PamperMe Nail Spa in Fells Point — Local services in Baltimore

I stumbled into Pamper Me and was warmly greeted by Bryan. When you walk-in you’ll notice the overall glamorous design and feel of the space - beautiful high ceilings, bright lightening, and modern furniture design. You’ll also notice the soothing Bath and Body Works like aroma throughout the space. Oh and wait, can we talk about how amazing their pedicure spa chairs are! They are high off the ground so you feel like you’re literally sitting on a thrown and I love the space between the chairs so you don’t feel like you’re on top of your neighbor - same goes for the manicure stations. They have delightful refreshments - standard bottled water (not the silly mini ones!), multiple wine options, sodas and snacks too. The music inside is awesome with a great surround sound. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a ritzy, trendy, and fashionable ambiance! Also, with COVID in mind, they take great caution. They take your temperature as soon as you walk in, have you wash your hands, and there are heavy duty partitions at both manicure and pedicure stations.

Let’s start off with the fact that I came in super high maintenance for my appointment LOL. I came in on a snowy day looking like the Abominable Snowman with multiple layers and accessories and they patiently helped me get settled and immediately offered something to drink or to snack on. I came in knowing I wanted to treat myself to a bit more sparkle and flashiness in design than normal, but I had no clue what I wanted. I pretty much got a full in house consultation as they expertly helped me talk through, layout and decide on the design of each nail on both my fingers and toes. They were attentive enough to draw out a few designs on false nails so I could see it before committing. They even looked up designs on Pinterest for me and even entertained me pulling up too many to count examples that I found on Instagram and wanted to show them. What I appreciated most, is their honesty. They weren’t afraid to say what their strengths and limitations are when it came to a design. As if they had not done enough entertaining my neediness already, they called the appointment behind me to let them know they needed to reschedule because they were over time with their current appointment (me!). I was very thankful for this gesture. They didn’t want to rush my experience nor keep their other customer waiting. Final bonus I want to make mention of when it comes to service - in light of the holiday season, I received a 9 oz. bottle of Bath and Body Works foaming hand soap!

OK, I want to talk about the nail technicians directly. Big shoutout to Mark and Tina. Mark did my PamperMe Infinite pedicure. He is super attentive to detail, thoughtful, and creative! I have really bad callus and he made my feet feel like brand new. Also, let me tell you about this man’s foot massage abilities…A-MA-ZING. Every technician who has ever done my feet to date gives a basic, yet relaxing, foot rub. Mark, on the other hand, actually knows how to feel for the pain points in your foot like a professional massage therapist. His foot massages are so good, I may genuinely consider asking if they can accommodate a 30 minute foot massage with him because I have bad foot pain. That’s how good it was! Moving onto Tina, who did my gel manicure. Tina is a perfectionist, a great listener, and makes great design suggestions. I mean, just look at the pictures of the job she did (attached to post)!!! She cleaned up my nail bed perfectly, got the length and shape of my nails down perfectly, and laid the polish down perfectly. I’ve NEVER been more pleased!

Not only am I a sucker for a luxury experience and ambiance, more importantly - I love an amazing story. I’m going to wrap up my review by giving a major shoutout to both Tina and Bryan. They are the wonderful couple that own this new, small business. Together they make a beautiful team that perfectly shaped the full PAMPERED treatment that I experienced. Wishing them much success and I can't wait to come...

The technicians at this salon do good work when they aren’t rushed, but I’ve had ongoing challenges with French designs. I always prefer a deep French style and make sure to show reference photos, calmly explain my preferences, and maintain a soft-spoken and patient tone throughout. I’ve also always tipped to show my appreciation for their time and effort. Despite this, there seems to be hesitation or frustration when I request small adjustments, such as refining the lines or adjusting the thickness.

I understand that French nails don’t have to be perfect, especially when done freehand, but they should at least be uniform. Each nail should follow the same style without completely different variations, as that’s the beauty of a French design.

Unfortunately, the owner has outright called me “picky” and, before even starting, frequently gives disclaimers that the design won’t be perfect. Each time, there’s a different reason for this, such as claiming to have an unsteady hand or even mentioning a sinus infection. I find this concerning—not only because it discourages confidence in the service, but also because working around fumes while sick seems unsafe for both the staff and clients.

I’ve visited five times and tried different technicians to give the salon a fair chance. However, every time I request even one small adjustment to a French design, the technician will completely wipe off the work and refuse to continue. This has happened so often that I’ve left with solid nude nails twice because they simply wouldn’t finish the design. I suspect this is at the owner’s instruction, as she was the one who did my nails the first two times and seemed to take issue with any feedback I gave.

One technician, Wendy, did a beautiful job with minimal corrections during a previous visit, so I requested her again this time. However, I was told she wouldn’t be comfortable doing my nails, which was surprising since she handled the design effortlessly before.

This entire experience has been disappointing because I always communicate clearly, respectfully, and with patience. French designs are a staple and should be achievable with ease in 2025.

While the salon is conveniently located and offers Gel X, I’ve decided not to return. I hope this feedback helps the team improve, as they have the potential to create a much more welcoming and...

So I Made A Call To This Establishment To Schedule An Appt, As I Had Been With My Prior Nail Tech For 4 Years & Felt It Was Time For A Change. The Owner Brian Advised That There Were Some Customers In Front Of Him That He Needed To Check Out, Thereafter He Would Call Me Back. I Allowed For Him To Take Care Of His Customers, & Sure Enough His Wife I Believe Named Tina Called To Schedule My Appt. They Were Both Extremely Friendly & More Than Willing To Accomodate My Request For A Fill/VIP Pedicure. From There I Was Super Excited/Confident That Things Would Go Exactly The Way I Am Used To (Upscale Manner).

Fast Foward To Today, My Appt Was @4:30PM. Parking May Be A Hassle So Please Allow Yourself Time For That (I Paid). Upon Entering Brian Was Extremely Welcoming & Warm. Advised Me To Pick Out My Color & They Would Get Me Set Up. Elsa (Who Was As SWEET/PERSONABLE As She Could Be) Did My Pedicure Which Was Awesome, She LISTENED To My Requests/Made An Adjustments That Were Needed. I Was Shocked To Find That She Would Not Be Doing My Nails As I Was Extremely Satisfied With Her Work/Diligence On My Feet.

So Here's Where Things Take A Turn .. I Was Advised By Brian (Owner) That Kevin/Kelvin Would Be Doing My Nails .. Firstly He Had Me Waiting IN WHICH I HATE So That Set The Tone For Our Interaction. Kelvin Was EXTREMELY Cold, Un-Welcoming, & Flat Out Seemed As If He Did Not Want To Be There, Nor Service Me For That Matter. He Told Me NO On A Polish Request (In Which I Also DO NOT LIKE Especially When I'm PAYING You For A Service In Which By The Way Was NOT CHEAP.) So Needless To Say Mr. Kelvin Got FIRMLY Put In His Place By None Other Than ME. Clearly There Were Bubbles On His Brain & He Needed ReAssurance As To WHO He Was Servicing.

He Did Not Even As So Much Put A DRYER In Front Of My Nails To Dry Them, Another Tech Walking By Had To Get A Fan To Place In Front Of My Nails In Order To Help Them Dry. This Must Be The Reason That GEL POLISH Was Being Pushed Onto Me Because There Was No Space To Sit & Dry Your Nails. Sigh

I Had High Hopes For This Establisent, But Due To Kevin/Kelvin's (Whatever The Hell His Name Is) Smug Attitude/Unprofessional Demeanor I Will Save My Time & $$ And Go Elsewhere. See How ONE BAD APPLE Can Spoil...