Red Nails

Nina M., you know you’re my girl. In fact, it was your recommendation that brought me to this nail shop to begin with! But after having my own Red Nails experience, I’m gonna have to disagree with you about it being a 5 star establishment.
The shop is on Livernois off of the Davidson, so I knew the area I was getting myself into. But, as long as I was gonna get a great mani/​pedi, it’s all good. I walked in and the front waiting area was full of people lounging on the couches and chairs, I thought «oh man, now I’m gonna have a wait…» Nope. Turns out it was all the employees. Who, upon my entering, just clammed up their conversation and looked at me silently for a good moment, before asked what they could help me with. That started things out w an awkward tone.
Whatever. Moving on.
As I sat getting my pedi, I had a straight view right in front of me of their waxing services. Typically, a shop will have a small room of some sort for the waxing. Red Nails has a folding chair. That sits in the middle of the shop, with a white piece of paper taped to the wall above it, reading «Eyebrows $ 8» in hand written black Sharpie. I guess their regular customers don’t mind, because while I was there a few women came in to sit in the chair, on display, and hold a battery powered fan up in front of their faces while a woman waxed their brows. Very odd. Nina had raved about the hot towel at the end of a pedicure, and I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately it wasn’t so much a relaxing warm towel, but more of a scalding hot rag… burned my legs and looked like someone had just got done washing their car with it. Disappointing.
Typically, you choose you color before you sit in the pedi chair and the technician paints your toes as the last step before you move from the seat. Well I was done, and my toes were bare of color, but the woman was gesturing to me to get up and move to the mani area. I was confused, but did as I was told. I sat down w a new technician, prepared to just leave bare toed. As he was preparing my hands, my pedicure technician reappeared, plopped indian style on the floor next to me, yanked my chair turning my body to the side, and proceeded to paint my toenails from the floor, in the middle of the mani area. Again — kinda weird.
All the signs in the shop are hand written on paper and taped to the wall. They charge $ 1 extra if you want OPI polish, which I think is silly, given that it’s standard at all other nail shops and I don’t feel like their base prices here ($ 45 for mani & pedi both) are cheaper than any other place, to justify having it as an «add on.»
By time my mani was finished, I was ready to leave. When I got in my car I noticed that a few fingers had paint on the cuticles that should have been cleaned up. At this point, I didn’t feel like going back in.
So like I said… Nina M., you’re my girl, and I’m glad you like it here. But for my money, I’m gonna head elsewhere next time.

Drake said it best: «Hair done, nails done, everything did». Time moves on and places change, but Red Nails is still consistently great. The hot towel after a good pedicure seals the deal every time. I love that you walk in and the smell of acrylic doesn’t overwhelm you. They do eyebrow waxing, which I dare have not tried.
Staff is very attentive and they get you in and out. As the economy changes at least they know a lady needs her piggy’s fresh and polished for the spring!