I went in for a full-set of gel nails ($45) on April 15 (the owner penciled me in for 3:30pm). Let me just start with the fact that, this was the worst set of nails I have ever received in over 20+ years!! I've been doing nails for over 24 years and I know what they should look like. I needed someone to do a full-set because of an injury that I had which made it difficult for me to do my own. (let's just start there)!
What went wrong:
1. The eFile used had a very abrasive tip and the female technician had it on "high". My nail beds were burning after she was done prepping them for tips;
2. The price for a full set of gel nails is $45 and I was charged $55;
3. I questioned "the owner" why the technician was using a powder and monomer instead of a liquid gel and I was assured that it was a powder gel;
4. If it smells like acrylic and looks like acrylic, it must have been acrylic powder;
5. The technician applied the liquid product not only to the nail tip but all the way up to my first knuckle. I could feel & see it dry, a lot like crazy glue when it's applied to skin. At this point my nails were a "hot mess" including my fingers;
6. She then had me place my nails/hands underneath the lamp, which then began to burn my nail beds, so I removed them;
7. The owner and the technician switched places and he finished the process by starting to file my nails; when I told him and showed him the shape (Coffin) that I wanted, he stated that it was not an easy task to do because they would have put on that shape of a nail tip when they started my set. He was implying that it was my fault that they used the wrong shape of nail tip.
Now I know there are different shapes of nail tips but it does not take much to file a nail into any shape!!
8. He spent maybe 10 minutes filing my nails into the coffin shape that I wanted; complaining and explaining to me the entire time how it was so difficult for him..
9. I did NOT want any polish on my nails because I do freehand nail art and was going to do that myself at home;
10. When I finished washing my hands and went to pay he had charged me $10 more and stated that it was because I wanted the Coffin shape and that he had to file them to get that shape (as if it was a complete and utter burden) to ask them to do!!
IN CONCLUSION:
When I got home it took four hours to peel & file (yes, I had to use a nail file) to remove the product off each of my fingers and knuckles. It also took an additional 30 minutes to fix the shape of my nails (to look like a coffin shape) which I was never able to achieve.
I will never go back to this salon ever again!! It is the next day and my fingers are so sore and my nail beds will have to repair themselves over time because of the harsh filing that both the owner and his technician did to my natural nails. Anytime, I questioned either of them as to why they were not doing a specific Step, they answered with, "...that is an extra charge!"
So be warned that prepping your nails before putting on a New Set, is an "extra charge" and trimming the nail tips that they put on (to the desired length that you requested) is also an "extra charge!!"; if they have to file your nails into a different shape than the tip that they started with, that too, is an "extra charge".
I will be soaking my hands in a Epsom salt hand bath to help them heal and wait a few days before I polish them. read more