Elegance nail spa since 1990 — Attraction in New York

My boyfriend and I came to this salon on a whim because we needed last minute manicures/pedicures before vacation. This salon got good reviews online, so I selected it.

When we first entered the salon, the owner (an older man), asked me what I needed done, and when I told him a full set of acrylics without gel, he told me very rudely what the price was, and stared at me as if he doubted my ability to afford. This made me want to leave, but I was on a tight time schedule and also didn't want to give in to what seemed like an attempt to intimidate or embarrass me.

The full set cost $49, I believe, plus $10 for the coffin shape I wanted. This is much more expensive than what I'm used to paying, but the owner explained that they automatically add gel to their full sets and that is why it cost more, and that it made their full sets "strong as rock". So I said "fine".

The owner stood right above me and the manicurist the entire duration of my manicure, watching like a hawk and grilling me with questions like "why did you come to this salon?" "Where did you hear about us?" "Where are you from?" "What do you do for work?" "Where did you park?" "What type of car do you drive?"..... THE ENTIRE 1.5 hours it took for my manicure.

And let me be clear....I am aware of the difference between asking questions for the sake of conversation, and interrogating off the basis of suspicion. The owner was clearly suspicious of my boyfriend and I, who are two Black, college educated people in our 20s who are extremely polite, well-spoken and present ourselves well. I am cognizant of settings where it seems like I am being doubted or surveilled due to stereotypes associated with what I look like. I was extremely uncomfortable.

To make matters worse, despite the price and what I went through for this manicure, my nails started breaking off the very same day. Not even an hour later, one broke off, followed by another two hours later. It's a week later and all of them have either broke off or lifted, and as someone who has been getting full sets for a while now, I know how to care for my manicures. WAS NOT WORTH THE PRICE OR HARASSMENT. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THE HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE I HAD AT THIS NAIL SALON. I DO...

I don't like leaving bad reviews but I don't want anyone to waste their money or time. PLEASE BE ASVISED. The service was welcoming but the work is not well done. Literally two days later the gel began to peel off and after three days a nail already slipped off like butter. The nails chip easily. I did my nails and less than a week they falling apart, For being charged close to 100 dollars for nails I'm so disappointed.

On another note the nails come out OK its nice but I'm noticing in the reviews that its the same egg shape being done and when I asked kindly to keep filing they say to wait and that its fine so trusted them to do what they do. Didn't like that my suggestions about my own nails were avoided but now that I see the other reviews maybe they only know to do the egg shape. I accepted that they don't do designs or French or any other types of nail art…..like I said the workers are nice but the nails are not to the standard of technicians I have experienced before. Atleast if they are done properly I don't mind the price but this was a waste of time and money. Again the people there are nice but the work isn't worth it. Don't waste your money here try another place. Go to the another place if you need your nails...

Andy assured me he could do umbre when I asked a week before and showed him what I wanted. The day of, he said they could do something similar. He and an older later who never said a word to me, worked on my nails. She cut me three times, one of the tips added was chipped. I had to ask three times to have it fixed. Andy kept adding glue and powder to the nails. He insisted that they were not thick and were beautiful, even when I disagreed. They didn't match the toe nail color with the hands, they did almond shape even though I said round. After three hours, my nails were uneven, lopsided, thick, lumpy, and totally hideous for $117. A waste of time and money. My daughter would've done better, but I wanted professional work for the wedding which turned out looking like an amateur's work. I had to have my nails re-done for the wedding. Services: mani with tips and gel as...