When I tell you all nail salons are not made the same, trust me. I no longer wonder why this joint…read morewas dead at 11:45am on a Saturday.
I usually go to a quality salon in West Lafayette, but it's a drive from home. I had a party that night and wasn't able to get out of the office for a manicure during the previous week.
I scheduled an online appt for a "gel manicure with gel polish removal", for 11:45am. My nails were grown out about 1/8" since my last manicure. Now, I will pay some money for a good manicure! I will pay to have my nails soaked and a little hand massage. This was not that.
I think I'm a decently pleasant individual - I don't smell offensive, I make small conversation, and always try to remain polite and appreciative.
After being sat, she soaked and removed my existing gel polish, then trimmed my nail length and buffed them. Immediately, she started putting on a base coat. No hand washing, no cuticle pushback or trim. I inquired, nicely. She said "you want a manicure too? Your cuticles look good." They in fact, do not.
As a middle aged, white woman, i know how I'm viewed - a Karen. So, I kept my mouth shut. Smiled politely. Paid and left (keep reading) only a $5 tip. It pained me to only leave $5, but at the same time leave a whole $5.
I won't be back. I felt rushed & uncared for. If there had been a deluxe manicure option, I would have chosen that. My nails look sloppy and could really use a good cuticle trim. Looks like I paid to fix them at home.
2 stars because it appeared clean, with a good aesthetic. Cons (besides the obvious) - only accepted cash or Venmo and there was no mention of this previously. Had to leave, to go to my bank & come back because the Venmo app was down.