Essential Beauty Bar

Still amazing! This is my go to place for the past 4 refills of shellac. I always take the risk of going in as a walkin! But they’re pretty quick every time

This salon is clean, easy to get to (right at osgoode station) and the staff are always friendly and fast. They have a great selection of nail polish and from my experience, also do a great job with waxing eyebrows. I would suggest making an appointment if you are heading there after around 5PM.

Great little spot to get a mani/​pedi! I went there with my friend and Mary did my nails, she was super sweet and accomodating. I’m really particular about my nails & Mary did a great job shaping and painting my nails. I will definitely be returning for a touch up in a few weeks! I only left out 1 star because the Playlist could use an update, I love Shania Twain but not every song!

The chipping of my nails continued and I went to other salons and haven’t had any issues since, so I am attributing the nail chipping to the quality of product used or application.

This was my first visit to this Beauty Bar. I usually go elsewhere but wanted to try somewhere closer to home today for convenience.
I was a walk-​in but ended up scheduling for an hour later than my arrival due to them being a bit busy & I wanted a few things done. They do take walk-​ins but sounds like they get a lot of appointments & this may be a smart idea next time.
When I re-​arrived for my appointment I was taken in right away. They were super quick but did a great job! I had some waxing done, shellac manicure & a classic pedicure in just over an hour. The price was pretty reasonable I think in comparison to other nail salons in Toronto (just over $ 75 for everything).
The place was really clean & the staff were super nice as well. I will definitely be going back here again.

Great service. Vicky did a wonderful, quick job on my shellac removal and manicure. The price is reasonable. The salon is very clean. They have a wide selection of Shellac polishes. They took me in on a walk-​in basis on a Friday afternoon. I will definitely be back!

I opt for a manicure/​pedicure at least once a month, and due to time constraints I opted to try Essential as it is close to where I live.
This is a «cute», clean and bright location — and there were plenty of staff available to provide service, however, the positives for me stop there.
I needed one gel nail fixed, and wanted an overall fill (I was about 3 weeks into my current set). I was initially quoted $ 35. During the fill, was told for an «extra» $ 5, I could have «a pretty pink gel», of which I politely declined (up-​selling). Then, the entire fill took 1.5 hours. Far too long compared to regular salons.
Finally, I went to pay — and was told it would be $ 55. $ 6 dollars to fix the nail, and another extra charge for the white tips (which I already had previously).
I’m a fan of transparency and don’t appreciate price surprises, or slow service. The end product looked «okay», however, I’ve had much better for a cheaper, more efficient experience.
I’ll take my business elsewhere. Should you choose to go — be sure to pay upfront to avoid any secret charges.

Super friendly, opens early (10am?) and very clean. They have the newer colors which I liked. I got a pedi for $ 30 I think. Good price for my dry flaking feet that needed some serious care. Overall very satisfied.

I was in Toronto planning and executing a convention. and was staying for a few days afterwards with my husband. I saw many good reviews from others for this place so thought I would try it out. I had such a great experience! I did an essential mani and pedi and it was so relaxing. My tech, Cindy, did a great job and was very detail-​oriented. I don’t know when I will be back in Toronto but when I am, that is a place I would try again.

The best thing about this place is the price: $ 12 manis. Cleanliness is good too. I came in at the exact hour of opening and all of the manicurists were busy with other customers… I was confused. So I asked: you open at 12, right? (its 12:01). Response: yes. How long for a manicure, I ask? 5 minutes, maybe 10. Ok, great, I’ll wait. 15 minutes go by and I ask: how much longer? She responds: I don’t know, we are short staffed today. Huh?! So I left in a huff but came back later that day because I had a mani emergency. I’m happy now that my nails look nice but come on… a little customer service would not hurt your business! Oh and also, they do not have nail dryers. A nail salon without nail dryers?!

I travel often to Toronto and am very picky about my nails. I have been on road for a few weeks and unable to go to my regular place at home so looked to Unilocal for help. I found this place, read the reviews and looked at the pictures and figured I’d give it a shot.
From the outside, I was a bit scared, however as I entered (it’s upstairs), I was pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness, the layout and the facility in general.
I decided to go for the «essential» mani/​pedi which is their most expensive option ($ 74 total) and it did not disappoint and was a full hour fifteen of pampering. The scrub and lotions they use are top quality and the experience was very pleasant. The polish appears quality (a lot of them use that drop stuff and it makes the polish weak and not last).
The ladies spoke little to no English, but that didn’t bother me as I wasn’t there to talk.
Very nice experience and I will definitely be back on my next trip (s)!

Loved it! Got the express mani for $ 12 and it was just what I needed. Cuticle work, filing and beautiful polish job :) Loved the spa too, very cute! Definitely be back.

I got the express mani/​pedi — I wish I could remember exactly how much it was but it’s definitely a you-​get-​what-​you-​pay-​for deal. There was no scrubbing, rubbing, or rinsing — just polish removal, nail-​filing, cuticle-​clipping, and a fresh paint job. I did ask for a little design for my big toes — $ 6 extra — but the girl forgot to do it until she started my hands and by that time I just wanted to finish and leave.
My nails and toes looked good when I left but I had to be careful because they didn’t have a drying station. It would have been nice if my nails hadn’t been drip-​drying as I dashed out the door…
The manicure lasted maybe five days or so in good condition, which is pretty typical anytime I get a manicure. The pedicure still looks good though, no chips anywhere that I can see and it’s been close to three weeks, so no complaints there!

I’ve been here about 4 or 5 times and i’ve only ever had a positive experience.
Good pedis that last a month and a good price point. Their monthly specials are not to be missed! The March Special is a full set of gel overlays for $ 35. So far i’ve had them 10 days and they still look fantastic!
The girls here are sweet if you care to get to know them. I will continue to go here.
If you want fancy (and are prepared to pay more for it) try The Ten Spot.

I’ve been back here a few times, and seriously, I think it was a fluke that they did my eyebrows nicely the first time. It was already shaped nicely to begin with, so it didn’t even require that much effort.
The next few times when I let the eyebrows get bushier they made me look like my eyebrow was a line that thinned out at the end… what a disaster, and the worst part is that I never realize how bad it is until after I get home. Why, oh why.
They’ve also taken off the student discount sign.

Fan-flippin’-tastic!
We came here a few days before my sister’s wedding and, with a mere reservation, got the royal treatment. For $ 50 for a french combo, we were given precise, beautiful work. Sheila works wonders with a brilliantly steady hand; this is the best french pedi I’ve ever had, hands-​down (2 weeks later and it’s still immaculate). They even repaired my sister’s broken nail so she could exchange rings with confidence.
In a land where you can trip outside one mani/​pedi spot and find yourself flung into the turquoise-​watered tub of another, it’s so nice to see that quality, cleanliness, and service still rate. Suffice to say, you, Essential Beauty Bar, have nailed it. (Thanks, I’ll be here all week.)

7 day update…
Mani started chipping after only 3 days. I mean, my line of work IS very labour intensive and down ‘n dirty so it was bound to happen… not…so why is my mani chipping after only a few days? Boo.
Pedi still going strong 7 days later. Ace!
Down to 2.5 stars — I’m off to see Lily for a moonicure!

I would not go here or to any other nail salon. I know an individual who contracted a nasty case of athlete’s foot from the Essential Beauty Bar. In case you didn’t know, athlete’s foot is highly contagious and can be spread.
After hearing this story I decided to do some investigation of my own. I asked Toronto Health if they checked out beauty/​nail salons or have some type of review process (pass/​conditional/​fail). They do, but only 1 time per year and they come announced. Apparently even if they are offenders the city cannot legally shut them down. This doesn’t give me any piece of mind at all!
Word to the wise, give yourself the mani/​pedi.