Beautique On The Ave

First let me start by saying I am just in Awe with the new look. I have been coming here for years and I have to say the new owner Yeny brings a new chic to the place with it’s new renovation. It’s like a little zone of beauty paradise.
I recently got a gel mani and pedi, it was phenomenal. My nails looked great and my feet felt brad new. I must say I was a little scared about the threading and waxing but Melissa the waxing woman did a great job with the Brazilian wax. I mean WOOW… soft as a baby’s bum.
It can be pretty busy which is why I advise call a head and make an appointment. The staff is great and pay attention to the details needed to make you feel like the beauty queen/​King you are. Did I mention the daughter of the owner is also a veteran. I had a great conversation with her earlier this week, If you are looking for beauty and spend a pretty dime on the right things. This is the place to go. Thank you very much Yeny!

I’ve come to this place several times in the last month. They never have more than two (one on Sunday) employees working at the same time. Definitely not worth ever trying to walk in, as they are not accommodating at all. That is unless you want to come back another day. Also not worth the hassle of making an appointment long in advance for a mediocre product. Aesthetic changes to the business does not hide the poor service.

I’ve been coming here every two weeks for more than a year now and I love it. V is the best nail tech ever! She always takes her time making sure my acrylics are even and extra sharp. I’ve had so many different colors and designs and she always executed what I want perfectly.
If you want acrylics, she’s the only one who does them and she’s only there on Saturdays so you def have to make an appointment. I’ve had pedicures here before too and brought friends to get standard manis. Everyone always does a dynamite job. For that stuff you pay an extra $ 1 for a buffer and file like the other reviews say. It’s a legal/​sanitation thing and I think it’s a lot better than if they just threw them away after each customer.
Now that Yeny’s taken over the nail salon, she gave it a fresh new look that’s really modem and inviting. There are even privacy curtains on the pedicures chairs if you want. Everyone is always so lovely and it feels so welcoming and nice to come in and chat while I get pampered. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to find a new salon and I hope I never have to!
**edited for a typo.

Great service and great work for my manicure and pedicure. Very pricey, not sure I’ll return it was $ 59 for a manicure and gel pedicure. Also if you don’t bring your tools back that they give you they charge you for new ones. Overall the place has great service but way over priced. They say walk ins but you HAVE to make an appointment as they are always busy even in the middle of a week day. I was turned down twice as a walk in.

I never get manicures, but when I do, I always come to Js. The people are so sweet, cherry and talented. Always a comfortable atmosphere, and affordable too! Note that they only accept cards for the bill, not the tip, so be sure to bring cash for your tip.

Note that J’s Nails is actually no longer J’s Nails as of the end of March. Janet (the former owner) retired, and one of the employees took over the business and changed the name and everything. This review is for waxing only.
I made an appointment a few weeks ago and was in complete shock when I walked in because it was very clear that the place had changed. The owner, who greeted me at reception, explained that Janet retired and staff changed over, etc. I was really hesitant to continue with my waxing appointment because I’m super particular, but I was in dire need of a clean up and didn’t have time to find another spot.
As the other recent reviewer noted, the girl doing the wax was nice but clearly super new at this and very unsure of herself. I could feel her hands shaking as she was applying the wax which, needless to say, made me pretty nervous.
My eyebrow wax came out mediocre and there were a lot of smaller hairs that were missed, which Janet would have grabbed in a heartbeat. There was no attention to detail here, no magnifying mirror used etc. to make sure everything was clean. The next day I was also broken out to all hell on my lip and eyebrows.
It’s really a shame, as I had been going to Janet for a few years now and she did an amazing job. Will definitely have to find a new spot from now on.

Came in here for a wax because the place I normally go to was busy. I’ve gotten my legs waxed on many other occasions so I am familiar with how long is it suppose to take and the wax they should be using. The woman who was waxing my legs had NO clue what she was doing… she also mentioned she just started there which explains her lack of knowledge. It took her forever to wax my legs, literally it took her 3X longer than ANY other place I’ve ever gone too. By the time I left my skin was so swollen because she kept waxing the same areas again and again. Save yourself the money and time… find another place to get a wax.
***Also, the PRICES ON THE WEBSITE DO NOT REFLECT THE ACTUAL PRICES. THEY HAVE INCREASED and are not updated on the website. be careful!

I came in here as a walk in last Wednesday on a recommendation from a friend! I was SO pleased. I love that they provide a little kit of tools that are only used for you. I am kicking myself that I forget the woman’s name who did my mani/​pedi because she was so wonderful! My nails look awesome and I had a great, relaxing experience while I was there! I’ll be back.

Went to this place for a gel manicure and they did an amazing job. I did not have an appointment so I had to wait for a bit but it was worth it. She was so particular and I think it is the best manicure I’ve had in my life!

My friend and I dropped in today without an appointment for gel manicures, pedicures, and facial waxing. The women were really busy but they fit us in with hardly any wait time and they were really courteous to us and did not make us feel rushed at all. I really appreciated them taking the time to accommodate us and give us amazing service and attention despite not making an advance appointment. They had a lot of regulars come in while we were there who were all greeted by name, which I liked a lot. I hope that one day I’ll be greeted like that too! I got a beautiful pedicure and two color gel mani and they also fit me in for a lip and eyebrow wax. The eyebrow wax is one of the best I have ever had! I just loved how friendly and fun everyone was and how relaxed the atmosphere is. I will happily be back!

I went to J’s last month for a mani pedi (which ended up costing $ 36). Here are some impressions:
Pros:
1. Price is comparable to other cheap places.
2. Walk-​ins are welcome!
3. They looked pretty hygienic; they give you individual nail files and sponges (which they charge you for $ 1) that you’re supposed to bring back in your later visits. Their towels looked clean and sanitized.
Cons:
1. Not a great selection of colors…
2. If you’re like me and you enjoy the massage part of the pedicure best, you won’t be satisfied with this. The massage part lasted like 20 seconds and then she jumped to the polish — felt a little rushed.
For lack of a better salon that’s closer to where I live, I’ll probably end up going back here. Not disappointed, but not super thrilled either.

I’m new to Somerville and this was my third attempt at finding a nail place I liked — success! I received a very thorough mani-​pedi with lots of time spent on skincare and shaving off callouses (which is esp important to me). I asked for very short, round nails and that is what I was given, with no awkward begs of «even shorter, please!» which was great. I was feeling indecisive between two colors and she painted each one onto a finger to help me pick. Overall everyone was really generous, friendly, and talented. I’ll be back!

Love this little place. Everyone is so sweet!
I have always seen Mina. She started threading my eyebrows about 6 months ago and I just adore her. She does a great job at shaping my brows and is honest in telling me if I need to wait longer before I get them touched up.
I just started manicured and pedicures with her too and shells equally skilled there too. She’s very neat and particular and I appreciate that. I look forward to going to J’s for whatever I need!

They are wonderful in every way!

When I looked up J’s here on Unilocal,I was glad to see it had an overall high rating, but the 1-​star reviews, all saying the same thing, kinda unnerved me. I was going with my best friend who had made the appointment for us, so I hoped it would be a good experience anyway. I also noted all the pics of dark polish. Like, all the pics of nails are of dark polish. Maybe that’s why I chose the dark blue polish. Normally I’d go with something peachy or even clear. But I thought, why not?
The manicure was not so great. While trimming my cuticles, I was cut to the point of bleeding twice. That’s not fun, though it has happened at other places. My hand massage lasted a «blink and you’ll miss it» length of time. My manicurist noted my polish wouldn’t get much coverage with just two coats, but shrugged it off and left it at two. When it was wet, it looked ok, but after it dried, you could see the polish isn’t well distributed on the nail.
I knew what to expect with the little baggy of file and buffers from reading about them here, but after being handed the bag, it was never explained to me why I should hold on to them, or bring them back next time I went there. They have an unusual policy that costs their customers money, so they should be careful to explain it to new customers.
The employees were nice enough, and I didn’t notice any unclean practices, but some equipment was run down.
I wouldn’t go back, because there are so many salons out there that must be way better. Not sure how the Unilocal rating is so over-​inflated. They must be really awesome to some people and pretty indifferent to others.

I came in for a shellac manicure and Mina did such an excellent job! It was also affordable, compared to prices at other salons. Something that I really appreciated is that they provided gloves for me to wear, without the fingertips, for when I put my hand in the UV machine. I understand that not every salon can afford the machines with LED lights, so this was an appreciated compromise and accommodation. Thanks!

Great place! Just got shellac manicure and eyebrow threading done by Mina. She did an excellent job on both, I’m very happy and pleased (and I’m a picky person.)
About manicure — very thorough and careful application. Eyebrow threading was also very good, she obviously knows what she is doing and is careful not to rip the skin.
Price for services is decent/​good: $ 25 for gel manicure but you have to pay additional $ 5 for removal of gel polish — I’m okay with that since the quality of service far exceeds average.

Had my nails designed after work. The girl Michelle did a very good job designing my nails. She used different design tools to make my nails look unique and fun. Very good service and friendly people too. Will definitely go back, maybe will try pedicure next time!

Very good service! I’m from Florida and so I’m constantly going to salons to get my nails done… Since they’re always showing… This place is vey quaint and offers a wide variety of services. I got my nails done (mani and pedi) and they did a very good job with them. I would definitely come back.
They only accept cash for tips! There’s an ATM at the Supreme Kitchen :)
Also, I am not sure how they are with appointments and whatnot. I walked in on a Friday at 11 am (Dec 2) and they were available but it’s a small place with not that many people, so I’m guessing an appointment is necessary.

Not impressed and wishing there was an option for no stars since I couldn’t actually get my nails done here.
I went in on a Tuesday afternoon. There were only a few people in the shop and I was told it would be a 10 minute wait. Okay. Works for me.
Picked out my colors and waited and then Janet started the foot bath and told me to grab a seat. She wandered around fixing the waxing table and cleaning up while I waited another 15 minutes…
THEN SHE TOOK ANOTHER CLIENT! Someone who came in after I had already been sitting in the pedicure chair!
Needless to say, I won’t be going back. I thought the service would be excellent but it appears the rating on this salon is wrong. May’s salon on Mass Ave in Arlington is where I will continue to go. Nice people and great service.

Wow wow wow! I’ve been going to j’s for a year and I’ve never been disappointed once. I always ask for Vi. She only works on Saturday. She is so talent in nail art and passionate about her job. The owner Janet is also good. She is a waxing expert; usually less then 15min for Brazilian. They also have threading which I prefer compare to waxing for my eyebrows. They take walkins but I suggest calling ahead since it gets busy during holiday times. The girls here are down to earth and my manicures are always long lasting. ps: tip in cash only and free street parking with atm across the street.

I’ve only had my eye brows threaded here. The woman who threads is super gentle, fast, and really nice.
I’ve gone to other threaders that cut me or don’t clean your face when they’re done. This was a very pleasant experience. My eyebrows look amazing.