MV nails and Spa at CALVERT ST and HORIZON HOUSE — Local services in Baltimore

Tl;dr: Overpriced for poor craftsmanship and service.

Full review: I was excited to go to here based on the few reviews I saw, the overall review score, the high recommendation from my colleague, and it’s proximity to my place. I should have scrolled down to read more reviews because others have had similar experiences. I called the day of, Friday, March 25, 2022, to confirm that chrome style can be done on natural nails. Nick said yes if I do gel. I decided to make a reservation for 4 PM to ensure I am seen as soon as I arrived. Time was of concern because I was leaving for NY at 6:40 PM later that day. I got there 3-4 minutes early and after checking in, I was seen right away. The person who was servicing me was clearly rushing. The pedicure (Basic $35) took about 20 minutes. I had to confirm I did not want gel on my feet several times. And my feet/legs were not wrapped with the warm towel accurately nor was a proper foot scrub done. The towel used was scolding hot but thankfully because it was not wrapped properly or for a long time did not burn me. I don’t think a pumice scrub was done either. Corners were cut. I didn’t think much of it. Big mistake. I should have spoken up starting then. I was then taken to get my chin and lip wax. This is where the issue started. The same lady who rushed to do my feet was even worse with my wax. She ripped the wax with furry and vengeance of Thanos trying to wipe out half the planet. She would put wax on the right side of my chin, rip it off vigorously and then repeat on the same spot. Then use a tweezer and then repeat with wax and furious rip of the wax cloth. She did that spot at least 5-6 times and the rest of my chin and neck the same way. It hurt so much. Once she was done, my chin and neck was tight and sore at the same time. Before she started on my lips, I told her to be more gentle than she was on the chin and neck. She ripped off the wax and I moved her hands and said she needs to be more gentle. The lip area is way more sensitive for me. I only lay down long enough for her to go over the lip area once as well as the goatee area. I was done. She wanted me to lay down so I can see the finished work but I was too traumatized and ok with sitting up for her to put the “oil” on. I shook off the experience and was told sit down while she does my nails. I was confused because she said she doesn’t do chrome. But she started my nails (trimmed, prepped nail bed, and painted the base coat) so Nick can add the chrome powder. If that was the case I could have waited for him. I even asked how long that would take and he didn’t answer. Just that he would be with me soon. I noticed the burn on my chin on Sunday, March 27 and went right away to the store to get a refund. I should have gotten a refund for the whole service because my nails were chipping as well. The one nail Nick redid is the only one that has not completely chipped since Monday, March 28 when I took the pictures of the nails. And now, a week later, it is fine. When I got there I asked for the owner. They sent Nick to speak to me. I showed him my scares and told him I was burned from the wax and wanted a refund. I was reading about others experience and how nasty the staff members were. So I am glad he handled that situation well. He refunded me my money. He asked for a receipt to confirm what I paid and asked me other questions like if I’ve ever gotten waxed before and if that’s happened. I told him I have and this has never happened before. At least he said he was sorry for the experience. I asked him NEVER to let that lady wax any other customer. I didn’t think he heard me so I am writing this review to make sure potential customers know. She is the short, wider face, older staff member. Please stay...

I am new to the Mt. Vernon neighborhood & was overjoyed that there was a, seemingly, high quality nail salon within a short walking distance from my new home. I was really trying to like this place, however, I'm having a hard time doing so.

I have been here twice already for two different services: mani & pedi; upper lip waxing.

The FIRST VISIT 8/15/17: The former, my nail tech (whose name I don't remember) did a WONDERFUL JOB on my pedicure (I'm still rocking it as I type this review); however, she butchered my manicure. No, seriously. There was blood shed. ON THREE FINGERS. THREE. She cut my cuticles so far back, and even acknowledged that my cuticles were different than what she was used to so she had "to go slowly and carefully". (I don't know why one would rush this step or service). Thankfully I asked for alcohol for myself, as she wasn't going to acknowledge or remedy the bleeding until I said something about it. She had to ask the manicurist next to her where she could locate it. Not cool. I still tipped her $5 for my great pedicure & massage.

THE SECOND VISIT: 8/30/17

Lip waxing. This was a big evening for me so I called ahead to see if there was anyone in particular that did waxing, as sometimes salons like to give you just anyone. My inquiry was met with a vague "anyone can do it here" so I got KATRINA. Let me just say, this was by far THE WORST EXPERIENCE I’VE EVER HAD @ a nail salon. She was very unprofessional & unhygienic. She didn't clean her hands or wear a mask during my service. Thankfully I looked at my lip before I left as she had completely missed THREE different spots, obviously showing her incompetence. I pointed them out & she began waxing again. When I asked her to place the hygienic paper over the pillow again she made an agitated sound and retorted "Yes ma'am!" in a very sarcastic tone. She was so busy trying to tell me about her birth control woes and how it made her have more hair on her face that she completely missed the mark for MY service. During the second waxing round she opened the door, which is something someone does only when the service is complete. Katrina was so rough when wiping the remaining wax off my face, that I took the piece of cotton from her hand & did it myself. This happened a few times. After the service she immediately left (read: stormed out) while I still had the mirror in my hand and began shouting something in her native language where "lip wax" was the only audible English word - obviously talking about our interaction. I informed Ann (who I think is the owner) about the situation and she said she would talk to her. I explicitly stated that I live around the corner and would LOVE to make this my neighbor nail salon but will not return if service will continue to be this way. Ann assured me that there were other people that could do my waxing for the next time. When I went to the restroom, Katrina was sitting by a pedicure chair, on her phone. Obviously proving she had nowhere to be & rushed thru the service just to be rude. I still tipped her $3 as I was thankful for their availability on such short notice.

Honestly, after that experience, I will NEVER RETURN NOR RECOMMEND. For this salon to be "hot & new", you would think their customer service would be top notch. Well, it's not. I issue a strong warning of caution when coming to this place. My search continues as I look for another nail salon with a higher level of quality for customer service in Mt. Vernon. A place where ALL the employees appreciate...

I’m adding on to my mom’s review to give more details. I went to this nail salon in the beginning of April, like April 2nd or 3rd right before my birthday. While the nail design was cute and similar to my inspo, the overall experience was disappointing. The process took four hours, which was way longer than expected, especially considering that only four nails (two on each hand) had designs.

The major issue started after the appointment. Even though my real nails were growing, the acrylics did not come off at all for weeks. Typically, acrylic nails should last around 2–3 weeks before showing signs of coming off, but mine stayed on for over a month without budging. And that has never happened to me before ever! I’ve gotten acrylics done multiple times. They always lasted a reasonable amount of time and lifted when they were supposed to not like this.

Three weeks after my appointment, I went bowling, and one of my nails broke completely while putting on my shoe. The acrylic came off but took my real nail with it, leaving a painful and damaged nail behind. The rest of the acrylic was still attached, making it hard to remove without further damage. On top of that, even after my real nail started healing and growing back, the rest of the acrylic that was still attached was still hard to remove even then.

We contacted the salon, but they seemed unwilling to provide proper assistance, repeatedly asking us to come in for a paid removal instead of offering a solution. It took nearly two months (April to June) for all the nails to finally come off, leaving my real nails extremely weak and damaged. Before that, I tried clipping the acrylic nails to make them shorter because I needed to change my nose jewelry, and it was sooo hard to clip. The acrylic was extremely thick. I’ve never seen anything like it. It came off in chunks every time I clipped them down. It was rough and just overall so thick, which I believe is one of the reasons it was so hard to remove.

What was even more frustrating was that the salon refused to tell us what type of glue or product they used on my nails. That was honestly the only thing I wanted to know so me and my mom could properly take care of it because, obviously, soaking and clipping wasn’t going to be enough. It seemed like whatever they used was excessively strong, as the acrylics didn’t budge at all for nearly two months. There’s no reason any type of nail glue should be that strong to keep the nails on for that long.

Eventually, toward the end of May going into June, the rest of the nails did start to lift, and I was finally able to get them off, but it wasn’t easy. Each nail that came off took the tip of my real nail with it. Again, I’ve never experienced anything like this before. No acrylic set I’ve ever gotten has damaged my nails like this or caused so many problems. I still dont know what products they used or why my nails were so thick and hard to get off, but I'm definitely not going back.

Overall, I do not recommend this salon. The quality and aftercare were far below expectations, and the entire experience was frustrating...