is my absolute favorite! The prices are reasonable and the staff is so nice and attentive. I totally recommend coming here!

    Overlay by Vicky

    Nails 1st is incredible, always making room for walk -ins and prompt with appnt times. Call ahead and bring a friend! I came to Nails 1st after being traumatized @ another local BRAND NEW salon in town that was charging double what this salon does & ruined my natural nails. Vicky was able to bring my natural nails back to strong and long! She does a perfect set every time. I now drive an hour back into Palatine just to get my services done here bi-weekly. Thank you Vicky, Ryan & Team!!!

    Wow!! I absolutely love Lynn. She always does such an amazing job and I recommend her for designs. Everyone there is so nice and the environment is cozy.

    No chip (gel polish)
    Natalie W.

    I went here because my mom and her friend go here. I'm in the transition of moving and desperately needed my nails done as they were very outgrown. Ryan did my nails. I love how gentle he his with peoples hands and nails. And how he especially pays attention to detail. They had a good variety of no chip colors, but I wish they would have had a book with designs that they do. It's been almost 2 week2 and all my gel is still in tact and has not peeled or lifted at all. I'm impressed with the longevity because most nail salons have cheaper quality polish and it peels or uplifts after a week. I will likely return when I am in town visiting my mom.

    Love my nails
    Christine K.

    The best place ever... I came here cuz my hubby was here with our daughter and so I gave it a try and I love the way the owner pays attention to the details.. I am picky so he did everything I wanted.. and today he did such an amazing job I am so in love with my nails...

    The nail artists here are incredible. I showed her a picture and she worked her magic I'm so impressed, would highly recommend!!

    Eileen M.

    This was the best manicure I've gotten in a looooong time! I saw Vicky and she did such a good job, I'm absolutely obsessed with my nails. I showed her a reference picture of what I wanted and she knew exactly what to do because she stays up to date on nail trends. I can't stand when nail techs make acrylic nails bulky, but Vicky's technique is unmatched and gave me the most perfect shaped nails! I will definitely be coming back :) (the nail combo is 1st layer: OPI "bubble bath" and 2nd layer: essie "ballet slippers")

    My nails
    Sabra Chicki D.

    Vicky has done my nails twice now and I continued to be impressed. I showed her a picture of what I wanted and voila...she did it! If you're looking for quality mail care and good artistic skills make an appointment with Vicky!

    Cow  print

    I absolutely love nails first . My nail Tech Ryella is amazing. She is not only sweet but a genius when it comes to designs. She can copy any design from any picture and I am so happy I found her. I get so excited for nail day and spend a lot of time looking for new and fun designs for her to do. We always have a good time when she does my nails. I highly recommend Nails first and make sure you go to Ryella ! You will be thrilled with your results .

    Basic Manicure
    I-Lin L.

    I haven't gotten a mani pedi in YEARS, so I decided to treat myself for my upcoming birthday. Wasn't sure where to go, so I chose this place based on location and decent Yelp reviews. They were able to accommodate me immediately when I walked in without an appointment around 6 pm on Wednesday after work. I was surprised at how large and busy the place was, since the strip mall where this store is located seemed kind of dead. There were 8 nail techs working, about 1-2 in between customers at any given time, and a steady stream of ladies who kept trickling in to get their nails done. The decor is a bit dated, but everything appeared clean and functional. They have an entire wall of polish for you to choose from, and the spa pedicure stations are equipped with disposable plastic liners in the basin, so your feet never actually touch the basin. I think they threw away the liner after each use, too. This is the first place I've been to that paints your nails while you are wearing flip flops. They just put a brand new pair of toe separators in and paint away. It does make a lot of sense though--instead of painting your toenails and then possibly smudging the polish to get your shoes back on. They have disposable flip flops, but I wore my own. The nail polish I chose turned out to be a bit brighter than I expected after it got painted on, and they offered to redo it if I wanted to pick another color. But I didn't want to go through the trouble after two nails were already done, and I was okay with the color, so I let them continue. But it was nice for them to offer though. Some of the customers got offered small bottles of water, but I didn't get offered any. Dunno if it was because they got longer services or were regulars? I didn't need any though. Only bad thing is that they only accept cash tips. I wasn't prepared, so I left a pretty generous tip since I only had a large bill. The basic mani pedi itself cost $32, and they did accept credit card for that. I was hoping to get nail art design on two of my fingers, but they didn't offer, and I didn't mention anything up front, so I just let it go. Not sure if they specialize in nail design here though, because I didn't see anyone else getting it. I like my old place in L.A. that just did it with a regular manicure without charging anything extra. They even did French tips for the same price as a basic manicure... but I digress. I did get a small cut in one of my cuticles, but I guess that's apt to happen from time to time. Other than that, I was fairly pleased with the service, and there is plenty of parking in the large lot. So I guess I'm going to make this my regular go-to place from now on.

    Broken nail and tip cracked all within 4 nails.
    Dani S.

    I walked in and asked for a dip and pedicure. Had an incredible time at Nail First! Pedicure was good but fast. I did a "spa" upgrade and got the 4 pack of lavender scrub/lotion packets. It was ok. Toenail polish looks great. Now let's talk about the dip! Rosie did an awesome job. She ms meticulous! Suuuuper happy! She was very attentive and sweet. The manager kept making sure I was happy with my service. I was impressed. This will be my new spot going forward. Update 5/5/19 Not happy. Chipped and. Cracked nail. Actually pissed considering I tipped $20 for pedi and dip. Very pissed.

    Nails
    Kiarah T.

    Literally perfect. Definitely a go to every time. :) Everything about the shop was excellent

    Acrylic Set

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    Business owner information

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    Ryan V.

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    3 years ago

    Services are decent but prices are rather high. Overpriced for what you get. I would go somewhere else.

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    3 years ago

    Not as clean as anticipated but my dipped nails turned out great. Very friendly and decent price.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Nails First

    Review Highlights - Nails First

    The manager Ryan, really knows how to give great customer service and sets the tone for his Nail Parlor.

    Mentioned in 20 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Choice Nails

    Choice Nails

    (57 reviews)

    $

    Went in for a much needed basic pedicure ($35) after a long winter of ugly toes... the ambiance is…read moreokay, definitely not as fancy of other places I used to frequent but the prices are more reasonable, so I'll take that trade. Quality was decent, my toes look good... one downer, the massage chair I had (first one in the row of 4 heading backwards) should be in retirement... and I understood them when they were chatting amongst themselves. Good thing they didn't trash talk me. =] #KoreansRepresent

    After several disappointing years at my previous nail salon, I finally decided it was time for a…read morechange. Today I walked in for my appointment with Choice Nails for a gel manicure & pedicure & I'm so glad I did. From the moment I sat down in the chair for my pedicure, I knew it was going to be a good experience. Kim was my nail tech. She was friendly and extremely accommodating. She even took my socks on & for me! - granted my finger nails were soaking in acetone as we were also removing my previous gel manicure. Kim was very gentle with my hands & feet, but extremely efficient and focused. You can tell she is dedicated to her work. She payed close attention to the details and it shows. She did a beautiful job on both my finger & toe nails. I kid you not, I walked out today with the best gel manicure of my life. However, this did not surprise me too much as this salon only does regular & gel manicures (they do not do acrylic nails here). The entire staff were all very friendly. Prices are fair. For the first time in a long time I walked out of a nail salon feeling happy with how my nails turned out. It's safe to say I got my moneys worth. Choice Nails gained a new loyal customer as I enjoyed a great experience here.

    Nails First - othersalons - Updated May 2026

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