Pearl Beauty Spa

needed a quick mani since i peeled off the no-​chip mani, and it was beginning to look like i had not been groomed in months. i looked a little homeless.
i called pearl (it’s not called pearl anymore — it’s got a new name) and they said a mani was $ 15 with a 20% discount for their grand opening. sweet! did the math (since i’m asian) and it came to $ 12. pretty effing sweet for a homeless person.
the service great. staff was really nice. they are very attentive. they offered to help me pick out a color, though i didn’t want help — but i appreciated it. they carried my stuff to the station for me and got started. since i wasn’t done chewing off my no-​chip, i had 2 nails left and they did not charge me for a no-​chip removal. sweet.
the mani included a paraffin dip and a massage that made me really sleepy. i really needed it, too — it was very relaxing.
she did a great job. i picked a grayish white color, and she did an awesome job bc white is hard to paint (streaks and shit). very detailed with every step she took.
if i ever need a quick mani in this area, i’ll definitely come back here.

I was here with a you swoop for pedi mani facial and wax.
pedi mani — Becky was nice and patient and did a great job! my mani lasted about 2 weeks and pedi is still on!
facial — christina was great, the facial was relaxing and informative. My face felt smooth and soft for days afterward.
wax — Christina was very professional and provided a comfortable environment for the wax. The wax itself did not hurt as anticipated. Great technique.

I have been to Pearl Spa and had horrible experiences both times. The first time I went, the woman filed off layers of my toe skin, during the pedicure. At first, she acted like nothing happened, but the sort of apologized once I started bleeding. Why did I not notice during the treatment? I am assuming because the skin was resistant, due to the soaking. It took five weeks for my toes to completely heal.
Jump ahead a couple months. I had a similar issue, but with the manicure. Again, more cuticle skin was removed and the technician had to deal with a bleeding issue. I get monthly mani/​pedis, but have bled over them!
I will stay as far away as I can from this spa.

I also came here as part of the youswoop deal. I purchased 2 youswoops — one for me and one for a friend. Unlike others, we didn’t have any problems booking 2 people for the same treatment (a mani/​pedi) at the same time. We did go on a weeknight, so maybe that helped.
We were running a little late, so we called to let them know. They said, no problem. We arrived about 5 minutes late, and we headed right to the pedicure area. We were the only ones there, which is understandable for 5:30 on a week night. Both nail technicians (mine and my friend’s) were very nice. They weren’t very chatty, but I imagine it was because my friend and I did all the talking.
The place itself us neat and clean, with a bit of a modern feel. I’m big on making sure nail salons are clean, and I was happy to see that as soon as my nail tech finished my nails, she got right to scrubbing down the foot bath I had used.
As our nails were being finished up, another couple of friends walked in for their deal. Their appointment was at 6:45, and they were taken right on time, which leads me to believe their appointment system is working. The other group had brought champagne, and I realized we should have BYOB’d too. Oh well, next time.
Though the experience was nice, and my nails do look great, I did have a couple small issues with the place.
First, I didn’t think that they were very thorough when scrubbing my feet. I’ll admit, I had kind of a lot of dead skin that needed removing (I haven’t been keeping up on my pedis), and they only spent like a minute scrubbing. My feet still feel rough one day after the pedi. They did do a pretty awesome leg and arm massage during the treatment though.
And second, when our nails were finished, they took us over to the nail dryer. We sat there, and they were in no hurry to have us leave. However, when we were getting ready to leave, no one got up to help us with our shoes, or to spray our nails a final time. Not a big deal, but I did notice it.
Oh, a final thought. I noticed they had a loyalty card on their main desk. I think it was 7 mani/​pedis and you get the 8^th free.
Overall, I had a pleasant experience and I plan on returning.

Ok so I purchased the mani/​pedi and facial from youswoop like many others…
Mani/​pedi it was 3 stars. They dont do anything too special. It was pretty standard. I did get a paraffin wax treatment for my hands. It definitely didnt last and my feeties could have used a little more scrubbing, etc. Overall, not horrible and it was cheap because of the youswoop so it was worth it.
Facial was 5 stars on the actual act and 2 stars on the ambiance… so you have to realize that Christina takes you back to a «room.» However, the walls dont go all the way up. So you can hear the bumping pop music from the room and all of the customers talking about gossip while they get mani/​pedis. She tries to drowned out the other sounds by then putting on her own relaxing music (which I think was Pandora because there was advertisements), but it almost makes it worse. So you have to realize that the reason you are going to go here is because you actually think she does a fantastic job… which I do. So here is the jist. I paid a ridiculously cheap amount for this facial on youswoop so it was totally worth it. I think it was $ 29 or something. She told me that she normally charges $ 69. I would not pay full price ever for this facial, however, I would go back for $ 29. She did a really fantastic job at the facial. She extracts unlike other places that I have been to and it was almost better. The weird thing was that she doesnt have the magnifying glass with the «jail lights.» If you have had a facial before you know what I am talking about so half way through the facial she turns on the lights to perform the extractions. I still thought she did a great job. My skin looks amazing today.
So final remarks… if you live in the area-​go for mani/​pedi if you have a deal. Definitely go for facial if you have a deal, but dont expect ambiance of a high end spa, but expect results that you want.

I came to Pearl Beauty Spa because I purchase YouSwoops for a mani-​pedi and a facial. The woman booking the appointments definitely didn’t understand what I was trying to do and had major ‘tude (I wanted to book 2 mani/​pedis and 2 facials for a Saturday afternoon for 2 different people). But I figured it’s a BYOB beauty salon so you can’t go wrong! Right? Umm… wrong.
On the day of our appointments we walked in ready to relax and enjoy some wine. Welll… no one in the place was drinking and it was dead silent. So we promptly put away our wine for fear of being glared at. The receptionist informed me that she had me down for 1 mani/​pedi and 1 facial. What?! After I calmly explained that I had called and made the appointments for 2 mani/​pedis and 2 facials she begrudgingly made room for us.
The woman who did our facials was amazing. She was very knowledgeable. She knew exactly how to treat my combination skin (which can be very sensitive) and even after my facial the swelling and redness went down within a few hours (usually that is not the case). She was very nice and used amazing products. If i had the money I would go to her for regular facials.
The manis/​pedis were a different story. They. took. foooorever. Now, I’m a fan of relaxation, but this was BEYOND BORING. In the time for my friend to get her facial the woman doing my pedicure had only just BEGUN to put polish on (I hadn’t even gotten to the manicure part yet). I was also passed around between a couple different people. One person did left foot, another my right. By the time they got to my manicure I was ready to get out of there.
Cashing in the YouSwoops was a disaster. It was if they didn’t remember that they had signed up for the YouSwoop deal. The whole ordeal was not enjoyable (except for the facial. The only reason I would go back). There are many better mani/​pedi places close by that I would try before going back here.

WORST WAX IN MY LIFE!
I received two brazilian waxes at Pearl form two different ladies. The first one was adequate. The second was the worst experience ever. Her technique made no sense. She never pulled my skin taught so I was left with tons of bruising and was in a lot of pain through out the wax. She lightly patted down instead of pressing firmly on the strips making it very uncomfortable. After going over certain areas several times, she gave up and I had to finish several areas when I got home. She did not do the back side, but I was in such shock of the horrible experience that i just wanted to leave.
I want to send my lady parts and Im sorry card bc it was that atrocious.

I came here for a mini-​spa day with a friend, which included a facial and a mani/​pedi. We got a deal through one of those online coupon thingies.
I showed up a half hour late on a rainy Saturday afternoon. As soon as I walked in, I got plenty of looks, but wasn’t greeted. After 4 or 5 min of uncomfie glances between the workers and myself, I had to walk toward the back of the store to be acknowledged. WEIRD.
Anyway, once that part was settled, the rest of the experience gets better. I got my pedi first. The lady that did it did a fantastic job (literally the polish stayed on for like 4 weeks without any chipping or anything!). Then after the pedi, I got my facial, and the girl who did it was pleasant and we talked all throughout the session. She also did a good job (my coworker noticed days after I got the facial and asked if I was wearing makeup cuz my skin was smoother looking). The mani was also good.
I would definitely come back, but it’s a little bit of a haul from the north suburbs. The prices are competitive with other salons.

My mom and I went to Pearl last weekend to redeem a couple of YouSwoops that I’d purchased in December. Warning: the woman I spoke with was a complete idiot with a bit of ‘tude.
We had initially scheduled appointments a few months before with a friend and her mom, but had to cancel last minute due to a death in the family. When my friend and her mom went for their appointment, the salon staff demanded our names so they could void our YouSwoops, despite knowing that someone had passed away. Their mentality: «Well, she should have canceled more then 24 hours in advance.» Sorry, the next time a family member is dying, I’ll be sure to call you once things start to go downhill. Ridiculous. I understand this policy, but a little respect for your customer goes a long way. Luckily, my friend was smart enough to give them a fake name and we were able to go anyway.
The woman who did our facials was amazing. She was clearly very knowledgeable and gave both my mom and I (different) tips on how to better our skin. It was my first facial, but I will definitely be back to have another with her.
The mani/​pedis were just okay. We kept getting shifted around to different technicians and it took FOREVER to finish everything up. Given the choice, I would check out one of the other salons in the area that has a staff that is a bit more efficient and competent. Oh, and we didn’t bring cocktails, but I would definitely have forgotten about their BYOB policy. No one was drinking.
I wouldn’t recommend going her for a manicure/​pedicure, but absolutely for a facial.

One of the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. I booked a bridal party appointment 2 months in advance. When we showed up to the salon for our Tuesday appt, the manager or owner can’t seem to find my appointment. Keep in mind I called twice to confirm before hand. Their lack of regard, sympathy, and apology was unacceptable. No apologies for the mix-​up, no consolations, simply nothing. If anything, they made it seem like I was crazy and that the appt was all in my head.
To make matters worse, I also booked another appointment for that Saturday (also 2 months in advance) and that too was not in their books. Now I was really livid!!! I mean seriously…1 mix-​up, okay I understand, we’re all human, but 2 mix-​ups and no apology, now that’s just lack of customer service.
Don’t waste your time coming here. The only reason I came in the first place was due to a youswoop.
They seriously need to update their appointment system instead of using that pencil and paper book (or have a more competent person taking down the appointments).
The only good thing about this place is Christine (I believe that’s her name — she’s the one that does the waxes & facials).

This review is long overdue — I went to Pearl Beauty Spa over the winter. I remember this because it was snowing like whoa and I was wearing my huge winter non-​pedicure friendly boots. No worries though, when they were finished with my pedicure, they applied some magic oil, saran-​wrapped those puppies and I was good to go!
Anywho, I went there with a YouSwoop for a mani/​pedi and had a great experience. It was quiet, they played that soft R&B goodness that only makes sense in a beauty salon (or at the Cheesecake Factory) and they did a great job. I went on a Saturday morning so there were a good number of folks there, but it didn’t feel all hustle-​bustle like some other places. Sometimes you just need some peace a quiet, ya know?
I was hesitant at first because the young lady that did my manicure was in high school, but hey — she did a good job. In high school I sold caramel corn and was darn good at it so let me not take away from her growing expertise (the children are our future — and I see beauty treatments and caramel corn in my future for sure).
If it was closer to my place, I would go on a regular basis. They really made an effort to make it a good experience — oh, and they fit me in last minute (I called the day before). As soon as I told them that I had a super important formal event to attend (you know, the kind that you hope you find your future husband at — or at least a tasty buffet) they fit me in. I gotta look good for those buffets! Next time I’m in the neighborhood, I’ll stop by for another mani/​pedi. Five stars ’cause it was an all-​around enjoyable experience.

I went to Pearl with a mani/​pedi Youswoop and am very happy I did not pay full price.
First, the positives: some of the best pedicure chairs I’ve ever had and a great hand massage before the mani! (however the friend I went with was a tad jealous because she did not receive a massage)
Now for the negatives: no dryers which are a must for this clumsy girl so my nail smudged before I even left the salon, mani only lasted a couple days (but my pedi and my friends mani/​pedi have held up fairly well), the woman working on me called over a different lady to finish my manicure because it seemed as though the woman working on me couldn’t see very well, also when I was selecting the colors she told me to pick another because it was too old and thick (right after another salon worker had used that color on my friend) and it seemed as if the color I ended up choosing from the somewhat limited selection was also too old and thick to work with, also the BYOB part was awkward so I kept my bottle of wine tucked away in my bag afraid of looking like too much of a boozehound (which was disappointing since it was around happy hour on a Friday)
Overall, I did like the women there and it was a well decorated and clean salon. Perhaps with a little updating of the nail polish selection and some dryers they could redeem themselves, but until then I will not be returning.

Used a YouSwoop here with a friend for a mani/​pedi. The experience was nothing special and felt rushed with several different techs doing different individual tasks per client. One of the technicians was very rough and the leg massage was painful. She also reprimanded me for cutting my nails which I do on purpose since I like them short, which I found to be an unprofessional judgment. On the bright side nails are OK 4 days later.
Sex and the City was playing on their TV which was a plus. Apparently they are a BYOB place but nobody was BYOB-​ing on a Friday night so it was kind of awkward.

I went in here because I got a coupon in one of those mailers for 50% off. I was a little hesitant after checking out Unilocal,but I’m so happy I went!
It’s a cute little salon with very sweet staff. I called on a thursday afternoon and they were able to get me in right away for a no-​chip mani. As soon as I came in they offered me coffee, tea, or water. (a nice change from usual nail places)
The experience was very zen. When I go to get my nails done, I do it in big part to relax. The girl doing my nails was very nice, and quiet. We chatted a bit, but I was still able to relax! She also tried about 4 colors on her own nails that I wasn’t sure about. Man, I’m a pain! They also had old Sex & the City episodes playing on TV.
Relaxing experience, nice staff, and S&TC? I’ll be back!

Went there with my Mom for a Spa M/​P and it was okay…
It was a rainy day, and traffic was bad, got there about 15 minutes late and while I called ahead… and made it there as promised, there was some attitude about it… guessing it was because we were using a Groupon or some other coupon deal… add on that we’re asian and the place is owned by a Mongolian chick? LOL. =D
The place looked okay, I think the pictures posted here show a little more glam that the vibe I recall… its funny about the attitude, the owner and her cousin (waify teenager that didnt seem to want to be there) had some, while the unrelated staff didn’t… luckily those were the ones that worked on me… and one lone blonde eastern-​euro chick in there, super nice.
Everyone was dressed like they were going to hit Exit (if that place is still around)… and apparently Mongolians are very edgy… saw an ep on ‘Househunters International’ shortly thereafter and its MODERN. Oops I digress…
Anywho… the pedi was pretty good, the mani was okay, TOO MUCH topcoat, so it was gloppy thick and chipped away really fast. I liked my xxxx-​curists though, so I tipped well regardless… but I would not go back.

I really wish I could be writing a better review right now. I usually have great luck with mani-​pedis from deal sites like YouSwoop. This time, it was not the case.
I do feel like the nail tech tried her hardest. And that’s about the only good thing I can say. The pedicure was fine, although, she didn’t really scrub my feet at all (i’m a working lady… i need a heel scrub!).
The manicure is what absolutely KILLED it for me. First of all, she filed my nails unevenly. They were so crooked I grabbed the file out of my purse on the way home.
Throughout the mani, I thought she was buffing the flat surface of my nails as she went. But, it turns out she was FILING THEM! Now, my nails are so pathetically thin, they are breaking left and right. I’m cringing at how much of my nail surface she filed off. :(
To top it it off, she didn’t coat the polish thick enough, so the brush lines dried in the polish. I honestly would have been happier if I had just done it myself. It was just no good.

This was one of the nicest and cleanest salon I ve been to. I got my mani-​pedi and a hair cut. The staff was very friendly and fast and very skilled. I love my nails they look so clean that they can be mistaken for fake. One thing though they didn’t change the movie that they were playing. The hair dresser, was very skilled as well, she did exactly what I asked for in such a short time. Overall I felt very comfortable that I didn’t mind spending time there. Definitely coming back.

YouSwoop brought me in for a mani-​pedi, which I really enjoyed. The technician spent almost 90 minutes with me and put a lot of attention into details.
Even though getting an appointment was a bit tricky, I’ll definitely be back.

My experience was not horrible at all!
I also got a youswoop and had a french mani pedi. I did not feel rushed and enjoyed being left alone and reading US Weekly. Too bad there’s no subtitle for the movie that was playing, so I had no idea what was going on. This place is super clean. Even the bathroom is spotless and feels like home.
My french mani does look uneven on some fingers… but I am super picky though. You probably can’t even tell from far away.
I will be back in a month to get another mani pedi (the owner offered the service for $ 30), facial, and eye brow wax! I overheard another lady loving her eye brow wax, so I can’t wait to get it done soon!
Yes, this place is far away from where I live. But if I am ever in the neighborhood, I think I will be back. Plus Whole Foods is down the street, so you can grab some food on the way home.

I sense that minimalism is the theme of Pearl Beauty Spa. Minimal décor, minimal noise, minimal nail lacquer choices, and minimal service.
I YouSwoop’d on over to this spa for a post-​New Year’s beauty fix, intent on having gorgeous fingers and toes to carry me through all those resolutions. It’s true, my candy apple red footsies (hate the word «feet». disgusting.) and beige nails looked great. But Owwww!!! Capital O! What the heck happened? My nail tech was clearly experienced, lesser so were shuffling their customers over to my gal to finish their work, and she breezed right through my mani/​pedi (not a quality I’m looking for in my down time at the spa…). But I’m fairly concerned I have two infections in two separate nail beds. You know that annoying pain you feel each time you press down on a nail that’s been snipped and clipped wrong, and that low throbbing ache starts up? Welcome to my world.
Other lowlights of the appointment– scheduling the appointment was a bit difficult, they say they book up quickly, and I understand why. The place is tiny. Four-​five chairs for each service. The drying stations seat four, and are UV and air drying. However the station I was seated at didn’t have any air, and the technician was fine to leave me there at a broken fan. I was also skipped on the shoulder massage doled out at the end of the service. The chick next me received a massage, where’s mine?!
I have to say I’m glad I didn’t have to actually pay for my experience here, otherwise I think my two star review might have become a one star.