Paintbox

I mean, it’s fiiiiiine. It’s clean, everyone was friendly enough, and the look book had a nice selection of design options. But for $ 70, I expect gels to last a little longer than 1.5−2 weeks. The polish has even begun to crack/​bubble mid-​nail which I’ve never experienced before. (I work at a computer so it’s not like I’m doing manual labor.)
It was a fun way to spend an hour but prob won’t go back. I usually get my nails done at Primp & Polish on Driggs and those gels last around 3 weeks for a lot less $$.

My gel manicure was hands down one of the best manicure experiences I have ever had! I usually do not like to spend too much money on beauty treatments such as nails, but this was absolutely worth every dollar. Out of all the nail artists, Ana is the best (see below for details).
Paint Box’s products are good for your skin and nails, and the artists who paint your nails are very knowledgeable about what makes for a good, long lasting manicure. The studio and the tools they use are clean, organized, and of the newest skin/​nail friendly brands.
I needed to get a previous gel manicure removed. I was expecting the typical acetone-​heavy scraping session that many standard nail places do. However, to my surprise this was not the case! I am not sure exactly what was used to take off the gel, but it did not burn my skin the way other removals have done at other salons. My fingers were then tightly wrapped in tin foil and my fingers were placed in gloves to keep everything secure. When ready, the gel was scraped off with a wooden tool (rather than a metal probe) which provided a much more pleasant and comfortable experience.
The Paintbox staff are friendly, welcoming, and very accommodating. Upon arrival I was greeted by a very sweet receptionist who took my name and immediately offered me something to drink (coffee, tea, wine, prosecco, etc.). I felt very well taken care of!
I had the honor of getting my nail art done by the very talented Ana. She is meticulous, patient, and a thoughtful nail artist. Ana has been painting nails for several years, and her experience and confidence in what she does certainly comes through. She is warm, easy to talk to, and is very helpful when trying to pick the best design and color for you/​your nail and finger shape. This was particularly helpful for me as not only can I be indecisive, but my nails are nothing like the kinds you see on Instragam pages – they need all the help they can get! She brought out several shades of the colors I was interested in, and tested each color out with my chosen design to help me choose what was right for me. Ana hooked me up with a beautiful manicure. I could not be happier with the end result!

Great experience with Anna, who did an amazing job on my gel mani, and Tanya at the front desk was so accommodating and welcoming! My friend had a much different experience unfortunately (I think she just ended up with someone who was not good), but we were both impressed by the customer service overall.

I visited Paint Box during memorial day weekend and I had such a great experience that weeks later I still feel compelled to leave a review.
I don’t often get my nails painted so I was a little nervous but the nail stylist (is that what they’re called?) was fantastic and explained everything with me.
Nancina took about 80 minutes with my nails and not only upsold me on something that was miles more elegant looking than my original polish but entertained me with stories throughout the entire manicure and even gave me lots of advice on nail care. Nancina was very thoughtful, kind and reassuring.
Though her manager came and unprofessionally admonished her in front of me for upselling me on something that would take a little more time, I still had a fantastic experience.
Next time I go to NYC I am going to Paint Box and requesting Nancina. :) I hope they’re treating her right there.

The best nail experience I’ve ever had! You start of by walking into a modern yet elegant environment. Once you get checked in your handed a book, not the typical nail palletes which you have to sift thru. They have great images of pre done nail arts to chose from. When I had my gels removed they buff it and use a swab with acetone and wrap foil around it to soak it off. I loved their attention to detail they put a drop of cuticle oil so your skin doesn’t get dried out by the acetone. I also loved how they used a mascara brush instead of a cotton swab to clean the nails before they began the process of putting the gel. This ensured there was no fibers left on your cuticles to mess up the gels. My nail technician did it all free hand and was so meticulous. I’ve never seen any nail technician this well trained! I can’t wait to come back next time and get my nails done again!

I’ve come to Paintbox a few times to get my nails done now, and I absolutely love it. The manicurist you get is really important. I highly highly recommend Helen and Samantha.
Helen:
I saw her about a week ago. Her attention to detail is INCREDIBLE. I’m SO lucky I was her last client of the day. She took extra time to make sure every nail was perfect. I had chosen a light blue and half way through (before we put it under the light though), I wanted a darker blue. I felt SO bad, but she said «no problem» and returned with 3 blues and recommended the perfect one that I ended up choosing. Also, I have always had a problem with gel nails because I love my nails short. Thus, they chip off easily. When I told Helen this problem, she took extra time to seal the tip of the nail. I have been getting gel nails for over a year and been a customer at Paintbox for a few months, and NO ONE has ever done this. Helen is so sweet, and I have already booked my next appointment with her.
Samantha:
Samantha is extremely detailed. Her designs ALWAYS look like the ones in the book. She’s a nail artist and her own nails are always works of art as well. She is extremely fun to chat with, and I really recommend her as well.
When I am busy with work and want my nails to last longer, I book an appointment with Helen. When I am planning on going more often, I book an appointment with Samantha.
Tips for newbies:
— Yes, you need to arrive 5 minutes EARLY! I arrived 5 minutes late once and I had to rebook my appointment because I wouldn’t be able to have all 10 nails with designs.
— Yes, they are actually booked back to back almost every day. I always book my appointment 2 weeks in advance and I’m surprised how little time slots there are.
— Their prosecco is DELICIOUS. Chilled, fruity, and perfect. Don’t be shy to ask your manicurist to top it off!

I’M OFFICIALLY HOOKED. This place is perfect as is, but especially for those who want nail art, but don’t know where to start– this is your place. It honestly doesn’t feel like a nail shop at all, more like a loungy coffee shop. They offer you water, coffee, tea etc as well. Everything is so minimal and there’s no clutter to be found. The menu is concise with designs and shades of every color. The manicurists are always friendly, but not overbearing. I think the pricing is pretty reasonable as well, if you think of how much other gel design places are charging.

Got a single color mani from here, no gel or style. Staff was very friendly, was asked if I wanted a refreshment upon arrival, chose prosecco, nails were done really well although I did get a few nail polish bubbles I didn’t notice until I left. The environment was trendy and relaxed, would recommend.
Update: bubbles are gone and nail polish still in place after two full weeks. Pretty stellar job guys! Would definitely recommend and return.

I’ve been here 2x and walked out with a good experience on both occasions. Last time Ana worked on my nails. She was so patient and took her time going through color options with me. She gave really good feedback on what would/wouldn’t work. I’ll be back to see her on my next appt.

Cannot say enough great things! From the unique décor to the MUSIC (totally need your playlists) – the PROSECO – my NAILS – everything about Paintbox is a dream.
In the city for both work and fun, I was in dire need of a mani. While I typically find getting my nails done both daunting and time-​consuming, everything about my experience at Paintbox was relaxing, pleasurable, and just what I needed.
From the warmest of welcomes to the patient & talented gal who did my mani, the entire staff is worth mentioning. Professional yet fun, these girls know their stuff. Their knowledge of technique, nail length/​shape, and the «right» design choice was both impressive and accurate – it’s been a week (in which I have been harder on my nails than I should even admit) and they look as good as the second I left.
Paintbox masters that perfect balance: a friendly, comfortable environment, on point design and talent, and an experience worth taking the time to talk about ;)
Totally nailed it. (sorry, had to)

I recently had my first appointment at Paintbox and I must say, I’m very impressed! Customer service, the layout and vibe are all on point. My service consisted of a Gel Manicure with Beatrice. I am super particular with my nails and am very picky about the shape and cuticles which she perfected both. It’s been 2 weeks since I had done my nails and they still look nearly perfect. Thank you for a wonderful experience that came with a nice glass of white wine!

A few friends and I have become regulars at Paintbox. We always end up with different manicurists every time we come but they have all been awesome!
The gels last a good 3 weeks and I am obsessed with the foils. Paintbox is always a great experience and I love the photo booth to get some cool pictures to put on instagram.
Highly recommend!

Heard and saw so many great things about this place, I was super excited to finally get my nails done here.
Had an appointment, but ended up waiting 25 minutes still. A lot of the guests were automatically offered water, champagne or coffee, I was not until I was practically done with my nails. They have tons of gel manicure designs to choose from and you can customize colors, but I didn’t like how they didn’t want to pull the colors I wanted because it was a hassle for them to bring out the system needed for the particular color. Confused why they even showcased the colors as something they offer then… And hate that they couldn’t do a different design not offered in the book.
For $ 65, I was expecting something over the top, but didn’t really see the hype and my nail chipped 15 minutes after I left. Not planning on going back and definitely not worth the hype.

I have been following the Instagram account for this salon since they opened from where I live in Philly. As a treat my friend booked this for us for Saturday morning during my visit. She booked the design appt for herself and manicure for me with the intention of an accent nail which the website states can easily be added at appointment. The website to book was confusing for the accent portion so we figured we could ask at arrival.
Whoever was working this morning was one of the rudest welcome desk people we had ever encountered. Not only were they not ready for us on arrival but she confirmed there was «no way» she could do anything other than a single color manicure. We explained I was visiting but she just wouldn’t budge. We ended up cancelling both our appointments because of her complete lack of customer service and walked out. My friend and I both will not be back and we’ll be sure to let others know to skip this location.
We ended up at the new Van Court Studio (see write up on Well + Good). Lisa made my day and is awesome! Go there instead!

I enjoyed my experience at paintbox nails. The nail art looks so much better in person then in photos. As of today it has been a full 4 weeks and except for growing out my gel manicure looks perfect. No chips or cracks or nothing! I’m definitely going to come back here to treat myself.
My one suggestion would be that they have «model» nails to show you at the salon itself because you can’t tell how amazing the glitter and foil looks from pictures.

Cindy did a phenomenal job on my gel design! I would definitely recommend her as she is meticulous and makes sure you are happy with everything. She even suggested a design that is more exciting than the conservative one I’d decided on, and it was definitely a better choice.
Also, props to Paintbox for honoring their redo, despite me not living in NY and going in for it like a year later, which is pretty preposterous on my part. Great customer service on this and definitely have been recommending it to all my friends in town.

I was very excited to try this place after looking through the lovely nail designs on the website. When I got to the place I decided to try something simple, since it was my first time.
I was pleased with the end results, but unfortunately the base and design color started chipping within the next two days. The day after, it was one of my nails but in the second day I saw several more chips. I did get a polish design, so maybe the gel designs fair a lot better.
I was really hoping that my nails would last for at least a week, especially with the $$$ I was paying to have them done. I might try this place again, but I would definitely do a gel design instead.
I also have to note that the staff is really friendly and accommodating. I was really happy with the customer service. No complaints in that area.

I just left what would be my last visit to Paintbox. I’ve frequented Paintbox about 5+ times since it opened, and had varying experiences. First, the quality of the manicure will depend on who you get. Because of this, sometimes I leave feeling great and it was worth the premium pricing, other times I feel cheated. Now I just always feel cheated.
When Paintbox opened, it was a nice splurge to go. Cute space, they offer champagne, it’s a convenient spot in soho. The nail photobooth is also a fun idea and great for girls outing Instagram posts. I even got my engagement and wedding nails done here.
Basically, Paintbox has a menu of nail designs that they’ll do. You cannot choose anything outside of the seasonal looks. The most creative you can get is your choice of colors for the design. It’s disappointing, but I was usually able to find something cute to choose. You can choose to do a whole 10-​finger set of nail design, or one accent finger per hand, or of course just a solid color manicure – priced accordingly. I usually get gel manicures here because I want the nail designs to last as long as possible.
Since they’ve opened, they didn’t charge to remove gel polishes. But this last time I came, I removed a gel polish from my last manicure at Paintbox, opted for a regular mani to save a little money, and went to pay and it was $ 80 all up! I asked about it and they decided to start charging for gel removal FOR $ 15!!! And the girl checking me out asked with attitude «have you ever been here before?» responding to my shock, and when I said yes she changed her tone and notified me that it was a change they made 2 weeks ago. Gel removal is $ 5 at any other salon, even without any other service. And it’s not a skill you’re paying for! I think it’s a ridiculous charge.
I can’t justify it anymore. Paintbox is at diminishing returns, and not cute to splurge on anymore. Any other salon can do the same designs and with more creativity. And without the front staff attitude.

Fun place to come with your girlfriends. Receptionist was very sweet and kind, offering us drinks while we selected our nail art designs. We probably only waited 5 minutes or so until our manicurists came to take us to the back. It would have been nice to have a little bit more time to go through the books… but I guess we would have had to come earlier for that. I thought my manicurist did a great job and had great attention to detail. The designs however, while unique, were not intricate enough to warrant the price tag. For that price I’d expect 3D unicorns popping out of my nails (or a hologram would be cool too).
Overall it’s clean, and you’ll definitely get a good manicure coming out of this place. The ambiance while incredibly chic and modern, also felt a bit cold. This may have been due to my manicurist being laser focused.
I’ll probably look for a more affordable nail art place before coming back here.

«Fancy» was made to be played here. Paintbox is like a pink unicorn — glittery and girly, fancy and fun, lavish and luxurious. Definitely not your average, neighborhood nail salon — it’s a treat. I had a gel manicure with design yesterday, and was super impressed with everything from the moment I walked in to the moment I walked out.
I suppose I’ll start with the staff — they’re all sweethearts. Both receptionists and Yolanda, my nail technician, were friendly, welcoming and genuinely sweet girls. Even though it was my first time here, I walked out feeling as if I had been coming here for years. Also, one of the receptionists — unfortunately, I can’t remember her name — refilled my champagne glass every fifteen minutes — thank you! (…I was loving the champagne almost as much as the manicure!)
The actual service — my manicure — was amazing! Like, really, really, amazeballs amazing. I loved Yolanda, she was the perfect combination of talkative/​quiet — like, you don’t want to be sitting in silence, but you want to chill out and relax. It’s a fine line, if you know what I mean. I had the Electric Feel from the Spring/​Summer 2015 Collection. I love, love, love it – it’s my first time with foils and, it’s safe to say, I’m foil-​obsessed. They’re just so pretty — I can’t stop looking at my nails! I was also very impressed with the nail preparation — I’m (very!) picky when it comes to my nails and she did everything perfectly (i.e. shaped, buffed, clipped, etc.)
Price-​wise, it’s not too expensive, but of course, that depends on who you ask. For me, someone who regularly gets a gel manicure with design, it’s «normal.» But, like I said, it’s for when you want to treat yo’ self — have a glass (es) of champagne, lounge and remember to do the mani cam!