Santa Monica Beach Nail Spa

Please DON’T go here. This guy who did my acrylics did such a bad job. Didn’t take his time, some of the nails are pointing to one side and on top of it he filed my pinky so hard that it started to bleed. I had to tell him to stop. Then he charged me $ 10 more than the sign said. I’m mad at myself for even paying. SO LAME!

Hello. Fair warning to stay away from this place. This is my toe after two weeks of getting «better» I went in for a pedicure and they barely soaked my feet, it’s almost as if they were in a rush. They charged me to scrub my feet and to remove extra skin. They didn’t fully cut my toe nails so when I asked they didn’t know what to do so they sent over another lady to come cut them. Very angrily cut my toe nails and cut my skin on the right side and after it started bleeding she didn’t finish cutting it. She put some liquid on it to stop the bleeding but didn’t finish. I left mad and two days later my toe was completely infected. I had to go to the ER and have them cut the toe nail and remove the extra skin she didn’t cut. Worst 40.00 I ever spend that turned into 250 in ER fees.

What a sweet find, RIGHT OFF the beach! The ladies (and 1 gentleman) here are so incredibly nice and welcoming. I found a Unilocal deal, which led me to this nail salon, among others, and I had a lovely experience overall.
I got a French pedicure ($ 5 extra for the French tip, which is pretty standard), and an amazing 15 minute shoulder massage. ($ 1 per minute for massage, and totally worth it)!
My toes look fantastic! (I have very tiny toenails, so a French pedicure on my toes is hard to do well)
As I sat waiting for my toes to dry a bit, the staff was so kind, noticing I was enjoying a book and inviting me to stay as long as I liked. What excellent customer service! And a great pedicure to boot. :-)

Cathryn and the entire staff here was absolutely incredible. I got a manicure and a facial and the experience was amazing. Cathryn treated me like a celebrity, she was so sweet and kind. I am giving this salon 5 stars because not only was the service amazing but so was the staff. Please do yourself a favor and enjoy the service here

The people are very nice.

If I could give 0 stars I would. This was easily the worst gel manicure I have ever had. Less than 24 hours later, it peeled off. It was sloppy, and beyond that, he clipped my pinky to the point where it would not stop bleeding. I can’t believe I wasted $ 30. Such a waste, and now I’m still left with no manicure! (and a bandaid on my pinky).

Wonderful nail salon! The service was excellent and at a great price. I get my nails done a lot and this is by far one of the best salons I’ve been too! Nails and toes look awesome and the experience was great!!! Highly highly recommended.

This place is amazing! The nicest staff, and truly the royal treatment when it came to my no-​chip mani and pedicure. I live in Chicago and am trying to convince the staff to open a location there!

Nothing fancy but they were attentive and nice. Added a shoulder massage for $ 10 which was really nice (especially the hot towel). I was happy.

I have been going here since 2007. I am surprised to see other reviews not being 4 or 5 stars, so you see it now. The staff is always friendly and always willing to assist you and your needs. Manicures are always on spot and the pedicures are perfect. Not to mention the massages are out of this world!
I think maybe some of the ‘out of towners’ who posted here just don’t get the fact that this is a BEACH SALON ! It’s not in Beverly Hills! Jeez…
Give these guys a try! I think that the other strange posts are from high maintenance out of towners that are not locals… and just don’t get beach businesses…
Thanks

My gel manicure took about 5 minutes, and days later is starting to lift up off my nail. The man who did it was very nice, but was very sloppy and rushed through the whole thing. He even dripped polish all over my fingers. No cuticle treatment, no lotion, no nothing that is typically part of a $ 30 manicure.
My pedicure on the other hand was great, so if you just want a pedicure you should be ok as long as that guy doesn’t do it.
Still, since I’m pissed about my waste of $ 30 on a gel manicure this place gets 1 star.

IS THERE ANYTHING LESS THAN ONE STAR?
I just left this awful salon for the last time. Do not, I repeat DO NOT waste your time and money.
1. I arrived with my mom and brother and waited 20 minutes to even start when they initially said they could take us right away.
2. I asked for a gel nail polish change and they made me pay for a FULL manicure without giving me an actual manicure.
3. The lady giving my brother his pedicure swindled him into an extra ten minute massage WITHOUT telling him it would be an extra charge.
4. My mom ended up waiting almost an hour to get her nails done and rushed through her fill.
NEVER AGAIN.

Don’t waste your time or money. My pedicure is a complete mess. Total waste of money for me. The service was painfully slow. The location is also not very clean or well kept in my opinion. I almost left half-​way through because I wasn’t sure it was very clean but stuck it out because all I had left was to get the paint put on my nails. The paint is poorly put on, the water was a weird cold/​barely warm temperature so it wasn’t even relaxing to put my feet in. And it was so very slow for no more than they did. I mean, I could have soaked my own feet in tepid water and put paint on poorly for free! They also had a small color selection compared to what I’m used to at other places. Lastly, they don’t have nail dryers. They just shove a big fan in front of your feet. I don’t know if that is normal here but I’m used to the professional nail dryers. Also, all I wanted was a pedicure and this was clearly an issue because they continued to try to get me to do a manicure. I was asked at least 4 times about it and am now so happy I didn’t cave in.
I actually landed here because the spa I had wanted to go to was closed on Mondays and this was the only chance I had to do my nails since I was on a business trip. It was a last second decision and a terrible one at that. The pedicure will have to do for the rest of my trip but I am getting a better one the second I get home. I so appreciate my go-​to place back home after this terribly uncomfortable experience. Please go somewhere (anywhere!) else but here.

I went in for a quick mani-​pedi on Thursday before going out and they were the closest to the beach where I was. I stuck my head in and asked how much & was told $ 25. Weird since they used to be $ 20. Whatever.
I smudge a finger on my mani & they gooped polish on top instead of starting fresh which of course never dried and smudged again. The pedi was fine.
I think that their polish might be old or something because it takes so long to dry.
Next time I’ll walk the 5 mins to another place on Main St. Several of which charge $ 20 for a mani-​pedi.

I am sad to have to write this but I feel I had to be honest after my positive last review.
They do NOT use CND. They use «Gelish.» It sucks. I have had two gel manicures peel in 4 or 5 days. Unacceptable even if the second was free as an apology.
My pedicures, both, have been good.
So not sure if to say 2 or 3 stars.
The positives?
1) Kathleen is really nice. The older man did the best job on my nails but that was some time ago, if by best you mean longest lasting.
2) The pedicure is only 16 but I get that extra 5 for callous removal and this time I had French. The first time you do French you have to tell them precisely what to do because there are so many ways to do the band, the shaping, the pink overlay. I’m happy with mine but I prefer a clearer overcoat to the lightish pink.
3) No annoying musack, quite, in a great area, pleasant and not tacky interior with ocean breezes.
I will never get gels here again unless they buy CND.
Gelish sucks.

A picture tells a thousand words. Look at the manicure photos posted here.
How does this place stay in business? :(

My previous scathing one star review has just been «upgraded» to two stars.
Actually, I was about to give this place a glowing 4 star review, since I’ve given them a couple of tries since my horrible experience and the guy who usually did the work was pretty great. He always did a great job on my toes with no hassle. I kept meaning to upgrade my review, but it kept slipping my mind. Today I went in for the basic pedi and was finally going to make good on my harsh review. I even posted a pic and a tip.
And then…
Unfortunately, the $ 16 basic pedicure turned into a $ 21 pedicure because, apparently, they charge $ 5 to remove your old polish. There is no mention of this before the pedi. There are no signs posted about this. And it is certainly not made clear in the «spa menu.» This additional service fee was explained to me after my card processed at the higher price, and only after I questioned why it wasn’t $ 16. (I knew I was paying $ 1 extra for the credit card processing fee. This fee is clearly posted, and i was fine with it).
The pedi was good. My toes look great. The lady was nice. I STILL gave her a $ 4 tip. But I feel totally ripped off and disappointed.
Never, have I ever been charged an extra fee for polish removal. That’s part of the process! And $ 5??? So disappointing.
Never coming back.
Sorry, seemingly nice people at Santa Monica Beach Nail Spa. You just blew it.

The worst experience of my life!!!
Went in for a Brazilian wax and last minute decided to kill two birds with one stone, so I thew in mani pedi service.
I said to Tammy, please file my nails in a square shape. She gave me the rounded file that I absolutely despise! Worse she didn’t cut the cuticles and when I pointed them out to her she said, no I’ll make you bleed… Really? I took the clippers and cut them myself in front of her with no blood gushing out. She then painted my fingers and nails, wiping the red paint off with her nails, until I demanded she took off the nail polish with the brush. I got so irritated that I just took the acetone and took off the paint right then and there!
Pedi… Oh lord! The guy kept talking and talking and talking! He said his second job is as a tax preparer… He even offered me his service!!! No thanks man… Oh yes I got red paint on my feet, because he forgot to put cotton between my toes.
Kathryn… Wow save the best for last!
She began telling me how she’s going to «give me a hair cut.» Okay I don’t mind a little humor to lighten up the mood because I’m laying on the table spread eagle, naked waste down. She applies wax, phone rings, and guess what she does!!! She leaves hot wax on my junk and lets herself out to answer the phone! Not only did a customer saw a flash of my vage but I’m certain the whole block of Bicknell!
F this place! I could have done a better job with a Sally Hansen and a bottle of Nair.
UPDATE:
I’m spending my weekend with an ice pack and a tube of Neosporin on my botched Brazilian. I’ll be calling my bank to retrieve the money I spent and the board of cosmetology to file my complaint. I can’t believe this place exists. Worst of Unilocal

They are nice there, but the services are over priced. I asked for a mani/​pedi and I asked that my daughter get a color change (most places will paint the toes and fingers of little ones and it just costs 5 – 10 dollars) 40 minutes later, I was charged 48 $. I was like, huh? it’s over? There was little to no massage element of the service, which is very disappointing. And the dude just kept talking and talking to me. Which is fine, but during a pedi, come on, shut it and let me decompress! He also made one of my toe nails kind of snaggle, I actually cut my husband in bed! And the guy acted like I should be all impressed that he was using two coats of polish, they only used on on my daughter, she was upset that mine looked brighter, I ended up repainting hers at home. ;(
It’s in a high-​traffic slightly tourist-​y area, so I could see how this formula works, but I am not going there again.
oh, and they refused to use hot water on the basin! WTH?

I love a good deal so I stopped by for the $ 20 mani/​pedi special. Like most Friday afternoons in nail salons, it was busy. Once I was seated, I was like: ahh, time to be pampered on the cheap! Unfortunately, at this salon, you get what you pay for. Actually, I over-​paid… I got took!
The water in the foot spa was cool so I asked for some hot water. They added enough to barely get it warm, but I didn’t want to be fussy so I didn’t say anything (of course, it got cold 5 minutes later). Then I couldn’t get the chair’s massage feature to work. Without even bothering to look up, they said that my chair was broken. I would’ve waited longer to sit at a functioning station and I was peeved that they didn’t give me a heads up before the guy started working on my feet. And like other reviewers said, they try to nickel and dime the heck out of you. Even though the advertised special is for a «spa» manicure & pedicure, it only includes the bare bones — water, cut/​file and polish. Even the customary ‘quick scrub over the heel with a pumice square’ is considered callous removal and costs an additional $ 5.
The manicure was equally lame. The manicurist squeezes in between your chair and the neighboring one and does your nails mid-​air. There’s no little table to rest your hand on or anything.
It was not relaxing at all. The whole experience felt cheap. If all I wanted was basically a new polish, then I would’ve paid $ 6 for a hand & foot polish. There are so many other nail salons with similarly-​priced mani/​pedi specials. The couple extra bucks are worth it. Take your business elsewhere!