Naturally Hands And Spa

I was a regular at this place until my last visit a couple of months ago. They technicians are really nice and accommodating but the quality of the nail services has declined. I felt so rushed the last time I went and don’t think the technician paid attention to detail. Their prices have increased dramatically. Single gel color is now $ 45. However, they advertise that the new price includes a lot of things with the mani. I’ve actually never gotten the extra things. My manicures are done according to the $ 35 price. Unfortunately, I had to resort to another salon, which spends time on my nails and doesn’t break my wallet.

I went today bc I was impressed by the Unilocal reviews and wanted to try out cal gel for the first time. Also, I wanted to check out a potential place to get my nails done for my upcoming wedding. You can see for yourself what you will get for $ 100. For a third of the price, I had better results at nail salons with regular gel nails.
The real irony is that they changed their business name to Cal gel Experts. See the work of the experts and judge for yourselves. Personally, I won’t be back. If anyone has any recommendations for a better place where you get your money’s worth, let me know: D.

Found on Unilocal and thought would be a great place to try, called and no response and then when I decided to stop in, the place was empty but required an appointment! Way to turn down business and not even offer an appointment time.

I came here because it had the Groupon deal for gel manicure with nail design and, boy did they not disappoint! Rico did my nails and she was adorable, sweet, and incredibly talented. Even when I asked for a difficult design, Rico took her time with an amazing attention to detail. It’s been a week since my appointment and there are still no signs of peeling or chipping. I will definitely be going back!

I looked for nail salons for around my area and I found Naturally Nails & Spa, and looked at photos and thought I would give them a try considering that I saw a lot of good reviews.
With that being said I called them to ask if they take walk ins or not and how much their gel is and if they can recover a broken nail and I called their phone twice and they never picked up. Considering that every nail salon I’ve ever called always picks up on the first call? But I guess not.
I live just 5 minute away from this place and I decided to just go ahead and get my nails done. I walk in and I DO NOT GET GREETED BY ANYONE until I said «Hi» (because I’m a hostess/​waitress so it’s just habit.) then everyone greeted me. So I sat there started writing my review and everyone was busy but not one person decided to ask me what I was here to do, about 10 minutes passed and a girl came up to the receptionist stand and asked if I was the 3:00 pm appointment and I told her no and that I called twice to see if you take walk ins. And she did not seem one bit apologetic and told me that they only take appointments.
HELLO I CALLED TWICE AND NO ONE PICKED UP IN CASE OF THIS VERY INCIDENT HAPPENING.
My mom works at a nail salon and even how busy the salon gets there’s always someone to pick up the phone even if they’re in the middle of massaging someone or painting they’re nails. This salon has by far probably the worse first impression I’ve ever encountered. Yeah they have pretty nice looking nails in their pictures and I’m sure they take their time on them but just pick up the phone so no one wastes their time.

I love gel nails and this is my favorite place to get them done. Even though I’ve been here only twice I loved my nails each time! My first time here was maybe 9 months ago and I really liked how the nail tech (forgot to ask for her name) mixed the perfect concoction of glitters together to recreate the picture I showed her.
This time Rieko did my nails and they came out just the way I wanted. She redid the flower designs multiple times until she was happy with them so I appreciated how meticulous she was. I’ve had them for about 10 days now and no chipping at all until I decided to build some Ikea furniture and deal with a lot of packing boxes today. Will ask for Rieko next time! :)

I got a gel manicure here after purchasing the $ 20 Groupon. I would definitely come back :)! This place is super tiny. there are literally only 3 nail stations, so you have to make an appointment & there are no walk-​ins.
I don’t know the name of the girl who worked on my nails, but she was so careful and precise. She didn’t rush the process even though it took approx an hour to finish. There was this one time a tiny tiny piece of dust landed on my nail. I didn’t even see it, but she took the time to use a toothpick to get it out and then redid that nail.
The manicure lasted a pretty long time. There were barely any chips at all after 3 weeks! I ended up removing them after 3 weeks just cus my nails were getting way too long for me.
Overall, this salon really cares about quality. I also like that they’re not constantly chatting it up while doing your nails because their focus is on you. The girls here are very sweet & quiet!

Used my Groupon ($ 22) to get a gel mani (regular price $ 35) here a couple weeks ago. The place is tiny! And the gals are Japanese, which was a surprise!
I don’t usually get my nails done but when I do, I keep it very simple — no art designs, no studs, no French tips, etc. Yeah, not into it…
I was happy with my short, dark vixen gel nails. The ambiance was peaceful and the staff just seemed to be focused on their work, and not asking you if you have a boyfrennn…

Tried this place out using the Groupon promo they had. Great deal!
Great place for those who like calgel nails with nail art/​designs. There are plenty of options and design ideas offered. If you have a hard time making up your mind, I would suggest going earlier than you appt to look through their idea books and nail reel samples (there are a lot to see).
My tech (I forgot her name :-() did an amazing job on my nails. What I appreciated the most was that she took the time to get the details of the design right but it didn’t take hours to get done. In/​out I put my visit at around 1 hour. For a frame of reference I had 3D design done on 4 nails and the remaining had a marble effect.
Make an appt beforehand. They tend to book early and from what I could tell, only two or three techs.
Will definitely be coming back.

This is a long review but worth the read!
I had purchased a groupon for two gel manicures a while back and decided to use them recently.
My first gel manicure was decent. I chose a basic red shade and requested caviar studs for 4 nails. (Total additional charge $ 2.00.50 cents per finger and about 8 – 12 caviar beads per nail) The nail technician, (Yuka) listened to all of my requests and did exactly what I wanted! (4 stars for service and listening to me) HOWEVER, this manicure only lasted me 5 days before edges lifted and chipped off. Kind of a waste considering some regular polish manicures last longer!
Now on to the next manicure! I came in last week deciding to try gel extensions. Basically an alternative to acrylic nails that aren’t as damaging to the nail. Reiko, my nail tech for this visit, seemed to be doing a decent job until she removed the nail stickers and the extended tips broke off on 4 different nails. She fixed them but from my observations, rushed the process and did not ensure the extensions were set long enough under the uv light. I requested an almond shaped tip, so she began filing away. Filing to the point that the friction was burning my nail! I had to point out what was going on so that she could slow down and not rush the process. It took over an hour for the extension process, repair of 4 nails, and shaping.
Now it was time to choose a color! I went for a matte soft pink shade, and somehow ended up with a sheer glitter pink? I brought this to Rieko’s attention and also informed her that my shaping was not what I wanted and my nails simply looked inconsistent and lumpy. To my surprise she said she has no more time to work on my nails despite the fact no one else was there for an appointment. She said she can fit me in 3 days later to «fix or correct them». Really? I have to go 3 days with jacked up nails? Fine.
So I come in for my repair day and asked to get the extensions removed. I didn’t want to risk going through the same experience twice. As she removed the gel, she kept sighing and grunting and occasionally look up at me with this weird look. Again filing and rushing the process, burning my nails underneath. I simply figured she thought I was being an annoying or problematic client? I’m sorry but if the process wasn’t rushed in the first place, maybe the nails would turn out fine! Who knows.
Anyway, to conclude my review, I opted for a dark oxblood shade with triangle studs at the top. Cute, but again, only lasted me 6 days this time. On top of that $ 10 charge for all 10 studs (this didn’t make total sense to me considering the previous price was 50 cents per finger and this is $ 1/​stud for a tiny triangle)…I still tipped generously due to the extensive work, but please improve this issue for future clientele. Most likely will not be coming here again, due to this past experience!

I had the Groupon for a gel manicure and am SO SO impressed. Naturally Hands & Spa is perfection in a nail salon. The woman who did my nails was so precise and made sure each nail was polished to perfection. They are amazing at nail art and have tons of glitter, rhinestones, etc. to choose from. My nails are so pretty and perfect for Valentine’s Day and I can’t wait to come back here again. I’m so surprised that Groupon actually had a discount for such an amazing place! Definitely worth it.

First time coming here. Yuka did a great job on my nails! She is so detailed oriented. She really took her time and made sure she did a thorough job. I love the nail art that she did for me.
As far as the facility itself, it was clean, and only new/​sterilized tools were used. Parking was a breeze and there was no wait.

Yuka does my nails.
I love watching her work, the attention to detail is appreciated. Even after three weeks your gel stays on.

The second time I came here, I was the last appointment. Michiko did my nails again and they came out GREAT. SUPER cute! I had them on for like 3 weeks or so and yup. no chippage. It took about 2 hours, but the design was more intricate so yeah. but she worked fast and it came out super cute so I love. ^_^
The third time I came here, Yuka did my nails. This one only took 1.5 hours as the design wasn’t too crazy but like the other two times, turned out beautifully. :)
I really like how the artists here are just really good at what they do. The lines are so crisp and everything is clean! They’re detailed and ensure that once you leave that the customer is satisfied.
If anything, the one thing I don’t really like about this nail salon is that that don’t have that many gel nail colors to choose from. The price is all right and services offered are fantastic, but don’t expect there to be a full rainbow of colors.

A week and a half later and my nails are looking gorgeous! I got a deal on Groupon for $ 22 which was a great deal for calgels! I got pastel pink color with glitter graduation. Michiko did my nails, and she was very precise and careful! It was a great experience. One con is that I prefer the whole pampering experience, including lotion, massage, etc. This was more of a dry cuticle preparing and buffering. Tools were brand new and clean which were nice. I was pretty happy with my nails and will definitely return to try jewels and other colors!
They gave me a stamp card which I plan on using! :)

I was a loyal customer at Atlas. Until I went to Naturally Hands and Spa, which literally 5 minutes from my home.
2 months Bought groupon and got an appointment with Yuka who took me and created a master piece in calgel with polka dots on all nails with several diamond crystals on my nails for half a price from my usual bill from Atlas! .
Last week I came back For the second time and made appointment with Miya; with take off, fixing my broken nail, designs on all of my nails with pearls and tips, it still cost half a price from what Atlas usually charged me! Then My heart sank, that was the time when it was official that I ended my loyalty to Atlas for good.
Cons:
— take off process: she took of my old calgel with a drill looking thing before solutioned. Kindda hot sometimes.
— not too many design example. Bring your own.
This place is paperless! I just need to show my groupon on my phone, paying process, all through their iPad and receipt went to my email! Perfect paperless person like me.
Calgel in-​a-​tube plus Japanese nail design ladies, please give this place a chance. I promise you they will wow’ed you.

I bought the 3 visit Groupon.
On my first visit… I was very disappointed b/​c they had me for a stupid.
They first told me I can only choose 1 color from the liquid type of gel polish that isn’t real cal gel.
I did my research prior to buying the groupon and never saw anything on their website about the liquid gel polish… I was in it for the real calgel (comes in little jars) especially bc I like to use multiple colors or glitter gradation and this cannot be done with the type they were showing me.
So I told them and was able to «upgrade» to the little jar types and did a 2 color gradation with glitter. :)
That was the only visit that even showed me the liquid gel polish (Thank Goodness!!)…please get that stuff out of my face! TY!
LIQUID GEL POLISH is in the same casings as regular nail polishes. You can get this for about $ 25 with a full manicure at many neighboring nail salons. It’s good, but not the real stuff.
REAL CAL GEL are in small jars and must use a separate brush for application.
You can’t get this just anywhere especially not at Vietnamese salons.
Let me say this… I used all 3 visits and my nails came out spectacular.
But it’s more stressful than you think during the whole process…
1) Every person charges differently… and there’s no sure way of knowing how much everything adds up to be bc there’s so many things you can do!
2) Don’t expect a creative nail artist everytime… I make sure and create my own art on each nail but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easier… you must direct them.
3) Many cannot speak or understand English very well… the language barrier made it more difficult to explain even though I drew how I wanted each nail to be designed.
4) The dry manicure is bleh… I hate dry manicures b/​c it doesn’t leave your nails as clean as a full manicure should. I recommend getting a manicure elsewhere prior to your visit here.
Still this is best place for quality cal gel nails… I never have bubbles or uneven polish and they seem to last longer.
I can keep mine for a month easy with proper design and care.
Normal 1 color cal gel $ 35
French tip $ 40
2 color cal gel $ 45?
Add ons…3D art, crystals, designs,…limitless! :)
$ 10 removal. I do this at home… very easy.
I can’t wait for their Groupon deal!!!

I also bought a groupon deal for 2 calgel manicures and this review is post both services.
It was really easy to book appts online through groupon’s scheduler. I am familiar with Calgel as a friend of mine used to use this type of gel to do my nails and 3D art before moving back to Japan. There was some miscommunication about my appt over the phone and had to resched several times; some of the artists speak better English than others, but everyone I spoke to was very polite.
My first manicure was with Marlene and it was nice to have someone who spoke English fluently as we were able to have a conversation throughout the entire manicure. She also allowed me to pay extra for the 2 color glitter gradiation over clear gel instead of just choosing one plain color so it wouldn’t be so obvious once my nails grew out (I posted a picture). She was very accommodating. The only thing I noticed after the manicure was how she got quite a bit of gel on my cuticles and on the sides of my nails. They were also not sculptured as evenly as I would have liked. They lasted almost 3 weeks (the first week withstood constant hand washing as I was finishing up my last week of clinicals at a hospital) before I started peeling the sides and soaked them in acetone to remove.
My second manicure was last Friday and I was able to pay extra as well for the 2 color glitter gradiation ($ 5 for each color; I paid $ 10 extra). My nail artist was Ayako. She did a wonderful job on my nails. She applied the glitter differently than Marlene and the way that I’m accustomed to; sculptured rather than applied on with a sponge. They were applied more evenly and she took great care to make sure that there was no gel in my cuticle area or under my nail. It’s been just over a week and they’re still holding up well. I’m back at a hospital this Monday, so we’ll see if they hold up as well as my first manicure.
+:
–plenty of parking
–calm and extremely clean facility. There is a TV, but it’s muted so you can read the captions. Music is playing in the background and is truly background music.
–very friendly nail artists
–decent price. I used to pay $ 50 just for the full set with the glitter and would spend upwards of $ 70 with 3D art.
–has lasted 2 weeks for me before lifting/​peeling at the sides (I’ll come back and change this in a week or so if this 2^nd one doesn’t last)

Disappointed…
I LOVE getting my nails done. I’ve been to Hime, Myu, Atlas, and now here. I would have to say out of the 4 Japanese nails salons, this place is my least favorite. I made an appointment telling them that I would need nail designs, four 3D nail art, gel, and glitter. They overbooked and I was rushed through the entire process and they could not finish. I know it was not the nail girl’s mistake of overbooking, but still. They did not even get to do designs. I was very disappointed and felt rushed through the entire process. They did offer to make another appointment, but the whole point of the first appointment was to ensure I would get my nails done the way I wanted it. I’m a busy girl, I don’t have time to drive back.
My total for my unfinished nails was $ 62 (photo is included). Yes she did a good job. Yes she was nice. And yes they are cute. However, it was not what I wanted. I wanted more. This place claims that they are a distributor to other nail salons so they keep their prices fairly cheaper. In my opinion, although Atlas has 3 dollar signs ($$$), it is very similar to Myu and here. The salon itself is small but very well kept. It’s a little hard to find if its your first time coming. Its located on the first floor of a building facing main.

Last week I was Unilocaling good places to get a manicure around the Irvine area and the places with the highest reviews offered something called calgel. I was amazed by all the cool and funky designs that you could get on your nails and was determined to try it out. After comparing my options I decided on Naturally Hands and Spa because it seemed the most reasonably priced.
I had my appointment today with Miya. She was SO friendly and nice! We talked about Kim K’s recent divorce, Glee, and a bunch of celebrity gossip. I don’t think i’ve ever talked to such a cultured nail artist before lol. Anyways if you’re not into talking they have a nice big screen television on the wall. While I was there the movie Knocked Up was playing on Channel E. So in between the conversations and the movie time passed really fast.
Anyways let’s get to the important stuff… the nails! I came prepared with designs I had in mind. I ended up abandoning all my ideas when I saw how cute Miya’s nails were. They were a nice pearly pink and she had a bow made out of crystals on her ring finger. It was really simple but so cute! I’m really a plain jain and just wanted to test out calgels so decided to go with the simple design and go for something more daring in a future visit. She was careful and delicate when applying the gel and the crystals. It was really interesting to observe the process.
They accept card and you can tip using your card too. I never have cash with me so it was great that they had that as an option.
One tip I have for them is to get some studs! I saw a really cute design online with studs unfortunately they didn’t have them here at Naturally Hands and Spa :(