File + Style — Local services in Oakland

It was my first time going to this salon & unfortunately I will never be back. Although I had a reservation, the service was extremely rushed & impersonal. I came in with Gel-X extensions that I reserved a soak-off service for. The nail tech rushed through the soak off process & I could see that a lot of the previous nail was not yet dissolved. When I brought it up to my nail tech, I was told not to worry because I was getting builder gel & that the end result wouldn’t look bulky. I questioned it but moved on. Then I found it extremely odd that I didn’t get any basic cuticle care once the previous set was (for the most part) removed. No buffing, shaping, filing, cuticle push back or trimming of my nails whatsoever. How do you ensure you’re working on a clean, well prepped base without basic manicure care? When I brought this up to the lead nail tech (not sure if this was the owner) I was told that cuticles care is only done when you select a Russian manicure and because I selected a hard gel manicure, cuticle trimming does not come with that and I would need to add that to my service for an additional fee. In what world do you not provide basic nail grooming/care on a manicure? Bizarre. Because of this all of the gunk, debris, glue residue from the removal was still on my nails when she started to apply the hard gel. Needless to say the finished product was extremely messy & lumpy. It was bulky and messy & makes my hands/nail beds look like I have clubbed fingers (no disrespect to those who do). I have never been to a salon where basic nail care is NOT performed before a manicure. It doesn’t matter what kind of manicure it is. Lastly, I was given a very rushed design (it was sloppy, off center, and the polish work was uneven). At this point I just wanted to pay & leave because I knew I would never be back. Upon paying, they had the nerve to push a QR code in front of my face to tip. At first I ignored it, but the young lady ringing me up aggressively waved the paper at me again & said “you can tip here or on the card, which one?”The nerve & audacity. I had to firmly say “I am JUST paying for my service” …I am an avid nail wearer & manicure getter, and I can wholeheartedly say I have never left a nail salon without tipping but I was not taken care of by these people. I have never been more...

The short version is; Do not go here to get your nails done! The owner is unprofessional, they don't honor your tech preferences when you make an appointment with one of the good techs unless they already know you, and there are only two women there who actually have the skill for dip, gel, gel-x but they will just let anyone try on you to make the money. I have been hearing great things about this place for about a year now. I was referred by my friend who owns another beauty business in Oakland and she swears LoAnn (File and Style's owner) is the best. It took me a month to get an appointment because she is very busy but I did not mind and waited until I could book her. I showed up today for my appointment and while I was disappointed with the lack of dip color options and the appearance of salon (flies in waiting area, torn leather on seats and arm rests, dirty bathroom), I figured all that mattered was how my nails turned out. I was greeted by a woman who I now know was the owner LoAnn and explicitly stated I had an appointment with her. Instead, she pawned me off on another woman who I did not know was not LoAnne until another customer came in and asked to speak with her. The woman who ended up doing my nails was nice enough but she did not know how to shape nails at all. I mean lopsided, different shapes and lengths, just a mess. She also had difficulty understanding what I was telling her which I'm fine with if she was skilled and knew what she was doing. I came in with long healthy almond shaped nails and left with short misshapen round nails. I showed her a picture of exactly what I wanted shape and color wise and she simply did not know how to do it. She cut my cuticles with the file to the point that the skin is uneven, peeling, and so sensitive it burns to wash my hands . This is why I asked, made an appointment with, and waited a month for LoAnn! It was so unprofessional that she didn't explain why someone else needed to do my nails especially because she just sat in the front watching the other techs my whole appointment. I get dip every 3 weeks and a monthly pedicure. I was ready to be a lifelong customer. Unfortunately, I will never go back there after such a poor manicure and being treated like my preferences...

I highly recommend File + Style!! I have been going there since Feb of 2021 so while not that long I will say its my favorite salon I have ever been to!! I go to school out in Hawaii and got mine done out there once and never again, I always find myself right back in the doors of this cute little place.

The salon itself is very cute, clean, and the people there I have found are all very sweet! I always feel very welcome when I go inside, I am always greeted with a hello and they are all very accommodating as well.

I am 19 but I love my nails to be the centerpiece for me, I am constantly complimented on my nails and people always ask where I got them done. If you are looking for designs that are really fancy and could take a bit I highly suggest LoAnn, I have requested her every time and oh my god she never disappoints. I plan on going here as long as I can physically can. Price wise I would say it may be on the expensive side to some depending on what u may be looking for BUT please keep in mind that this is hours of hard work going into your nails and as someone who sat through a 3 hour appointment the price is so worth it. The detail and perfection in her work is impeccable, I always have checked in before hand to see if my designs would work and haven’t had any problems. If you are worried about the capability range of the artists I would simply bring in multiple designs as backups in case!!

Regarding cancellations and such because I know its one of the things people have complained about, I read all the reviews and stuff before I had gone there a while back. If we have to think about this from their point of view, when we cancel last minute and they don’t have fees this is time and money they are losing. This is a small business and Covid sucked for everyone but it especially can take hits on places such as this, at the end of the day if u have a problem with it then you can always find somewhere else to go. They have day of walk-ins specifically for this kind of situation if u want to be safe but if u decide to book ahead it states MANY times that there is a cancellation fee after 24 hours so if this is a problem for you I highly recommend just calling day of and seeing if they have...