Ocean Nails

A modest place to get your nails done with no bells or whistles, this is a basic salon. I received a pedicure/​manicure gift certificate for Christmas and decided to go right away as I needed some R&R after all the Holiday festivities. The massage chairs felt great on my back after sitting all day.
The lady who attended me was very courteous and pleasant, she even offered me some ginger tea and water when I started coughing.
Though it took longer then I expected the results where excellent.

I don’t recommend here’s why
Yes I called from a few blocks away and they were dead so I walked right in. Yes they offered all the usual nail fills and pedicure/​polish changes.
However I went in asking for: acrylic fill (prior done elsewhere finished with a gel polish for the shine-​this mystified them-isn’t new technique) and then I asked for a pedicure (which they thought was just a polish change until I wondered aloud why certain things weren’t happening).
This establishment is run by two sisters. No certification posted anywhere and no instrument sterilization noticed (I looked as I work in a dental office and know what to look for). They simply quickly used some hand soap on only a few items and then placed them back on the same contaminated basket towel they went to the sink on.
Yes part of me is wondering why I’m bothering to write. They took 3.5 hours from start to finish to do what other locations do in an hour. They also charged me $ 80 which is hefty and a surprise considering they threw around «$ 5 this $ 5 that…»
The sister working on my feet kept nicking me and hurting me slightly, digging and digging on either side of the nail on both big toes. And now that I’m home I feel especially thin-​skin-​uncomfortable on a variety of places all over my feet (I’m not a superficially sensitive person-​I can handle a lot!). Unfortunately her English was barely passable. She finished with three consecutive color polish coats which wasn’t practical since they knew I was putting socks and shoes back on. I had to stop her from finishing with clear topcoat since having their polish blower on my feet for 30 minutes to do something about the too much already placed polish wasn’t doing much to dry it. And yes at home unveiling shows mushed paint job on my toes. :(
The sister who did my hands/​acrylic fill was advised my length was fine then started shortening them so had to be stopped. I asked for gentleness due to thin nail beds having had the gel polish numerous times prior to going acrylic to protect them while they grew out. She still chose to use the heavy grit right into the nail beds in a few places much to my discomfort. :/​
I don’t recommend this establishment and would give no stars if possible. :(

To appease the fiancée, I made a visit to Ocean Nails for work on the feet. Everything went smoothly, and my feet feel, look, and smell fantastic!
I don’t go to nail salons, so I can’t really compare it to others (hence my hesitancy to give it 5 stars), but I’ve had a pedicure done before at one of those pricey resort spas in Mexico, and while maybe the ambiance isn’t the same, the end product is no different. And at a fraction of the price. I couldn’t believe the prices — I didn’t realize taking care of my feet could be so affordable. And you (men in particular) can too. Do it as a favour for your significant other, and you might end up realizing that you’re doing yourself one too.
Misc thoughts… the people there are friendly and work fast … The massage chairs are fun to sit on while work is being done — the best one of the 3 is the one closet to the front door … Plenty of parking on the street … Plenty of gossip magazines to peruse through too.