Bellus Academy

Had a manicure, was decent but not great. Like other reviewers said, very little to no cuticle work, no cleaning under the nails. I don’t think this is the technician’s fault; if she wasn’t trained in it, then she wouldn’t know how to do that essential part of a professional manicure. Filing and shaping were fine. Lots of creamy stuff on my hands and nails, so they are soft. The scrub took a whole 30 seconds for both hands, the massage was tentative, maybe she wasn’t properly trained in that, either.
I understand that this is a beauty school, but the students are about to graduate. Sadly, the bar doesn’t seem to be set very high. If Bellus is indeed «the Harvard of Beauty Schools» as one of their promotional materials states, then the beauty industry is in trouble!

I scheduled a manicure and was impressed with the service. The student took her time, was very personable, and did a great job. If you book an appointment here, remember everyone is a student. The service will be much slower than a regular salon. :)

I wish I could write a review based on my experience with their services but unfortunately I can’t because I called several times during business hours and no one answered. I left a voicemail and never received a phone call back despite leaving my number. Apparently my business isn’t important enough for them to answer their phones or return my calls.

This is a school but overall I enjoyed my visit. A friend and I had an appointment for a pedicure and a hair cut. An instructor is available to the student if they have questions and to check the work of the student.
The pedicure was fine but like another reviewer said my cuticles needed attention and really didn’t get any! They do look nice.
The young lady that cut my hair was very meticulous so the cut it took quite a while, but looked really nice when she was none. Her instructor was good and seemed to make learning fun.

Went yesterday to get my nails done for a formal event. The short version: Price is good for a bare-​bones mani/​pedi, but I would rather have done my own toes and gone to Toes and Tips for the fingers. The mani price is basically the same and T&T has better equipment and a much better polish selection.
Here’s the long version:
The Good: My manicurist, Tay, was awesome! If it was just a review of her, she’d get five stars. She was really friendly, and when the student who was supposed to do my pedicure was late, Tay stepped in and did that too. All the students I talked to were really professional. The prices were also good: 30 dollars for a standard mani/​pedi. At Toes and Tips across the parking lot, a mani is $ 15 (only a couple dollars more than Bellus) but a pedi is $ 28!
The Bad: They didn’t cut my cuticles at all, which is basically the entire reason I get my nails professionally done. Even pushed back they are obviously overgrown and ragged. I don’t think this was a manicurist omission; I didn’t see cuticle cutters in her tool basket so I suspect they don’t do that at all. The salon also didn’t have Essie, OPI or China Glaze polishes, only a salon brand with dated shades and finishes. I needed a neutral color to go with a beaded vintage dress, but the closest I could find were a dated metallic pink or whites far too light for my skin tone. I regretted not bringing my own polish! Many of the bottles were dried out and gloopy, so Tay had to search for one she could use. The top coat she had to work with was so gloopy that it left bubbles on my nails, and she really had to struggle with it. I applied my own layer of top coat when I got home because it had gone on so unevenly I was worried it would peel. I’ve gone to student salons before, so I really don’t mind a couple mistakes, but in this case the student didn’t have a lot to work with. The school should give their students equipment and polish similar to what they would use in any professional nail salon.
My toes turned out looking good, partially because my cuticles there aren’t beat up and partially because I found a classic red shade to use. But while my fingernails look neat, they definitely don’t look «done» with the cuticles the way they are. I probably won’t be coming back again, despite the friendly staff.

The service is great and affordable. I had an all over highlight, color, and cut and came out just how I imagined. They verify with the instructors and review what their plan is. In this school compared to the other in Manhattan, the teachers are always around helping the students. If you aren’t happy with your outcome you have a week to get it fixed for free (hair service from what i was told not sure about others). Not exactly sure how much longer they’ll be there, but I would definitely recommend Becky L. or Alexa.