Nail Salons 19 Reviews in San Mateo, CA (Part 2)

Ana Vazquez Love my new set of nails, Anna is great, love her work!!! Getting lots of complements about my nails every time she takes me in, easy to book., nice quiet place, attentive personnel, 100% recommend them!

Tiffany Wu This is a low profile location so its relatively easy to get an appointment (I usually call the same day) and a slight uphill walk up a block is good for my behind :) The staff here do a very thorough job and are super friendly. Space is clean and well ventilated (I dont love the smell of nail polish that can be overwhelming in some places). Mary worked on my pedicure yesterday and I was impressed by how much care she took, even doing some buffing to smooth out the nail bed... definitely more than a lot of other folks have done!

Melika Nejad So today actually wasnt the first time I came to this nail salon, in fact, I promised I wouldnt come back to this salon a long time ago because the first time I came my nail stylist was a bit anti-social and rough with positioning my hands. This time around I wasnt able to even get my nails done. We arrived at 5:30 when our (my sister and is) appointment was and we had to wait almost an hour and they only took my sister. At the end of the day when they asked me if I wanted to get my nails done I just said no or else we would have stayed there until 8 pm (we ended up leaving at 7 pm). My sisters nails looked decent, but seemed amateur and she was cut a couple of times which was what happened during my first experience with them getting acrylics. I dont usually make reviews like these but I couldnt help but make one for this establishment since I have been to multiple places and this is the only place I may never come back to. I hope the business does well regardless of this review, but I hope they use this as constructive criticism to better their services.

Michele Zirelli Anna is best! My nails last longer than any other salon I got my nails done!

Rat Proof / Tim the Ratman Vialli Great pedicure. Horrible manicure. I could have done this myself. I wish I complained or left a terrible tip. 45$ a d 15$ tip. Worth the deluxe ped but Ill show you my mani.lady was nice but seemed In a hurry.

Lani X Been going here for a long time but never wrote a review. I figure it is time. Tracy is amazing and always makes times for me. I really need to go in more often. Good prices.

Jackie Carrillo I went in about 2 weeks ago and Just writing a review now. I’m really upset with the service they provided this time around. I got my acrylics done and the women that did the job just did terrible, really upset. She asked me how long I wanted my nails and I said long but not that long, she went on and cut the fist nail I told her to redo it because it was cricked and she got mad and said something in her language. While doing my nails she held my nails really tight, she like “ relax your hand”, oh it was relax and it really hurt my fingers the way she way grabbing them. She did a horrible job, the acrylics were to think and uneven. Really upset with the service. This women was new because I’ve never seen her before.

Michael Thank you so so so much to everyone at Glamour hair & nails and special thnks to Tammie. Always friendly, and helpful. Ive been getting my haircuts here for some time and walked away happily amazed every time. They do walk-ins without a heavy wait, but do not rush w/ someone in the chair. The attention to details is superb. Blown away w/ how good. Even with the 20min or 25min drive from San Carlos theyre no doubt still worth it, imho. ( ♥️!! ) Bright, and friendly.

Allison MacQueen Felder I got both of my childrens hair cut here. Both cuts look really nice and they did a very nice job straightening my daughters hair with a blow dry. She cant wait to come back. Friendly service and great prices!

Jhéssica Máximo I loved doing my nails with Luene, she is really good, fast, attentive and very careful.

Josy Pereira excellent professional! perfect nails.

Alexandra Alves Amo fazer minhas unhas com a Luene, ela e maravilhosa.Muito cuidadosa, atenciosa e a esmaltação é perfeita.

janet oates We, hubs and I have been going to Starlight for years. They are very nice and we appreciate how they care for us old folks (we are in our 80s) As one ages our nails become thick, they never complain and do a good job. We love the extras on our feet, the foot and leg massages, the hot wax, it is such a luxury.

Isela Villanueva Kim was great, she was able to get me in an hour before closing for a full set. They came out so smooth and they are all even. I love the results! Im looking forward to fill my nails in one/two weeks

Samantha Takizawa I was very disappointed with the service I received. I asked for my nails to not be cut, and she proceeded to cut one of my hands fingers. Now I have very uneven nails on one hand. The polish was only half done and I have large sections of the nail that were not painted on both hands. The pedicure I got also cut my nails so short that they are painful. The polish was all over my cuticles and was an overall mess. Very disappointed.

Jennifer Ribeiro I only do pink and white powder fills and Hanna and Kim both do an amazing job. Highly recommend if you’re needing this style.

katelyn miller I am so happy I found this place! I have been to so many nail salons over the years and have never left one of them as happy as I did at Star Light! Hannah is wonderful, she took her time to make sure I was happy with every step of my acrylic set. I definitely recommend this spot!

shantaya orlando Nail Box is my go-to nail salon! They know how to do everything especially on trend stuff like: chrome, hard gel/builder gel, intricate nail art/design, and gel X, (which is hard to find in San Mateo!) I go to Ananya for my finger nails - she’s the best! & Cherry for my toes, also amazing!! I see other nail artists here do amazing work too! The salon is cute, and easy parking right across the street. I definitely recommend nail box for all your nail needs.

Dawa Yangchen I had a gel overlay done with Melissa and she was amazing! I highly recommend. Update: Had another one done with Abby and Chery and they’re also amazing!! Great attention to detail and so friendly!

Ashutosh Singh It was my sister’s birthday and I wanted to get her nails done here. She came back home crying because the owner was SO RUDE and didn’t listen to her when she said she was in pain! They charged my card mid appointment and threatened her to not do her nails.

Sam Fos I love nailbox! The vibe of the place is so peaceful. I love that it isn’t your regular fast pace salon. Each artist is personable and can cater to everyone’s needs. They are more art based so prepare yourself with some good inspo photos and watch your vision come to life! The owner is super sweet and shows how much she cares. Recommending nailbox to all my family and friends!

Emma Rudolph I have been going to Nail Box monthly since May and have had wonderful experiences each time. Ananya is incredible and detailed and makes sure you have a great experience! The other techs that also work there are extremely sweet, helpful and do a great job! Highly recommend!

Regina Sheynblat This place made me addicted to meni/pedi. They do dry manicures and pedicures and they are exceptional!! Professional , Clean, Extremely Detailed. After pedicure your feet are baby soft. Love Love Love this place

Tatiana Ogletree Best manicure experience i’ve ever had. Very attentive to details and always feel welcomed.

Marina Ryzhikova I am obsessed with my nails now thanks to Yevi’s studio! Amazing service , my nails never looked better! Products are great, lots of color to choose from , friendly technicians, clean and beautiful space! Highly recommend!

Marina Duzhinskaia I’ve been going to this nail technician for a while now, and I’m always absolutely thrilled! She consistently delivers perfect results — neat lines, smooth application, and amazing designs. The cozy atmosphere and attention to detail make each visit a real pleasure. I constantly get compliments on my nails — I wouldn’t trade this technician for anyone else!

Angelina Griñe As many have stated, Jenny is amazing! She did a good, clean job. The polish started to bubble and she quickly noticed and fixed it! For only $15 I’m super happy with what I got. Will be back for sure!

Ashley Esposto My go to spot for my nail fills, I almost dont want to recommend them so I can keep them as my secret, but they deserve the praise and recognition. I love this place and totally recommend it.

Jocelynn O. This was my first time getting a professional manicure. She was so friendly, patient, and gentle the entire time. I would recommend her!

Jessica Gamez I think I found my new spot! I had been in a rush and really needed my nails done. The experience was great and had amazing customer service!! I was taken care of by Jenny and was a great, definitely better than places I’ve been in the past. The nails came out great and even had time for eye brows! Definitely recommend Jenny and the shop

Megan Tozzi When I moved here to the bay it took me months to finally find a nail salon that was friendly, attentive, took their time and did great work. One thing that I was moved by, is that Jenny the (owner) knew everyone by name who walked in. Shed talked to them like a friend, asked about their family, vacations and work- she was involved and I could see how much her customers loved her. That kind of hospitality is huge for me, so now I get my nail fills & Pedis done there. I am so grateful & appreciative to Pink Nails because they are WONDERFUL!! ...And now I walk in and feel like family :-)

aurora schein Excellent service, good price, nice people.

Kahena Ka Worst experience ever ! Nails started falling after only 2 days !such a waste of money !

Minh Duy Bui I recently visited a nail salon and I must say, the service was exceptional! The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, making sure I felt comfortable throughout my visit. They took the time to listen to my preferences and offered great suggestions. The attention to detail in their work was impressive, and I left feeling pampered and satisfied. Its clear that they truly care about their customers and take pride in their craft. I highly recommend this salon for anyone looking for a wonderful nail service experience!

Yauyau Tsang First, the place has a very strong chemical smell and does not look clean. I waited for 15mins even I had an appointment. I was told powder nail was $45, but then realised that if you choose to do powder nails, removing cuticles and massage would not be including, which I really don’t think it makes any sense. I have never experienced a manicure place don’t remove cuticles. One of the ladies there was very rude and said if I want the cuticles be removed, I would have to pay $7 and it’s because the powder material is more expensive and their boss told them to do less steps if a customer chooses to do powder. I mean if you don’t think the price is right, you should raise your price instead of trying to scam customers without clear items listed. What’s ridiculous is if you pick normal gel nails, removing cuticles and massage are included, but not for powder, which makes total no sense to me. Additionally, the quality was bad. The shape of my nails are not good. The lady made my nails very thick because she kept making mistakes and putting extra layers to cover it. The tips of my nails look chipped and there are many dusts in my nails. This is my worst manicure experience ever!! I will never be back again!!! Rude staffs!

Amanda Delfosse I love my nails! Tammy is so professional and really cares about the quality of her work! I got a refill of builders gel and am so happy with the outcome.

Indira Pal Needed a quick gel mani before a trip and came after work. Told the nail tech I only had 30 mine. She was efficient thorough and had time for a good massage at the end. Great service

Ziye W. Great find in the neighborhood! Natalie is very attentive and efficient, the mani and pedi are both above expectations, will come back for sure

Kim McNease Simply beautiful! The people that work at MK treat everyone like family. They do awesome work and are truly the nicest people. This is my daughter’s first set of nails and she is thrilled with Tami’s beautiful work.

Whitney Paulazzo Called last minute for an evening appointment after work, they were accommodating, kind and they did great work! I got a gel builder manicure and was there for about an hour

Ace During our recent pedicure appointment, my wife and I were disappointed with the service we received. Despite having a reservation, the staff seemed rushed, and the service fell short. The 10-minute massage was more like 3-4 minutes, and the technician seemed more focused on walk-in customers, which resulted in a hasty and unsatisfactory pedicure that led to an injury. Additionally, when we offered a $10 tip, it was met with a disrespectful eye roll. My advice to the owner is to ensure that the staff is trained to prioritize customer satisfaction and avoid overbooking when they are already busy.

Alejandra Ruiz So good i love the work!!! Tony was so quick and sweet. He did exactly what i needed for a good price. Dont sleep on this place.

Sandhya Valathajamana My first French manicure at Water Nails was fantastic. The stylist was professional, friendly, and made the experience enjoyable. The service was excellent, and I’m happy with the results. Highly recommend!

Rubi Cortes 1st time here and employees are super friendly and listen to your wants!!! The owner Tony is kind and talented. I love my nails! Tony did my shape perfectly and Nancy gave me soothing, thorough pedicure. Will definitely be back!

Arteivia Lilomaiava Muaava I recently brought my 5-year-old daughter in for her first nail salon visit, and the staff at Water Nail Salon were so sweet and kind to her. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, making the experience enjoyable for both of us. I got a full set, and Tommy did an amazing job, always checking in to make sure I was happy with the shape, length, and overall look. The salon is clean, and their attention to detail is fantastic. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend this salon. Five stars!

Lupe Corona Just some of my most recent full sets. I love going here. This is my favorite spot in the entire Bay Area. I literally live in Oakland and make sure to still make my appts here. I am one of those people who comes in with a picture of what I want and they never fail me! Also the sets last FOREVER. Or at least a month in my experience with not one nail falling off. I kid you not I work at VS and use my nails to stab through tape and open boxes up. Durable, affordable for the bay, and amazing!!

karen thysen Very detailed and precise pedicure. Happy with results and especially liked the leg massage that came with the standard pedicure. Great price $30 plus cash tip.

Shannon Dean I made an appointment for a pedicure with salon four days ago for 4:30. I watched the employee write down the appointment in their book. When I arrived on time for my appointment, the three employees were just getting started on three other customers. When I asked if they were going to be able to service me on time the employee kept trying to brush me off stating that it would be in 15 minutes. When 15 minutes rolled around I asked her to be honest with me and to tell me when they could get to me. She continued to evade the question and tried to pacify me by saying “soon,” when clearly each of the employees were at the beginning of their services. She also kept trying to tell me to “just sit inside.” Say what? Sit INSIDE?! COVID tells me otherwise. I guess this business decided to prioritize a walk-in over an appointment. Horrible customer service!

Amandeep B. Been coming here for the past 7 years! Amy & Tina have been my go to since day 1! Tina has always been flexible with her schedule. Despite a busy schedule , she will squeeze you in if possible. All the staff are kind, helpful & respectful. Pricing is decent compared to other nail spas. Definitely give them a try!!

Kay Valenz Wear a face mask if you plan on getting your nails done here! The lady who did my nails did a decent job but her coworkers had a nasty attitude. One of them stepped all over my shoes and didnt even apologize for it. She then began filing someone elses nails with the electric-filer pretty near my face, which created a heavy-unhealthy nasty nail dust for anyone to breathe! I asked her to please wait till I was done, or perhaps use another chair, because I didnt want to breath someone elses nasty old-nail-dust... and she replied "you move"! And began badmouthing me in her native language with the rest of the manicurists. Im a white woman and do not speak their language but their demeanor was too obvious! Well, not sure what went wrong here since Ive never experienced SO much negative attitude in any nail salon. The crazy part is that the place was almost empty, except for the other woman and me. Conclusion: I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!

Shelly Chatterjee The gel polish didn’t even last 1 week and I think the reason is probably too little polish applied when coatings were put on back to back. Attached are the pics of chipped nails on day 4. I saw all the good reviews, not sure what happened in my case! Also for the pedicure, the surface of the nails weren’t filed properly and you could see my uneven nails over the polish

Sandra Huang I’ve walked pass by this place many times and finally got a chance to give it a try. The place is very clean and quiet, I almost fell asleep while they did my pedicure. The staffs were very attentive and gentle. I am very satisfied with their work and I will definitely come back.

Debbie Had an acrylic set put on, used a reference pic but not even close. Nails were rather thick and one thumb slightly crooked. Called for a fill and color change after telling me she didnt have anything open today I asked for future appointment which she said the girl that does the acrylics wont be back for 3 weeks. So back to finding a better place.

Natalie Luu JJ is a new nail salon that has become my go-to in San Mateo. I love that they give a complimentary foot hot wax soak and calf massage for pedicures, and forearm and hand massage for manicures.

Bethany Li Excellent customer service. Clean, relaxed, welcomong salon.

Moon Flores She is so nice and I loved the work she did! She made them exactly as I wanted them. Definitely will come back.

Jaymie Manuel Tina and staff are so amazing... Tina really listens to what her client wants and that is big plus for me! Time and dedication is top key...

Julie Dull Been here multiple times. Great job no drama. Manicure lasts for weeks and weeks. No pain no blood. Nice people. Please tip them well they didn’t even get a PIP.

Alicia Glazer These ladies are always super attentive, very sweet, and do a NICE job. The price is exceptionally fair for a regular manicure, and it stays for at least a week. Have been here twice and will definitely come back :)

Yachen Sun The ladies here are really skilled, provides great service, and the manicure / pedicure last a really long time! (My gel nails had barely a chip after a whole month)

Jamie Myres My daughter and I went here and the staff was absolutely amazing. They were kind, patient, helpful and did a fantastic job on our nails . We will definitely be going back. Thank you!

Paloma I highly recommend Instyle Salon! Josie & her staff are absolutely wonderful. They took great care of me and made me feel brand new. I will return. Check them out, you will be pleasantly pleased you did!

Kendra Waller Called and they got me in immediately. Very genuine and kind women working here. Immaculately clean and very well kept shop. Best service and prices in the bay.

Tracy Crouthamel Never happy when I go here. Its ok. The chairs work and the water basin has jets so thats already better than some places, but just not worth the money given the service and details. Cash tip only No Venmo, PayPal, cash app, or zelle Tons of left over cuticle around my toes Nail polish on cuticles Didnt open a fresh bag of tools, yuck Washed the tools, stones, lotion bowl, and pumice stone off in the water with my feet in the basin. Didnt dry off the backs of my legs, nor massage them. It was weird. Only scrubbed and lotioned my shins. No menu of services just assumed. It was ok. Pretty average.

Christine Yoon I had asked for ombre French tip gel manicure at the start of service. I even showed her pictures before we began. There was a definite language barrier. Im not sure if its not done here at all or if my technician, Tammy, didnt know how, but she proceeded to start and it wasnt until she showed me the straight French line tip I reminded her I requested ombre. She had her coworker come over and explain that this was not done for gel, only for powder manicures. So we finished with just a regular French tip gel manicure. Tammy herself was very sweet and did a good job, but I would not return here. It was overpriced and I feel like, given how much we pay, they should try to understand what the customer wants.

Brynn Collier so great me and my mom have been going since I was younger ive had the best pairs of acrylics and dip extensions love this place vivian is so sweet and runs this place like a boss highly recomend this place if your looking for a relaxing get away.

Christine Yoon I had asked for ombre French tip gel manicure at the start of service. I even showed her pictures before we began. There was a definite language barrier. Im not sure if its not done here at all or if my technician, Tammy, didnt know how, but she proceeded to start and it wasnt until she showed me the straight French line tip I reminded her I requested ombre. She had her coworker come over and explain that this was not done for gel, only for powder manicures. So we finished with just a regular French tip gel manicure. Tammy herself was very sweet and did a good job, but I would not return here. It was overpriced and I feel like, given how much we pay, they should try to understand what the customer wants.

David Really mediocre manicure from Julie. I guess dont come here if youre a guy. I cant imagine she does this bad a job with her other customers. The pedicures that we got were very nice, though.

Jen Chon $45 for basic pedicure +$10 for extra 10 min of massage + $30 for mani Color was smeared on the sides of my toe nails and past the cuticles! So messy! Massage - I kept asking her to massage harder and also to focus on the feet and ankle but she kept just rubbing my calf (easy movements). Really disappointing when I requested extra massage time. My friend had his finger nails done as mani with no color, and black dirt remained beneath his finger nails!!! Total for 1 Mani + 2 Pedi was $195 = $140+$20+$20+15 (3 different tips) To top it off, the massage chair my friend sat in didnt work and we asked if they had a cup or bottle of water as we were thirsty. They said NO. For the high prices here, its extremely poor quality service with not even a "perk" of them bringing out a cup of water. Definitely cannot recommend!

Rebecca Julinet I called a few salons in the area because I needed a gel overlay (aka poly gel) fill and this one said they did it. When I arrived for my appointment, they sat me down right away and I reminded them that I was there for a gel acrylic overlay fill. Not only did they go on and on saying that there’s no such thing as poly gel, but that I had acrylic and NOT poly gel, so Anna proceeded to put acrylic bonding liquid on each of my nails and my nails stared to MELT! It gets worse, she said she didn’t know what was happening and instead quickly put acrylic OVER MY MELTING GEL NAILS! Below is the inspo pic I showed and the quite terrible final result. Asked for a refund, considering that my poly gel was melted and ruined, but they said no.

Barbara They always do a great job. I get a pedicure with polish. There have been a few times I have had an ingrown toe nail and they have been able to remove the ingrown part. They also do a nice job with my manicure. They are always friendly.

Maria Heredia The lady whose name is Anna in which (I asked her name to be able to post this review) did a terrible job! As you can see, my nails are completely uneven and very thick! That’s not all! She was very rough and my nails are hurting really badly! Usually the other ladies are very good at it but this is the first time I got Anna to do my nails and never again!

Celja and Nathan Churches I was a walk-in wanting a regular nail polish manicure. The shop wasn’t too crowded, so I picked my polish (many of the polishes looked super crusty) and sat down with Kimmi. She spent 15 minutes with me, tops. She rushed the nail polish application without letting the layers dry in between. The clipping/buffing utensils didn’t look sterilized (not in an autoclave/sealed bag), though I asked and she said they were. I left and the polish looked ok, but only 3 hours later (as the under layers finally started to dry) the polish started cracking underneath the top layer. Only reason I’m giving 2 stars is the hand massage felt nice and the manicure was cheap. Otherwise I’d avoid this place and spend a bit more on a quality shop whose polish lasts more than 3 hours.

Marcela Ma They are awesome and fast!! Cute place nice staff :) I’m so happy I found them since my nail shop closed!

Chandni Karia The lady who did my nails was friendly but my nails arent well done and it felt like she was rushing. I had one nail significantly longer than the others and she didnt notice until I pointed it out to her near the end of when she was done. She did fix it but looking at my other nails, the filing isnt even and the lengths between hands are not the same. Maybe ok to go here if you dont need nails for an event but if youre looking for well done nails maybe go elsewhere.

Masy S I am in love with this salon! They have done such a beautiful job with my nails! I show them pictures of ideas I like with patterns, jewels, and glitter and they make it happen. But they make it better! They harness extreme talent and make it an art. Sure they are great at single colors, but if you are like me and looking for artful nails this is your place!! It is so difficult to find someone who can do patterns....but someone who can do patterns, gemstones, jewels, 3D artwork, glitter work, flowers, artwork....well lets just say unicorns do exist!! The staff is very friendly and happy on top of being knowledgeable. I enjoy talking with them whenever I have gone. I am looking forward to having them do my nails for my wedding because I would trust no one else!

LL Kal Booked in to do my lashes, I was charged $185 for medium hybrid lashes. Went home found out the price range is usually around $80-$120. I was ripped off and the lashes I got done was definitely not worth $185. Owner is desperate for $$ so over charging new customers. Will not be returning to this salon.

Chandni Karia The lady who did my nails was friendly but my nails arent well done and it felt like she was rushing. I had one nail significantly longer than the others and she didnt notice until I pointed it out to her near the end of when she was done. She did fix it but looking at my other nails, the filing isnt even and the lengths between hands are not the same. Maybe ok to go here if you dont need nails for an event but if youre looking for well done nails maybe go elsewhere.

Shereen R Great job on nails, also kind, timely and not pushy, not too pricey, will be returning.