IL Girasole Beauty Spa

not happy with this place. I was in town i February and needed a fill, they refused to do a fill in acrylic so i had to pay for a soak off to get a full set of gel. fine. then as the lady was cutting them she argued with me about the length i wanted so i cut them myself. i asked for a massage in the beginning so when i finally got one she was extremely aggressive to where i had bruises the next day, clearly she was pissed at me
over the nails. Then I was told $ 55 for the nails and massage in the beginning and magically that turned into $ 107 before tip, i was so unhappy with this place it disgusts me. I will not return or ever recommend them. Not to mention a week later two broke and one chipped, $ 110 for nails and bad service and they didnt even last. Very upset with my experience here.

Looks like this place is hit or miss for other Unilocalers, but I’ve never had a problem with Il Girasole. This has been my go-​to place for nails with my roommate for the past year. Very recently, I got a mani pedi for a formal event, and I messed up two of my nails right when I got back home. I walked in the following day and they touched them up without any charge — I really appreciated that. I will continue to come to Il Girasole whenever I’m in the area.

I used to love this place and exclusively got my manis done here, but after today I know I won’t be going back. Right before I was supposed to get the polish on, the receptionist came and took over instead. And she did a terrible job. I was cringing the entire time she was doing my nails. Once I went over to the dryers, I noticed that there was dust embedded into all of my nails. My pinkies were especially bad so I asked her to redo them, but honestly, all of it had to be completely redone. Had I had more time to spend there, I definitely would have asked for someone else to redo them because this was an absolute atrocity. Uneven coats, air bubbles everywhere, horrible, horrible paint job. Why did this have to happen here. I used to love it so much.

I love this place. I’m low maintenance, so don’t like to think too much in advance about nails or anything really… Can always get a walk-​in quickly. Staff is lovely and seems happy. Prices are reasonable with NYU discount, and even when they offer me expensive add-​ons, they seem just as happy when I say no… Have made me happy so many times with no-​frills but friendly and clean service. Also quick, which for me is important. Oh, and pedicures last for a really long time… Also important.

Place looks great, my lady was friendly and fast. The massage chairs are the best! Prices are high.

I don’t understand why this place doesn’t get much 5 stars. Sure, the prices aren’t cheap… and by going here every 2 – 3 weeks, I am living above my means spending $ 35 on gel manicure and then some for pedicure (plus tax and tip) but I’d still come back.
Service is fantastic; friendly staff. Clean and inviting establishment. I used to go here about a year or so ago. And then I stopped because they got so packed after 7pm which is the time I get off work. I recently went back last November and I’ve never been happier. They’re very tedious and I can honestly say it’s worth every penny.
My hands are quite dry, not neglected but just born that way. Cuticles are very dry and thick as well but they make sure that I walk out of their salon with the prettiest hands.
More details… I love the way they all shape/​file your nails, buff them to perfection… I never felt like they were in a hurry to serve me.
One teeny tiny complaint, they’re not the artistic kind of nail technicians though. I’ve asked them twice to do some pretty designs with glitter, just a simple ombré from bottom going up –and it turned out to be just a thick layer of glitter at the bottom of my fingernail. Still OK but could’ve been prettier for that extra $ 10.
Still deserves a 5 star. Try to come before noon on a weekday.

Loved this place! The prices are very competitive-​only $ 12 for a manicure-​and they have some great deals if you do mani and pedi together. I’m definitely going back. The technicians were very nice, and everything was very clean.

«Get yo’ nails did»
Stopped by for get a pedi because sometimes you gotta treat yourself. I will say that there was not anything to special about this place, which is neither good or bad. One annoying thing is I that one of the pedicurist, Sophia, clearly was making fun of my feet to another pedicurist. Like actually, pointing at certain problem areas of my feet and laughing with other woman. Totally, unprofessional. I was not super offended but I could see someone else not being so relaxed about it. Also, it seems that Sophia has a bad review about her on Unilocal.Other than that slight foot faux pas, everything else was fairly decent. The prices are a little up there but the salon is nice and clean.

Do not ever let Sophia do you nails. She’s the worst technician I’ve ever encountered. Very impatient, disgusting attitude and gave the worst service ever. I do want to go back to this place again because of her.

Friendly and courteous service in a clean and generally quiet nail spa. A little pricey, but you get what you pay for, ya know? And I don’t mind paying a little extra for a nail spa that’s not blaring Judge Judy on grainy televisions with nail technicians talking loudly on top of that.
It’s located in the East Village, near a hotel I frequently stay so that makes it very convenient too. Rainy days are the best days to go! Very relaxing!

I was shopping around the area and walked into this cute salon and was able to get a gel manicure. Felt a little rushed, but I appreciated the quick service.

Popped in here in the middle of my day for a quick manicure and I was pleasantly surprised! I decided to get a gel manicure, which is unusual for me. I told the manicurist that my nails were very weak and they offered a strengthener gel base coat, which I did not know existed — however it was $ 3 extra. I took it just to see how it worked, who really knows?
On the upside, they offer a 10% discount for NYU students, which fortunately I am so I felt like I redeemed my splurge on the gel strengthener.
They did a great job and I would definitely go back if I wanted a spur of the moment manicure while I’m at school!

I was craving for a mani/​pedi after an intense workout session across the street at Blink. For once, I was not craving for food. But my legs and feet definitely needed some R&R especially that my marathon training is in full swing. Believe me, it’s embarrassing when I feel obligated to explain myself to the manicurist why I’m missing toe nails. Anyhow, I spotted this on my way out of the gym and looked up on Unilocal for its pricing and decent ratings. The place looks really clean and modern and I decided to spoil myself with a Peppermint Spa Pedicure, which included a 15 minute foot massage, and a regular mani. The girl I had was named Jenny and she was really sweet. She took her time during the pedicure and I felt super relaxed. She was a bit rough on certain spots during the massages like she was going pull out my toes. But overall, it was a pleasant experience. She also did my mani, which was pretty simple and quick. I came on a Saturday afternoon so there were no special deals. Check their pricing chart for discounted packages on weekdays. Also, sign up for their free membership VIP card to earn points and discounts.
Tip: 1) Credit cards accepted but bring cash for tipping.
2) If you’re a NYU student (which I’m not), you get 15% off.

Great service, friendly and knowledgable staff, excellent massage, great mani and pedi. Also the discount and award system is a great bonus.

I’m definitely coming back again. Connie did an awesome job on my pedicure.

Really enjoyed my manicures here with different people. However, pedicure was super quick. I had Coco and felt like the whole thing was really rushed. I don’t know if pedicure is supposed to take 10 minutes here but that’s how long it was. I just got comfortable and it was already time for polish. Will not be back for a pedicure here.

A whole two stars more because they sterilize their nail instruments, which is hard to find in the city. I try to avoid getting nail infections and fungus from other people when possible…
In terms of quality, I think it depends on the manicurist and the price is still up there.

Would never go here again. The woman I had did everything I asked not to do. The prices are ridiculous for the actual quality of service you get.
Save your time and money.

I frequent a salon after I find the right person. I tend to be loyal.
I hope after I write this review that I can still get an appointment with *Jenny*! She was a manicurist at Il Villagio (see my review of her earlier with a different name) but now she is here and I am so lucky to have found her (wandering the Village trying to see if she was still around…)!
Jenny is absolutely the best manicurist I have ever had. Her work is superb, she is a perfectionist, and a very hard working and sweet person. Jenny takes her time and wants to please. Her gel technique is terrific as is her leg waxing (I prefer the wood spatulas).
(Note: I am not a Bride-​zilla on manicures and pedicures because I realize that a) the condition of my nails may influence the «chip» outcome; and b) what I am doing with my hands subsequent to a manicure has a big effect on its appearance. I’ve never had a problem with chipping unless it was my fault.)
The owner of the salon is extremely pleasant and I didn’t get any pushiness to upgrade. The NYU discount was a surprise and wouldn’t affect me going or not. The ambience is spa like with new age music (it is not a «spa» though) and most of the time the technicians were not speaking to each other but were focused on their work.
If you want a solid manicure and pedicure, I wholeheartedly recommend Jenny and Il Girasole
PS: Closest Citi Bike Station: Great Jones (3^rd St) and Lafayette St.

Nyu discount, sFun Fact: 15% discount with NYU ID!
This place was pretty good, my only complaint would be that the girl that was working with me switched halfway through to go work on someone getting a more expensive treatment, and one of the managers ended up finishing my manicure off. I don’t like when they do that… definitely shows that they value some business over others, but the manager finished up pretty well.
Overall, I’d probably come back!
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