Bella Nails & Skin Care

Terrible place! I have never been told how much I needed to pay for a tip and argued with me about the amount not being even to the dollar! The place was empty, and I know why now. The girl did not speak English very well at all and told me what I wanted. I walked out with more product on my hands than on my nails! My nails look like crap and the pink she used for my pink and whites do not match! The place has not been cleaned in forever — inches of dust all over! Will not be going back!

I went in Bella nails because I love the name of the salon. I also kept thinking of it when I drove by it. Here’s the scoop. I went to Joy nails across the street by Petco, an Macaroni Grill, Barnes and Noble, etc the first time I went in or a pink powder acrylic set and white tips and gel overlay to Joy nails… they put tips on me and cut them square when I told them I wanted they natural, –they were so sharp I scratched myself-​so I went back and the lady who did my nails got yelled at when I showed the owner how sharp my nail tips were-​and as a result, I felt very uncomfortable, and they totally were closed every time I needed to get a fill. So,.one day, (I by passed the KC Nail salon, that I had been to once, (in the Carlsbad mall area-​I had their price sheet and felt they were a tad high in price) and then walked into Bella Nails, where I had picked up a price sheet earlier in the week out of sheer morbid curiosity.
*****
At Bella, Luan fixed my nails the way I had wanted them. She fixed the weird stuff that was obviously lifted acrylic, and made them perfect. She even cleaned under my nails where the other girl from the other salon had left icky gunk. Luan was amazing. While I was there, there were several women who came in, obviously rushing, and wanting to jockey for a chair, I remember two women had to come back, but that there was a woman who’d made an appointment, and rightly, she got her nails done on time. (Not me-​I was a walk-​in) Luan is quick and professional, and kind. She saw one look at my nails, and took the extra time it took to get them done right despite having to ask some patrons to come back in a few minutes, if they could. (They did-​because they were repeat customers and they knew how well she does their nails. These people were obviously satisfied repeat customers who had brought Luan some goodies-​cookies, I seem to remember.) I live local and was not in a rush, and felt that Luan took the time out that I needed to get my nails done right, and for me, that matters the most. The fact that Luan is just a genuinely sweet person really never hurt. I understood why the lady who brought her the cookies might have wanted to do so for Luan, if that is how she treated every customer. It was genuinely good service, and I recommend them to anyone. I’m putting my full name because I want people to know I’m not just posting something anonymously-I’m putting my name behind it, and that, should say something.
Suzan Fujimoto

Wish I would have checked the Unilocal reviews before I wasted $ 80 at this place. The other reviewers are right; the place is empty (NOT a good sign), they shamelessly upsell, and I got the absolute worst pedicure and gel manicure.
I started by asking the girl why they were so empty and she said I had just missed the rush. I doubt it. The only reason I ended up at this place was because my usual place (Color Nails) was packed and I didn’t have time to wait.
I asked the girl which would last longer, gel polish or fills and she said the gel polish. She said it will last 3 weeks. I have gotten about 2 and a half weeks out of it at other salons, so I knew 3 weeks was a stretch. How about 3 days? The polish lifted and peeled after 3 days.
The woman doing the pedicure did the most half assed job. Didn’t use a pumice stone and she pulled on my cuticles so hard that they bled… and bled. She just kept putting pieces of tissue on it and then painted over it. It was so unprofessional.
The manicurist insisted I get my eyebrows waxed because «I needed it,» and seriously left them pencil thin. Ridiculously thin.
After seeing how horrendous the pedicure was (its still scabbed), my fiancé begged me to demand a refund and I really should have.
This place is unprofessional, and truthfully I doubt all their staff is licensed.
Don’t waste your money and don’t risk getting an infection.

I wish I had read the reviews on Unilocal!before I chose to get my nails done at Bella. Then I wish I’d have trusted my gut when it did not look all that clean. My pedicure was very basic and today looks like a 12 year old did it. And my set of nails is horrible. I had two nails with the gel on my skin and the manicurist actually broke my skin with the nail drill. I will not ever go back to Bella. The salon was empty and the two employees were napping when I arrived, their time would have been better served cleaning.

Completely empty on a Friday afternoon. Should have been a clue.
Not at all impressed with the cleanliness and I’m really wondering how they pay the rent.
Pedicure was pretty minimal — more like a polish change, but why so much soap in the water? There were bubbles all over the place! And stop trying to upsell me.
I came here because I had some time to kill before dinner but I probably won’t be back. I’ll stick with my usual place. Nail Club at College & Mission

I just moved here and a friend suggested it. The sales ladies try to upchrge for everything. The pedicure and manicure weren’t good. My hands look chewed up. And they don’t clean their tools. I was goingto callthe health department. One women getting herbpedicure clearly had nail fungus and thy said nothing. They just use a brush to clean the tub and manually wiped the tools and put into a box. Try didn’t even use the barbersol. Disgusting.

Desperate to find a decent nail salon I tried Bella today. There is a reason the place was empty! Immediately I got the hard sell to have waxing which I fell for and then had a weird rash on my face the next day — truly lovely. I couldn’t place the unusual odor in the place but was trying so hard to enjoy my pedicure I ignored it. However my fingernails are not filed evenly and although I took my own polish, the woman doing my manicure must have used old top coat because 45 minutes later I put a big gouge in one. I got the hard sell for extra services with my pedicure but I think that happens at all of these place. They get one star for being friendly.

I went here today for a mani/​pedi. I moved to Carlsbad last year and have been trying to find a decent nail salon since then. I tried Cheer Nails (right across the street from Bella) and Carlsbad Salon District in Carlsbad Village. Cheer Nails was good the first time (except for all the pushing of upsells) but they cut my toe pretty bad the second time. Carlsbad Salon District had good reviews on Unilocal,but the first time I went, the girl cut my toenail so short it hurt for 4 days afterwards. By far the most pain I’ve ever been in from a pedicure.
So…I tried Bella Nails today. The pros — friendly and less pushy with the upsells (although I was still asked 3 times). The cons — they still didn’t cut my fingernails evenly (why can NOWHERE do this!?), they charge extra for some things that other places do for free, and they were kind of slow. I wasn’t bleeding or in pain when I left, though, so that’s an improvement from the last 2 places! I might be back if I can’t find somewhere else nearby.

I go to this place because of how close it is to my house. Lu-​An is the one I see to have a fill or new set put on. She is a very hard worker for her family here and family in her home country. She is there all the time so I know I can go 7 days a week. Prices are good on a fill but not good for a pedi. They charge for anything upgraded from putting your feet in warm water and cutting toe nails. I suggest if you have someone you like going to already no need to change for this place.

I went here only because a friend gave me a gift cert. for a mani/​pedi. I was knocked up at the time and the girls were very nice about propping me up and making sure I was comfortable. But basically this is just another ghetto nail salon. Since I’m a sucker, they completely guilt-​ed me into getting the scrub and moisturizing treatments I ended up paying $ 40 even AFTER my gift certificate!
Lame.