Tanghulu Nails — Attraction in Boston

I chose two stars to make sure you can see the review.

I used the removal kit provided by the store to take off my nails, following their own Instagram tutorial. When I cut open the gel remover packet, I discovered it was completely empty. I messaged them, and their response left me speechless and confused.

First, if they provide an official removal kit after the service, it should actually work. The fact that the remover was empty is a clear quality control issue.

Second, after I explained the situation, they told me to come back to the store and use their other tools to remove my nails myself. If I wanted their help, I’d have to pay another $15. I specifically asked about this because, while I was getting my nails done, I saw another customer struggling to remove her nails with their tools for a long time—only for a staff member to step in and help in the end.

Third, what’s with the condescending attitude? If they had been polite, I wouldn’t even be this frustrated. This was their product issue to begin with, and yet they had the audacity to say, "You are right, but I offer you a free option." Excuse me? If the removal kit actually worked, I wouldn’t need any “free option” from you. I could have just removed my nails at home without wasting extra time, effort, and money coming back to the store.

Honestly, I had to laugh at how ridiculous this was.

To top it all off, the nail application process was awful. The store was colder than the outside, my hands were freezing, and I could literally see the blood vessels in my fingers. The two staff members there were also incredibly rude, looking me up and down the entire time. When filing my nails, they got visibly annoyed whenever I said it was hurting and responded with complete silence.

With this kind of attitude and poor quality service, I can only say: Avoid this place if you don’t want to waste your time and patience.

Update: The owner responded asking if I “remember getting the nails done for free.” Yes, I remember. And she should remember that I was invited as a nail blogger to try their service. That doesn’t change the fact that the removal kit they provided was faulty, and their response was dismissive at best. A free service doesn’t excuse poor quality and bad customer service....

False Advertisement These nails are strong but if your nail tech doesn’t properly apply them then they will not last longer than regular press ons. I went in 2/12 and the nail tech was rushing through and continuously got up during my appointment to measure walk in clients. My nail popped off 2/15 — three days later. Mind you, I work in an office setting and am not doing any movements that would cause them to fall off prematurely.

The “appointments” here aren’t real appointments. My friend and I booked an 11:30 a.m. slot but arrived at 11:10 a.m. Two walk-ins were already ahead of us—one getting her nails done and the other waiting. If applications actually took the advertised 10–15 minutes, they could’ve stayed on schedule, but they didn’t start on us until 11:50 a.m.

My friend, who had work nearby, had to leave quickly and asked to pay before finishing. The nail tech, seeming apologetic, offered to waive the application fee—but then still charged it. We never asked for a discount or special treatment, just for them to honor their own schedule.

If you still plan to get your nails done here, don’t schedule anything right after, as there’s only one nail tech and no real time management. Also, dress warmly—it’s freezing inside, and they have no heaters.

I have an email thread with the store; however, they have not responded after the initial response. Customer service and conflict resolution is poor. Side note: my other friend has red note and informed me that a lot of people have posted negative reviews about this store due to their poor attitude — I just wish I knew beforehand to avoid this experience.

I’m severely disappointed at this situation because their media and marketing make this place seem quick and efficient when it’s really not. I was planning on coming back every 1.5 months to get new nails but I guess that’s not happening anymore :/

Overall: DONT go into their physical store if you’re looking for a good experience. You’re better off ordering them online and applying them yourself — save yourself the trip, $15 application fee, and extra...

I used to be a big fan of Tanghulu, especially because the owner was kind and welcoming in the beginning. After they opened a physical store, the prices increased significantly. While the quality initially remained good, I was willing to pay the higher price to support them.

Unfortunately, my recent visit was extremely disappointing. The staff was rude, impatient, and unprofessional—talking on the phone and taking care of their dog while serving me. At one point, the staff member went to wipe down her dog’s urine and then returned to fix my press-ons without even changing her gloves. This raised serious hygiene concerns for me and made the experience very uncomfortable.

The nail quality has noticeably declined. The gemstones fell off easily, and even after returning multiple times for repairs, they continued to fall off. The color also started to discolor after just one use. This completely goes against their mission of offering reusable nails—mine started falling apart after just one wear (about two weeks), and I’m a student who doesn't even do any labor-intensive work.

There were also noticeable gaps between the press-ons and my natural nails, which allowed water to get trapped underneath—posing a real risk of nail infections. Combined with the filing and hard UV glue, my nails were left damaged afterward, which defeats the purpose of using press-ons as a safer, temporary option.

On top of that, their customer service has gone downhill. They used to include cuticle care, but now for $15, all they do is file your nails and apply the press-ons—without even wiping away the filing dust beforehand.

What makes even less sense is that they charge a shipping fee—even if you buy the nails in-store. If I’m paying for shipping anyway, why bother going in person?

At this point, I don’t see why I should keep paying premium prices for press-ons with declining quality and service. I'd rather go to a salon and get a proper manicure—with better fitting nails, better quality, and much better customer service—for roughly the same price once all the hidden fees...