Mini Nails Nail Salon

This was the first nail salon I tried after moving to Chicago, and they already have a customer for life! Irene did an amazing job with my acrylics, and her shaping was beyond on point. Not to mention, I came for a fill and she managed to fix my botched job from a different salon!

My favorite local spot– there’s almost never a wait and my nails are always meticulously done. I usually get a pedicure and no chip manicure and they last forever. OPI no chip #52 is my favorite!

Such a wonderful little nail salon! Lee and Anne Marie are so sweet and accommodating! They’re also the best nail artists I’ve had in Chicago. Lee’s no-​chip manicures last me 4 – 5 weeks and I get so many compliments. I won’t go anywhere else!

This review is for Lee specifically although all the ladies create and comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. I have known Lee from her well-​established location, Rainbow Nails on Peterson and Lincoln. She is one of the few people who still does acrylics that don’t really lift. I meant to post this review sooner but as you can see after almost 2 weeks my nails still look great! Try the Vinylux Polish, ($ 2 more) even on a natural nail mani it has lasted SUPER well.

I am very meticulous with acrylic nails, and I recently came to get a full set. I paid $ 28 for a FILL-​IN, way more than I do at my usual spot (it was after work and urgent), and not to mention that within a week and a half, I had lifting on two nails and one broke. I usually manage a full set for at least 4 weeks (although not recommended, my nails do not grow out quickly and I am extremely careful with hygiene, oiling them and caring for them to ensure they stay on). In addition, she insisted on taking off my tips to charge me for each new tip applied, so I am glad that did not happen or I would have paid a lot more.

I really like my full set. They’re perfect and every minor preference I have regarding the shape and overall look of the nails were adhered too. Plus, this may have been the quickest full set I’ve ever gotten and I she even had to remove my old set. Overall, I’m really pleased and I think Mini Nails just replaced my old go to around the corner!

So, I tried mini nails last summer when I moved here and always been a fan of the regular mani/​pedi. But about two months ago I went in to get my typical manicure, when the gentleman who works there (I’m terrible with names!) suggested I try a no-​chip. I’ve always been nervous about trying it because I’ve had really bad experiences with gel, so I reluctantly agreed…
Definitely wouldn’t go back to the normal mani that lasts one week (if you’re lucky). My no-​chip lasted for 3 weeks, in nearly perfect condition. 3WEEKS! It was fantastic!
However, I went in last Monday to have them removed and another no-​chip. Unfortunately I was really disappointed that by that same Friday I had a chip already on my thumbnail. By Monday I had ⁵⁄₅ chipped.
I just called and told them, and they offered to fix them for me this week. Hopefully it lasts longer this time around!

Been going there for close to 8 years. They are friendly, do a great job, and there is never a long wait.

Worst manicure ever! I thought I would try Mini Nails one afternoon and that was the biggest mistake! My manicure bubbles on all my nails and took over and hour to dry. They then chipped right away and almost ever nail has broken, which is not typical since I have really strong nails! Finally when I took the nail polish off the tips of all my nails are scratched! I now need to get another manicure to try and fix them, but I will definitely not be doing it at Mini Nails!

In light of all the bad reviews, I am compelled to write about my amazing experience. I rarely get acrylics but today, I went in and they were so helpful and kind. She walked me through everything she was doing to my nails, and they turned out better then any mani I’ve ever gotten. Definitely go here if you want acrylics. They also do all types of designs.

I have been going to mini nails for over a year and the technician are efficient and fast. Today my experience was terrible. 5 days ago I made an appointment, which they forgot, so the had me waiting for 45 minutes with my feet soaking wet. I had a technician start my pedi and she was in such a hurry she cut my toe. Another one finished it and did my mani. I asked her for my nails to follow my finger shape and cut them short, she dir cut them square and in a hurry and almost cut my finger. The nails are all irregular and are not even file properly, they are rough and each slanting to a different direction. I need it to go to a wedding, but I will have to redo my nails myself. It is embarrassing to have this kind of manicure. I can do a much better job than they have. I just posted a photo of my manicure. The lacquer doesn’t cover my nails, it has already peeled off and it has only been 5 hours since I got it done. I will not be coming again. I’ve tried several technicians and I can’t recommend any of them. I am really disappointed.

I just adore Mini Nail, it’s that simple. Lee, Irene, Annmarie, and the rest of the crew are thoughtful and professional. They know me and make it a point to ask about how I’ve been, plus they give great mani/​pedis. I recommended them highly!!!

My friend got a gorgeous manicure with design, which was the only good thing to come out of this visit.
I got a set of gels. I had the same problem here that I have at basically every nail salon — they treat it like a factory. They want your nails done as quickly as possibly so they can get your money & kick you to the curb so they can keep churning out barely passable work.
Not only did the nail artist insult my choice of shape for my nails, she managed to nick me THREE times with the grinder. When I made a noise of discomfort on the third time, she patronized me by going «oh oh, boo hoo» with a smile on her face as if that would somehow make it okay to be rude. When she applied the acetone to remove excess polish, it burned like a mother in each of the three scrapes she caused. She effed up my polish on more than one nail. When I asked her to fix the worst of it, she acted put out & just globbed some more polish on there and shooed me away.
It has only been 4 days & I am already in drastic need of a polish change due to her rushed job. I will not be going back to Mini Nails for that, obviously.

Saw a sign in the window advertising $ 32 for a mani/​pedi Monday-​Wednesday, so decided to walk in. Didn’t have an appointment, but only a short wait.
It seems that some other reviewers have had bad experiences, but I found the staff perfectly friendly. Everything seemed clean. They have a great color selection (especially Essie and OPI), which I was happy with. I was in yesterday and my nails look great! I’m still seeing dry, dead skin on my heels, though — which is why I’m giving them four stars instead of five.
I could see myself going back in the future if I just want a manicure — the price is right and they were able to do my nails quickly without being sloppy.

I have been a customer since I moved to chicago in 2007. I just can’t go anywhere else! I love the ladies that work there and the service is always top notch. LOVE THEM. I am forever a client of theirs!

I get «no chip» manicures every 2 – 3 weeks, Im obsessed. I wasnt able to go to my normal salon, so I decided to give this salon a try. It was hands down the worst manicure I have ever received, ever!
I left the salon bleeding from my fingers. My no chip had bubbles and obvious streaks, my friends assumed that I had done my nails on my own. There is a reason I don’t do my own nail, because I am terrible at it.
They tried to make a color for me and failed. Then gave me attitude and made me feel bad when I didnt like what she had created. I felt rushed and like I was in the way.
It takes a lot for me to write a bad review, but I got my nails done a week ago and they are already peeled off.
If you do go, make sure you bring cash for tip… you can’t add tip on your CC charge, not that they deserve it.

So I read Unilocal,but now that I’m back to being single and every dollar counts I’m writing to help girls out!!! I went here cause I pass it on my way to tan, so today I stopped in it a mani/​pedi and I WILL go back. It was relaxing and the best place I’ve been in a LONG time. She didn’t rush and took care of me as if I was her most important client of the day. They were busy and I was pleased she didn’t rush at all!!!

Blech.
I came here for a pre-​wedding (not my own, obviously) mani/​pedi based on the Unilocal reviews and that is is steps from mi casa. I was disappointed with the entire experience.
I will say that my friend that came with me got one of the good ladies here and her nails looked awesome and she was happy. Even when she nicked it while they were drying, her woman insisted on fixing it even though it was my friend’s fault. I was very jealous of her good experience.
I, unfortunately, got the guy. My toes are okay, but my feet were super dry when I left. My nails? Are a MESS. I got a french manicure and it seriously the worst one I’ve ever had. One of the women kept coming over to see what he was doing, and I wish she had SAID something or taken over, but she let it happen. They are cut uneven, and the polish was jacked up in a few places before I even left (by no fault of my own, it was because of shoddy application). I pointed out one nail to him when we were still at the table and he seemed annoyed that he had to fix it. The nail was still messed up, so I just shut my mouth because I had already been there 2 hours and just wanted to leave.
Also, they overcharged me. Mani/​pedis are $ 32 on certain days, and I was on there on one of those days. I heard the woman tell him to run my card for $ 32, and I didn’t notice until this morning that he ran it for $ 4 more. It’s only $ 4 so I’m not going to go back and be all, WTF, but it just added to the bad taste in my mouth.
I don’t go for mani/pedi’s very often, but if I need one again I definitely won’t be coming back here.

I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with Mini Nails. I came here one day after work and absolutely fell in love. Its rare that I don’t have a groupon, living social, loot, ect for a beauty services. With companies like these, it seems like I have been racking them up and saving them for a rainy day! But like everything, I waited to make an appointment until that day and every place I had deals for were booked. As I was on my way home I decided to pop into Mini nails to try it out (after all manicures are only about $ 15).
First off, I always notice the polish collections in nail spas. I’m a huge Essie fan and you gotta have an extensive selection of neutral to please my color blind vision. Mini nails had the best selection of Essie Neutrals I have seen in quite sometime.
Next, the cleaning of the nails. She soaked them in warm water, its very rare these places will ever get the temperature correct so I was shocked. Then as she put on the cuticle removed and moved my cuticles off my nails I felt pressure. Pressure? Pain? something I want to feel when they do this, but somehow never do. I could really tell she was cleaning them up good for me. Next when it came to trimming the cuticles, she did a great job. She wasn’t afraid to rip all that dead skin right off. My kinda lady!
Finally the actual polish was great. She filed my nails exactly the way I wanted them to be and didn’t push me into cutting them all the same length (growing nails is harder than it looks!) The color job was superb and I the price was on point (I believe $ 13 for a manicure).
The only time I can see myself going back her, however, is when I run out of groupons. My stash is quite large and I just don’t see it happening. But if Mini Nails had a groupon, I would totally snatch the maximum quantity allowed!

Great service and the wax too!
They even oil your toes to put in your boots so your pedi stays. They even put my boots on for me. I don’t go anywhere else, and they are much cheaper than the other salons on Broadway.
Street parking.