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Category: Nail Salons [Edit]
Neighborhood: LakeviewSouthport (Brown)
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
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The manicure was OK.
I really liked the space. It was clean. There were plenty of magazines and quality nail polishes. The staff was friendly. I walked out feeling as though I had just received a quality manicure.
Then... I realized that I did not. The girl cut one cuticle so it hurt. Upon closer inspection, I had tiny air bubbles on my thumb nail. Within 24 hours, I had chipping on three fingers. It wasn't even a weekday so I couldn't blame typing.
After seeing the high reviews, I may try this place one more time. Maybe.
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I feel really bad to say this, but I did not get a great pedi here.
First off, the owners are extremely nice and friendly. They are clearly trying to run a great business. It is very over crowded and there and they are obviously trying to "get em in, get em out". It seems pretty clean there, they have good magazines and nail polish colors, and really nice pedicure chairs.
I think I just had bad luck with the girl who did my toesies. The nail polish should be a beautiful hot pink, but instead it looks drab and a little streaky, especially up close. Just dissapointing when you splurge on a pedi.
Oh well, I doubt I'll be back!
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I was a little apprehensive about trying out this place after reading some of the negative reviews. But really ladies, it's not that bad. You just have to keep in mind that this isn't the kind of place where you're going to be completely pampered and catered to as you would at a more upscale salon/spa like Mario Tricocci. More than likely if you go in with a group you will not get to be serviced next your friends because it's very busy. But the people that work there are nice, they do a great job,the shop is very cute and clean and it's a good value ($40 for a mani/pedi!) so I'll be back. Oh and a word of advise...make an appointment, I saw people go in without an appt and they had to wait 2-3 hours.
Had a good manicure there. Nancy was great. Loved the extra massage perks. I'll be back.. but have to remind her to round the corners a little as they are pretty sharp!
Last night, I dashed to Pinky's after work to join a bachelorette party, which was already in session. I was weary when I got there because every station was occupied and there were at least 6 other girls waiting. The manager accommodated me immediately, allowing me to bypass the line, and Sara got to work on my nails. Wow. She was awesome. Yes, it was HOT in that salon and yes, there was a flurry of frantic activity going on around us. I could feel the glare from the other girls who were waiting, hoping the manicurists would hurry so they could get their turn. But Sara wasn't fazed and she took her time to give me a fantastic mani and pedi. The massage that they throw in is a nice touch, too. Mani/pedi is only $40 but I paid $45 (+ tip) for a regular mani and french pedi - it's such a great deal! I would have given this place 5 stars if they turned on the air conditioning (it was seriously boiling in there) and weren't so frazzled when shuffling their clients to and fro. But my hands and feet look so good, it was worth it. I normally avoid this stretch of Southport - too many Trixies and drunk frat boys for my taste - but the next time I'm in this 'hood, I'm definitely stopping by Pinky!
I came here yesterday with my friend for a pedicure. She made us both appointments so we didn't have to wait long. All the pedi chairs and mani tables were full. I'm glad we got seated right away. This was my second time at Pinky's for a pedi. The girl who did my pedi was very good and meticulous. I got a French and she put 2 coats of white on.
I will be going here for my wedding mani/pedi because they do such an awesome job! This place attracts crowds so be prepaired to wait or have an appointment. The owner John is super nice to all of his customers. I love Pinky's!!!!!!!
Until now, I have not been a big mani/pedi person - my feet are ticklish and I have a hard time justifying the cost/time spent on something I could do at home. But Pinky is great. Good value, and everyone who works there is really nice. They are super popular, so despite there being a number of nail salons in the area, they are packed after work, and even though you might have to wait a little (I had some wait time between my mani and pedi while they squeezed someone in for a bow tweeze), it's worth it.
LOVE this place.
Great people, great prices, great atmosphere...
My friend Nora B. introduced this place to me in January and we went again yesterday. Not only did we realize that we both are Yelpers (somehow this never came up before!), but she reminded me that I had not yet reviewed this place...
I recommend this place. The price is really good and they do a great job. Their manis and pedis really last. I am SO glad this is so close to my new office...
I've never in my history of manicures have I had one last a whole week. Not the chic-est place but they give awesome massages as part of the service, good magazines, they don't rush you, E! on a flat screen, you can have your own box of tools, and the best part- it doesn't cost an arm and a leg! $40 mani/pedi, $15 mani
It's a good deal
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The best ever!
Don't be fooled by all of the other Pinky's out there!
This is the original and the BEST!!!!
We love John and his whole staff, they're great!!
The Mani's really last!!
Try them for bridal parties as well!!
There is no equal to Pinky!!!!
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This is the most meticulous manicure I have gotten, well a few hours after, so I'll update in a few days.
Clean interior, clean tools/towels.
A nice little dish for your jewelry even (don't forget to empty when you go).
There's just something oddly sterile about the staff. It is nice to know you're not being talked about, but it's a little tooo quiet.
Before I noticed it was even a nail salon, I thought it was odd when a parade of girls in black shirts were leaving the store, but now I know there are so many girls working there because of the customer rush it gets.
UPDATE: lasted a week! And yes, I do use my hands a lot. Would definitely go back, if i have time and $15 +tip.
Crowded due to a party when I was there but I got an incredible pedicure by Eunice. She gave my feet plenty of TLC and a wonderful massage. Good stuff.
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You would have to pay me to go back to Pinky's.
I stepped into Pinky's at 6:15 and did not leave until 8:10 because the wait was so long. The woman told me I would have to wait 30 minutes, but prob less. I ended up waiting over 45 minutes to get a manicure. Oh, and the waiting was so fun too because the place was packed with women talking loudly on cell phones or smacking their gum. After my manicure, I had to wait another 10 minutes before a pedicure station opened up. At this time it was getting close to 8:00pm (closing time), so the woman rushed through the entire pedicure. It was very obvious that they wanted to get me out the door quickly and did not care if they did a good job or not. She barely worked on any of my toes. She only worked on the cuticles from my two big toes. She was trying to do it so quickly, she ended up taking a big chunk of skin out of my left big toe. It was bleeding like crazy and it did not feel too good either. Well, she wanted to get it to stop bleeding so she tried to apply pressure and squirted some blue stuff onto the toe. Normally you would use your fingers to apply pressure, instead, she dug her fingernails deep into my toe. Then she wondered why it did not stop bleeding. She continued to dig her finger nail into my toe about 5 times (and the bleeding did not stop until she left the toe alone). I barely got an I'm sorry and since they made me pay during the manicure, I could not reflect my unhappiness in the gratuity.
My toe still hurts today, I am hoping I don't catch a strange bacteria from her sticking her fingernail repeatedly in the wound. I will let the yelp readers know if my toe falls off.
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I have been dying to try this place b/c of all the good things I have heard about it. Needless to say this is my new nail spot!! LOVE it. I went on a Sunday morning, I knew it would be crowded as I heard it always is. The place was packed, not an empty chair. John, the owner is very friendly and moves quickly. I wanted a mani/pedi, I picked my color and waited about 10 min. Not bad.... I had my mani first, it was great! The girl, I think her name was Ellen, not sure though, did a great job and gave me a neck massage. Then I moved onto my pedi, same girl same great job! It's a bit pricey but the best part is that my manicure lasted for an entire week!!! That has never happened before, so for the price its worth it. One downfall is I didn't think they had that great of nail polish selection.... but overall it was great!
One of my favorite places to get my nails did! The service at Pinky Nail Salon is friendly and extremely thorough. In addition to a manicure & pedicure, the nail technicians will also give you a shoulder, hand, and leg massage! The prices are comparable to any other place in the city for the same level of quality, and in my opinion, a higher level of service.
This place can draw quite a crowd, so be aware of high traffic times, which my best guess would be evenings & on weekends. I have had to wait before, but they have plenty of staff and seem equipped to handle crowds. My only reason for deducting a star is the hustle and bustle of the place. It is rare that I am able to treat myself to some relaxation and rejuvenation, so I prefer a more peaceful atmosphere.
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Because I reviewed the other Pinky Nail Studio on Damen and gave them such a bad review, I felt the need to visit the critically acclaimed Pinky Nails on Southport. Well I am happy to report that this Pinky Nails has redeemed the name.
My experience at this Pinky Nails was great. I was seated immediately and my manicure was not at all rushed. I was given a hand and a back massage. The most important part of a manicure, at least for me, is that it's been 2 days and there is no sign of wear. Considering I taught 3 art classes this morning and spent the rest of my day typing, that's pretty good. I expected my nails to be pretty beat up by now.
$15 mani, $30 pedi, $40 for a mani/pedi combo.
Pinky Nails on Southport, I will return :)
P.S. They have a little card where you can earn rewards. A percentage of your service cost is banked away for future use for any product or service. Definitely get this card if you plan on being a return customer.
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I told myself I wasn't going to become one of those Southport girls, who travel 2 by 2, on a Saturday afternoon from boutique, to salon, to Starbucks...but I surprisingly enjoyed my visit. After waiting a month for end of the summer pedicure, I finally succombed to Pinky's for a mani/pedi.
I was impressed by the cleanliness, prompt attention, thorough job without taking too long....all for an average $40 price.
It's only been 2 days, but my manicure and pedicure are holding up well. I will probably venture back since it's in the neighborhood but I will avoid high traffic times of the Southport chicas.
UPDATE: Don't go less than 1 hour before they close...they rush you through so they can get out by 8 p.m. (if you ask me, and nobody did, your service should be the same regardless of what time you arrive with the exception of 10 minutes before closing). AND they were rude about it!
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I took my friend here the day before her wedding. We had to wait a bit despite having reservations, but it was ok cuz in 20 minutes we were pretty tanked at the bar across the street. When it was our turn the manager came and got us at the bar and we sat down for the best mani/pedis EVER. Our nails looked amazing the next day and for over a week after. I would go there again in a heartbeat.
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I booked an appointment for my friend (pedicure only) and me (mani and pedi).
When we arrived, they started her on her pedi, and me on the mani. Which is ridiculous, because the whole point of booking an appointment and going together is to sit next to each other and talk during the pedi.
Whatever. This is particularly upsetting bc I'm about to move out of state, and my friend's about to have a baby, and we would have liked the time together. But whatever.
After I'm done with the mani, I'm told that I have to wait for a pedi, bc all of the chairs are full. This, again, defeats the purpose of an appointment, but I'm willing to wait, so I do.
Twenty minutes pass, and my friend is nearly done when, finally, a chair opens up. And to my surprise, the lady in charge brings another girl to the seat -- a girl who had just walked in!
So of course I went over to say something to her, and to express my frustration about the whole situation. The woman was mildly apologetic, and offered to give me the very next chair -- but that just doesn't cut it. I told her that, at this point (we had been there an hour), I didn't want a pedi -- I wanted to leave to spend time with my friend instead. (I'm about to move out of town, which makes this whole thing even more frustrating.)
So my friend dries her toes, they ask her to pay, and she does. We're just sitting there waiting, and waiting, and waiting. No one approaches me about paying. So I reasonably assume that they have comped my mani to make up for their mistake. Which would be an excellent gesture of customer service.
To my surprise, we're halfway down the block when my mani girl (not the lady in charge, or the man who seems to be the owner), comes running out and asking me if I paid! I asked her, "You're asking me to pay?" She got confused, as she doesn't speak English very well. I just told her "no," and my friend and I went into a shop. We can't believe that they made the poor girl run after us, instead of doing it themselves. She had been in the middle of giving someone else a manicure!!
Ten minutes later, we are leaving the shop, and the man/owner shows up with a POLICE OFFICER!
The police officer asks me to explain, and I do, and he says while he does not agree with it, I do have to pay. I understand that perfectly, and I give the owner his money.
I turn to the owner and ask, "Really, for a $10 manicure, you want to do this? You were in the wrong here, and now you are calling the police? I'm going to write every negative review and call the BBB and the department of health and everything I can do. Do you really want to do that, over $10?"
His response: "FIFTEEN dollars. FIFTEEN."
I have never experienced such ridiculous customer service in my life. It's a shame, because it seems that many people enjoy the honest, hardworking employee's handiwork. But for an owner to think he can handle things the way he did, over a few dollars, is just absolutely unthinkable.
Thank goodness I have a thick skin ... but my poor pregnant friend was practically in tears over the whole thing!
Karma's a bitch, Pinky. Karma's a bitch.
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I am definitely not a Trixie or a Southport chick, so I was really hesitant to try this place...but my friends dragged me to go. Now, I have to say I was very impressed with the technicians and the equipment at this Nail Bar.
I had a mani/pedi. Suki worked on my nails - not only is she meticulous, she is really funny and nice. She recommended colors, and I have to say she is very good at picking them. My friends also got mani/pedi's and their nails/feet looked fabulous.
While super-super-super-crowded, we had appointments, and the technicians immediately took us and managed to sit us next to each other with no problems. They have fantastic pedicure massage chairs, and the tubs are brand new and spanking clean. I watched the technicians work and they took care to use very sanitary tools and to clean the equipment after use.
I appreciate that they have a drying section for both hands and feet, but given the number of customers, maybe they need two more sets.
It was a terrific job and it's 6 days later and the mani/pedi still look sharp. Price was reasonable too -- french mani, regular pedi $44 + tip. Thanks, Pinky!
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I have only been once, but I thought they did a superb job on my fingers and my toes! The owner is super friendly and the manicurist are all very pleasant. I love the massages they give you during you manicure as well as your pedicure and at $40 for both, it is well worth it. On one down note, I went with my friend and her mother and her manicurist did rush through her pedi, but the owner made it up to her in the end. A little disappointing for her to be done and have to wait around for us to finish.
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I love Pinky's! I have been going there since it opened and I always get the best manicure and pedicure. Manicure from here will actually last a week or more, unheard of from other places. John, the manger, always greets you like an old friend at the door and keeps the customers moving from waiting area to pedicure chair to manicure table to drying station very quickly. You can be in and out of there, full mani/pedi and reasonably dry in and hour and fifteen minutes. Also, there is a large TV on the wall that is always on the E channel.
One drawback is the sometimes language barrier and an interpreter has to be brought in if you need something specific done that can't be mimed out easily.
I love you Pinky's!!!! I had a mani/pedi last week, and it was amazing. John was really nice. It was my first time since their new pedicure chairs, and boy were they good. They were heated which was amazing. I'll be coming here more!
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While this happened a few weeks ago, something has to be said. So my mother and I strolled into Pinky's on May the 12th (Mothers Day Weekend) with an appointment for she and I simultaneously to have a gel nair fill (for her) and a pedicure (for myself). The appointment was set for 3pm and the place was packed. As we made our way to the counter to check in, it turns out that the technician whom deals with artificial nails of all sorts does not work at that time of the day or week, but yet someone had taken down the reservation knowing what needed to be fufilled.
The gentleman, and I speak fair at calling him a gentleman, only response to the situation was, "the girl mixed up, I cannot do this for you." What, I am clearly here with my mother, who is from out of town and I am here to treat her (just one of the items I had planned, but none the less).....on Mother's Day....a little early, but we all have different schedules. I look at my mother befuddled, what am I to do???? The man at the counter whom I took for a manager or owner just kept repeating I can do nothing for you. There was not even an apology or offer for anything else, not one "sorry" ; mind you a coupon or rebate for next time. Thank You kind sir, there will never be a next time.
After eight years in the service industry, I know what to expect and expect certain actions to be taken when poor service or mis-haps appear. Please the customer - keep business prosperess. With your local "el" stop in construction now; maybe you should be kinder to your clientel for business may slow down and creep over to Nail Bar across the street. I know I would rather go there. Your prices may be slightly lower than other salons, but now I see why, you need some sort of edge in order to compete.
Am I mad, of course and it has been 3 weeks, but you curbed the wrong lady who has great appreciation and respect for her mother.
I give you zero stars for you never even allowed us to enter pass your counter. To put an even bitter comment is to say, I hate all of the tacky, trixie, yuppies who do write up dumb reviews who are too stuck up for their own good on these type of sites, but you are the first one I have ever written a bad review for.
The only reason you get one star is that it wont let me post it otherwise without clicking on one of them.
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I think they have the best manicure ever, my nailpolish lasted more than a week, and my nails looked flawless, I don't think I ever saw them look better before. Not only do they give such perfect manicures, but they also give great hand and shoulder massages too, didn't see that coming! It's only $15 for a manicure, will definitely try the pedicure next time I am in. The place is also very clean, doesn't put a question in my head as to if i can get something from their utensils unlike the other nail salons I have been. Great service, keep up the good work!
Pinky's knows pedicures. I've been many times and (almost) always come out satisfied. The heated massage chairs are great, and I love the exfoliating scrub they use on your legs...ahhhhh... not to mention the shoulder massage while your polish is drying.
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This is a great little nail salon. The employees are very friendly, everything seemed very sanitary, the prices are reasonable (I paid $40 for a mani/pedi), and the neck massage that comes with your manicure is a really nice touch. Also, they have something called a Pinky's card that gives you 5% back for every dollar you spend which you can use towards products or services. I used to go to Paint or Nail Bar, but I think this place is a better value.
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I highly recommend this place, and don't go anywhere else now. Great prices and service. $40 for mani/pedi. They have massage chairs for your pedi and you get a neck massage during your mani. They did a great job! My nails stayed looking nice for a week, which is amazing for me since i type 8 hours a day.
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Am I just too picky about my pedicures? I was really disappointed when my cousin and I came here for pedis together and the girls raced to get our predis done because it was close to 8pm. Not to mention that they didn't have hot water... I was freezing! The girl that did my cousin's nails at least took the time to fill up a small bucket of hot water from the water cooler, but the girl that did my nails watched her do it and didn't even offer to do that for me. Nor did she give me a back rub while my nails were drying while all the other girls got one. I should have gotten her name... I wish I could at least say that my nails looked good, but they've looked better.
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I read some good reviews, I read some bad reviews. I went because I live in the 'hood and I needed a place where I could get waxing and a pedicure all at one place. Pinky fit the bill. The place was busy Sunday at 4 when I got there but they got to me right away (I had an appointment). The pedi chair worked, the magazines were plentiful, and the pedi set up was clean. She did a good job. The wax was fine - what can I say, wax hurts but the attendant did the best she could. The costs were reasonable. I was glad I could put it all on a credit card - and the tip, too. I'll go to pinky again.
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Don't get it twisted, this wonderful Pinky has no affiliation with the chop shop on Damen! Great service, good prices and those excellent bonus massages keep me coming back. A few months ago I came to Pinky with a large group of girls for a bachelorette party. The owner was so accommodating and let us bring in snacks and champagne. It was a great start to our festivities. My Pinky mani/pedis are always well done and long-lasting.
I went with a friend and we were able to get in for mani/pedis without an appointment right away. I'm giving them 2 stars for two reasons: 1) my my manicure started coming off the next day (and was nasty enough looking by day 3 that I had to buy polish remover while on vacation just to get rid of the remaining polish. I mean, I work in an office and wear gloves to wash dishes so, c'mon!); 2) I didn't notice until she was done, but the woman scraped up my leg while using the sloughing stone on my heel and I had a rash on my inner calf for about a week that finally scabbed up on day 4 or so and healed completely about two and a half weeks after the pedi. I won't go back.
Thanks to all the rave reviews I read about Pinky's, I took my mom here for Mother's day this morning. This was my very first manicure and pedicure (gasp!) and I am completely hooked! We were a bit early for our appointment but were seated side-by-side right away by the owner, who was incredibly sweet and welcoming. The neck massage in the middle of the manicure was enough to make it worth the $40 and the pedicure was perfect (although my feet are ticklish so it was slightly embarrassing to be hysterical in the middle of the salon). I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a little pampering ... I know I will now be regular and am already looking forward to my next visit!
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I've been here a couple times and I have to say that the first time I went there I had a good experience with Babe. I gave it two stars now because the last experience I had at Pinky's was so terrible that I really am reconsidering going there again. My friend and I went to get manicures there for her birthday and we were seated next to each other but the older woman I had doing my manicure did a terrible job and was unpleasant toward me for no reason. During the manicure she kept on rolling her eyes at me and sighing so much that my friend even noticed. I know that you typically get some type of hand arm or shoulder massage and it was awkward because my friend next to me received one but I didn't - not a big deal but it just added to a very poor and odd experience. I didn't say anything and just let her bring me over huffing and puffing to the drying station. She was terrible - she practically shoved my purse at me. To make it worse, I didn't even receive a manicure that lasted - she put the coats on so thick that it was smudged a couple hours later. I was too annoyed with the woman to go back and have her fix it.
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my favorite place to get a mani/pedi when I'm not looking to drop a lot at a spa. Clean, friendly, adorable inside. They all do a great job, make sure to get a frequent customer card...every 10th is free.
It cracks me up when people come in saying they have reservations and act annoyed when they dont get seated right away...its still a standard nail salon...when do reservations ever come to fruition at these places?
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I made an appointment here and still had to wait a half an hour. Nine people had pedi appointments for the same time as I did, however there are only seven pedicure chairs - and they were all FULL at my appointment time! They were very good about getting me seated right away, but then the entire pedicure was rushed and I was out of there in less than 20 minutes. I am concerned because they appeared to re-use their plastic gloves, which is kind of gross. It was so hectic in there I couldn't tell for sure, but there were pairs that had clearly been removed from hands and placed in a bin, and then I saw someone pick a pair out and put them on her hands. There was nowhere to sit in the drying area so I had to leave wet, which was fine because it was so crowded, I needed to breathe fresh air anyway. Would go back, the pedicure looks good, but only during off-peak times and after determining that my technician is wearing new gloves.
Okay, so maybe I was an idiot to go on a saturday afternoon but you'd think a business would be prepared for the crush of ladies on a saturday. They're not. I made an appt. a day in advance. When I arrived 5 minutes early, I had to wait 20 minutes to get in. And, since the place was packed, there was nowhere to sit, sometimes even for those who had just gotten their nails done. Barefoot women were hobbling around the wet-floored, packed front area, just hoping that their fresh pedicures didn't get stepped on. After waiting for 15 minutes ( and being asked repeatedly what I was there for, even though I'd already checked in) I was escorted to a pedicure chair. My technician proceeded to give me the hastiest, most ineffective pedicure ever. She hardly scrubbed my feet at all, which is one of the most important parts of the service. And, 4 days later my polish was chipping. I won't be returning.
I tried to make reservations but no one would pick up the phone when I called. So, the next day my friend and I went in and put our names down to get the mani-pedi together. We then send to eat lunch and came back. They did not seat us together for the mani or the pedi so we were not able to hang out and chat as we planned. She also was finished 20 min. after me so I had to wait. I prefer nail salons that do your toes and fingers (one person at each) at the same time. It didn't look like they did that here for anyone. However, they did do a great job and the place seemed very clean and cozy. I just didn't realize I was going to have commit 2.5 hours to get a mani-pedi.
This is my FAVORITE place to get mani/pedi. The staff take their time and give you extra luxuries such as hot towels and massages.
But one grip is the waxing. I got my eyebrows waxed and a brazilian wax from there. I broke out from the eyebrows and the brazilian was horrible! She took about 30 minutes, used tweezers and wax, and made me feel really uncomfortable.
Nails fab, Wax just don't do it.
I really love Pinky. I love that at Christmas, we all gets gifts as we are waiting for our nails to dry. Everyone is so friendly and it is generally a fun place.
I did see the owner take an instrument out of someone's personal tool box once. But, now, I just bring my own.
Love the massage afterwards too.
I am a little embarrassed to admit that I bought gift certificates for my sitters, but am keeping them for myself.
Overall, a nice, inexpensive neighborhood place.