Gem Nails — Local services in Albuquerque

I had previously stopped visiting this salon due to an uncomfortable experience where staff members laughed and spoke in Vietnamese while looking at me. When I asked what was being said, no one would explain. I left feeling embarrassed and disrespected and decided to take my business elsewhere.

However, I now feel obligated to speak out due to a recent incident involving my 17-year-old daughter, who visited this salon for her prom nails. During the appointment, the technician accidentally got glue into her eye — not just fumes, as the salon now claims. She was visibly in pain and had to stop the appointment. Despite this, the salon had no proper eye rinse station or basic first-aid supplies on hand. Another customer, not a staff member, was the one to ask if eye drops were available. That customer showed more concern than the staff did.

My daughter and daughter-in-law took video of what happened on their phones, and I personally witnessed that footage. It clearly shows my daughter in pain, holding her eye, while staff members continue to talk and minimize her concerns — showing no urgency or empathy. That footage is not a matter of interpretation. It speaks for itself.

To make matters worse, my daughter told me that when she expressed concern about the glue, the staff told her, “this happens all the time.” That directly contradicts the salon’s public response, where they claimed it had never happened before. You can’t have it both ways — either it’s a rare accident or it’s a common occurrence, and in either case, the absence of safety protocols is unacceptable.

The salon has since responded to my review — and unfortunately, their response is filled with deflection, minimization, and outright dishonesty. To be clear: I was not present at the appointment. But I know my daughter, I saw the video, and I know what she experienced. Glue went into her eye. She was upset and in pain? While she was in distress One person on videotape is heard saying “Your ok.” That’s OK that glue went in her eye? — on what was supposed to be a joyful day — was Unprofessional and uncaring

Rather than take accountability, the salon is now claiming it was just irritation from “fumes” and that she was “yelling” and caused a scene. She was distressed because your staff showed no compassion, didn’t take proper safety measures, and minimized what happened. That’s not “yelling” — that’s a teenager reacting to mistreatment. And frankly, it’s appalling that you’re using her emotional reaction to shift blame. this is a true example of gaslighting!

Let me be clear: this is not about money. It’s about safety, dignity, and the basic expectation that when someone is hurt in your care — especially a young person — they’ll be treated with empathy and responsibility. Your salon failed to do that.

This experience confirmed every concern I had from my previous visit, and I hope other potential clients will consider this before booking. A salon should be a place where people feel safe, cared for, and respected — not dismissed, minimized,...

4/15 reply:

Your response is incredibly disappointing and deflective. A serious incident occurred at your salon—nail glue was flung into my sister-in-law’s eye. That could’ve led to permanent vision damage. I understand accidents happen, but this went far beyond that—and instead of taking full responsibility, you’re accusing us of false claims and trying to minimize what happened.

Let’s be clear: offering a $10 discount while someone is in pain and picking glue out of their burning eye is insulting. I also clearly remember your employees laughing and speaking in another language after my sister-in-law asked for white toes—something we’ve unfortunately experienced at your salon before. While I don’t have footage of that moment, I do have video of me calmly asking about being charged full price after the injury.

And for the record—I was not “screaming” or “causing a scene.” That accusation is an attempt to shift attention away from your staff’s behavior and the real issue: someone could have been seriously injured in your salon.

As for my own nails—the color came out fine. My issue was how painful the experience was. During filing, my nails began to burn repeatedly, and no matter how many times I said it hurt, the technician continued aggressively without pausing or acknowledging my discomfort.

My review was not dishonest or exaggerated. It reflected a painful, unprofessional, and disrespectful experience. If this is how you handle serious situations, it says a lot about your...

I was able to make an appointment online which I really liked. I ended up being about 25 mins early for my appointment and they were able to take me right away. I chose the deluxe pedicure and a gel manicure. The pedicure was amazing, one of the best massages I’ve had. He really took his time and often checked in to make sure that everything was going well.

My manicure started immediately after my pedicure so I didn’t have to wait at all for my services. The manicure was well done. The attention to detail was great, however I do have some polish left on both of my thumbs which is bothersome but not a huge deal.

The salon was very clean, with new liners in the pedicure bowls and all items either brand new or coming out of autoclave bags. I was offered something to drink twice by two different employees. They truly take great care in...