Manoa Nails — Attraction in Honolulu

In six long years of getting my nails done, I’ve never encountered anything as nightmarish as this. Not just in nail salons—anywhere. This was the most abysmal, rage-inducing, soul-crushing experience I’ve ever had in an establishment. I asked for square nails and what did I leave with? Duck. Nails. Quack quack, a total disaster.

I noticed early on how unnaturally wide my nails were turning out, so I kindly pointed it out to the technician. She picked up a file, gave my nails the most pathetic, half-hearted swipes, then moved straight on to applying the polish. By then, it was beyond obvious how horrific the shape was becoming. I showed her the inspiration photo (that I had already shown her at the very start), and asked her—perhaps naively—if these were meant to be coffin-shaped. She had the audacity to insist that they were square. The nails on my hands couldn’t have looked more different from the picture if I had used a hammer on them myself.

Then, as if I wasn’t already on the brink of a meltdown, another employee shuffled over to "translate." Without so much as glancing at my nails, she declared that "square nails are supposed to be wider at the tip." Seriously? Are we redefining basic nail shapes now? Because what they gave me wasn’t square—it was duck nails, and it was downright insulting to claim otherwise.

Not only did I have to pay full price for these heinous atrocities on my fingers, but I also had to walk out of that salon with the ugliest, most deformed nails I’ve ever had in my entire life. The Uber driver had to endure my sobbing all the way home, while I stared in horror at the monstrosities that were supposed to be "nails."

This wasn't just disappointing—it was a form of emotional torture. If I could give negative stars, I would. Avoid this place like the plague unless you're into overpriced misery and nails that will haunt...

I really wanted to like Manoa Nails, especially since I’ve had good pedicure experiences here. Unfortunately, the acrylic sets have been consistently disappointing. My first set started falling off within 5 days, and by a week and a half, so many were gone that I just removed the rest myself — which was way too easy. Just pressing on the tips would cause the nails to pop off from the cuticle area.

Still, I gave them another chance because I liked the pedicures, but the second set was even worse. One nail fell off after only 4 days, and the rest followed within the week. I've never had acrylics last such a short time — typically they stay on for 2–3 weeks, with maybe one or two coming off and the rest needing to be soaked off. That’s not the case here.

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend Manoa Nails for acrylics. The quality just...

The artist I had did her job well, but doesn't really talk to you. I sat with her doing my nails for like 20 minutes and did not have a conversation except for which color I wanted. She seemed absorbed in her own world. I listened to all the other artists work and talk with their clients throughout the shop. They have lots of colors to choose from and their pricing...