Magic Nails

My nails look great! Gina did a fantastic job. I highly recommend her salon. She did recently move though so note the new address: 303 E Wacker.

Made an appointment several days ahead for a pedicure during lunch hour. Upon arriving at noon i was put in one of the pedicure chairs and no one approached me for 30 minutes. At that point there wasn’t enough time to do a full pedicure and to make it back to my office several blocks away before my lunch ran out. Was very disappointed that I didn’t get the relaxing break I was hoping for — even with making an appointment.

My company has a satellite office in this building, and I was excited when I learned there was a nail salon, with a four star Unilocal average, located in the basement. I have absolutely no idea how this place has a four star rating. First, it is cramped, and there are only one or two chairs for a pedicure. The salon is so small, everything is clustered and not at all relaxing. I could barely get up from the pedicure chair without bumping the two people getting manicures.
Service was friendly.
My pedicure chipped quicker than most.
If you’re in a bind and the location is convenient, perhaps head here, but don’t have high expectations. This is definitely one of the few times that Unilocal has led me astray.

No chip lasts 3 weeks! Great quality for a great price

I work across the plaza and visit here during my break. The location is convenient, and same-​day appointments are easy to make. They take credit cards and you can leave tip on the card as well, which is convenient.
The salon itself is tiny. There are only a couple of mani stations and two massage pedicure chairs. Although it’s pretty cramped, I haven’t felt uncomfortable, and in my experience the mani/​pedis have been quick and quality at fair prices. A non-​shellac mani has lasted me a full week with no chips!
Friendly service, good color selection & gets the job done when my nails need some love.

The lady who did my manicure was nice, but other than that I can’t think of too much to recommend this place. It was tiny and dark. So tiny that when some loud asshat of a guy came in with his girlfriend his awful banter took over the whole place. No matter, not their fault.
What disappointed me was that the technician used so many coats of paint in thick gobs that SIX HOURS LATER it hadn’t dried. While the surface looked dry, I lightly brushed my nail on something and had a big piece of paint wrinkle up and come off. Later that night, my manicure got sheet imprints on it. So in the end, it was a $ 15 way to make me look like I was a total klutz and/​or like I had let a small child do my nails.

The best manicure and pedicure I’ve ever had. I went to Magic nail salon during my lunch break. the price was very good .53 $ for pedicure and no chip manicure. The place is small but awesome. The nail tech was very friendly, she put her tools in the barbicide liquid, I felt safe and the tools was sanitizer. She paid a lot attention on my feet and she did very thorough job on my
no chip menicure was amazing, this is my second week and the color still last until now even my nail start growing .I’ll be back and recommend my friends

DO NOT GO HERE! Very unsanitary! The whole pedicure took 15 mins so needless to say they rushed the job. Didn’t pay attention to details. Left a lot of dry skin on my heels and my feet were on a wet rag the whole time. I didn’t see a sanitizer for the tools (most of the time she kept the tools on the floor.) They don’t have a drying machine. Save your self the time and money and go somewhere else!!!

I love this place. These ladies are super sweet, make a point of knowing their regulars, have a great color selection, are gentle and do a great job. The shop is cosy and little without any frills, but it’s exactly perfect for me.

They do great work! Alot of times when you are at a nail salon the technicians talk to each other the whole time in a different language. These ladies did not, I found that very nice. My nails look very pretty, this may be the best one I have ever had.

Magic Nails is a hidden little gem located in the basement of 401 N. Michigan Avenue (the former Equitable Building). I have been going to this shop for a decade and their service is always spot on. Manicures are impeccable and last nearly 2 weeks. I can honestly say they give the best manicures in the city. I am in a business where I entertain clients at luxury spas quite often, and unless you’re trying to impress a client with the ambiance, there is no better manicure than Magic Nails! Give this litte shop a try and you won’t be disappointed!

I love coming here because it’s so close to work so I can get in and out on my lunch break. I’ve only had a toe polish change and the no-​chip manicure and they’ve always done a great job! It’s very thoughtful that they know me by name and are very pleasant, even if you don’t have an apt. The place is crazy tiny and I’ve been in there before where people had to come back later on because there’s only 3 chairs and 2 chairs for pedicures and no waiting area (so on lunch it gets a little busy), but if you can get in (which I’ve never had a problem getting in, esp. if I call that morning to make an apt) they will do a great job. They also have Essie and OPI products– gotta love me some Essie :)

I went to Magic Nails for the first time this past Friday at the recommendation of a friend. I was thoroughly impressed with both the manicure and pedicure I received. The nail technician was patient (as it took me a while to decide on the colors I wanted), experienced, and precise. The massages lasted longer than anywhere else I’ve been, and the staff was very friendly and welcoming.

Walk in on a Monday, super nice, clean and friendly. Perfect for a $ 35 mani and pedi. It was great also because I was in town for business staying in a nearby hotel, badly in need of mani-​pedi as I left home in a craze. Was great, would go back again.

I can’t believe the reviews that this place is getting. My experience yesterday was no where near 5, 4 or even 3 stars.
My best friend and I went in for a mani-​pedi after work. The shop is tiny, cramped and in the basement of the NBC building. The smallness didn’t really bother me. But it wasn’t clean. There were tools all over the place, just lying around. I had a pedicure first, while they told my friend to have her manicure first so she could sit next to me and talk, then we would switch. But then, someone came to work on my hands at the same time. After my pedicure and manicure was finished, they switched my friend into the chair for her pedicure, while I just sat there with nothing to do because they were done with me. There were two magazines in the shop and a TV, tuned to the local NBC news broadcast, but the feed kept cutting in and out.
The service itself was nothing to write home about. They used one of those cheese grater callus shavers, which I thought wasn’t allowed in Illinois. I didn’t see them sanitize anything after they used it on me. In fact, after one of the girls used the cuticle trimmer on me, she put it into the little blue barbasol glass, but it was upside-​down (therefore sanitizing nothing). There was a very weak, 20 second massage each for my hands and feet. There was polish left on my skin and cuticles. I didn’t feel that the service was worth $ 38 (it was Thursday, I think it’s a little cheaper M-​W).
Two stars only because they have a decent color selection and they let you tip on your credit card.

This is a tiny little place under the NBC building. We were a little surprised and apprehensive, but our mani-pedi’s were great! The women were kind and professional, even though we were the last appointment of the night for them. Plus they had a mani-​pedi special ($ 35) monday through wednesday. my mani lasted days longer than other places and my toes are still shiny and great, a week later. All very good — highly recommended!

Super convenient location, good prices, and a great selection of no chip options (like gelish & shellac) make this place a little gem.
As other reviewers have said, the space is small. However, the location, service, and competitive pricing more than make up for that. This isn’t a frilly salon but, you will get a great mani/​pedi for a great deal.

Magic nails is a tiny, no-​frills nail salon, but for $ 35 for a mani/​pedi (the special Monday-​Wednesdays), its a great deal. They did a great job and were very friendly. Not a huge selection of colors, but the ones they had were decent. I’d highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a simple, quick, good-​quality mani/​pedi.

I am a frequent customer of Magic Nails. I usually make an appointment (but one isn’t necessary) because I often go during my lunch hour and it can get busy. Another reviewer mentioned the space and I admit it is very small but easily manageable.
I get my eyebrows done here every few weeks and they do an amazing job. Price is pretty reasonable ($ 14 for brow wax) but I don’t mind if a little more compared to others. This is based solely on the convenience factor since I work next door. Regarding nail services, I have only done a pedicure ($ 17) but the results are fantastic! The polish doesn’t chip right away and it lasts longer than most places I know.
The women are quiet but very professional and give an amazing hand/​arm massage. I would definitely recommend Magic Nails for your nail and waxing needs!

I think I need to clarify my rating (which I wish would reflect a 3.5 star rating):
QUALITY OF SERVICE: 5 STARS
FACILITY: 3 STARS (tiny and very modest interior)
PRICE: 3 STARS (a little expensive for what you get)
The average of the stars = 3.5 (or a 3.666 666 666).
Magic Nails is a very tiny place in the basement of the NBC Studios building. It is one small, modest room that houses only 2 massaging pedicure «thrones» and 3 manicure tables. I don’t like that it’s easy to look in and see who’s getting manicure/​pedicure, but it’s conveniently located.
The service is impeccable. While English is not a strong suit for some of the nail technicians, they do beautiful work. My french manicure was absolutely flawless, and my pedicure looked beach ready. Yes, they even have one of those UV lamps to help harden the polish. The technicians are very sweet and friendly, and it was clear when I was there that there are quite a few happy regulars who came in, too.
Btw, I am a big dork, but I absolutely LOVE the massage chairs. They gave me one of the best massages I’ve ever had FROM A CHAIR. Now, I wouldn’t compare it to a massage by a real person, but it is pretty darn awesome.
Other than the tiny facility, the only thing I can complain about is that the prices were a little bit higher than I expected. For a mani/​pedi combo, it’s $ 45. Add $ 5 for a french manicure and another $ 5 for a french pedicure. You can also get acrylic nails applied, and they do eyebrow waxing as well.
They have plenty of magazines for you to read, and a little TV to watch, although during the day it’s usually tuned to a soap opera.
The location is terrific, since you could walk out, grab a cup of Intelligentsia coffee next door and then go outside and hang out next to the Chicago River.
Now, excuse me while I go admire my nails, which I am sure will promptly be scratched off by me when I go paint my bathroom this weekend.