Elegant Nails

I have been Nancy’s customer for over 10 years. She is the best. I have a very busy business schedule, but Nancy always makes time for me. I you want your Nails and Feet manicured correctly make a appointment with Nancy!

How she makes me laugh constantly and her personality is worth more than 5 stars. It’s by appointment only, so be sure to call first at: +1 (510) 677‑8458. She does a great job and she is very clean. She takes her time, so allow plenty of time. The massage is amazing. No one does a better job at doing my eyebrows. Her English is pretty good. She has a wide variety of colors, including «mood gels» that change color according to your temperature/​mood. (I especially like the purple/​blue one that turns purple or blue according to my mood/​temperature.) Parking can be a problem sometimes, but eventually I find a spot. The deep dark red nail polish is one of my favorites, so it’s one to keep in mind if going somewhere elegant. I love the purples and blues for more casual occasions.

loved my nails! and the customer service was excellent, a friend and I felt like getting or nails done but every where we went it was closed. We got to her shop, it was 9pm and she still let us stay, not only that but she took her time to do an excellent job on our nails and the quality of it, entertained us, it was overall amazing experience, strongly recommend it and will be going back again! Thank You Nancy!

Nancy is a GENIUS with eyebrows. First place I’ve gone where they did my eyebrows well, only come here now. Awesome mani-​pedi also. If you can get an appointment with Nancy definitely the best place in town to get waxing/​mani/​pedi LOVE IT!!!

How weird is this? I noticed that they changed their hours so it says they’re open M-​F 10am-​7pm so I decide to give them another try — on a Monday — and THEY’RE CLOSED. It’s not a holiday. There’s no sign saying «Out to lunch.» There’s no one inside and the door’s locked. I give up.

Just a quick update as my feet are soaking in a warm tub, my back is getting massaged by the comfy chair, and Nancy is making my feet look attractive! I’ve been coming to Elegant Nails regularly since I first wandered by a few years back. I’ve gotten waxing here as well, which is great (Nancy is entertaining, which I sincerely appreciate as I can feel a bit awkward when getting spruced up). I was scolded a bit for not bringing Nancy’s «boyfriend» (a.k.a. my dog) with me! I am so glad that dog friends are welcome. Thank you, Nancy!

Where do I begin. I stumbled upon this salon after first waiting thirty minutes to get my nails taken off at the ‘Nail Shop’ on Park street. I gave up once they told me to just soak my nails in acetone for a few minutes, rather than take the time to do it themselves. Frustrated about the complete waist of my time, I drove home but luckily spotted a salon shop, not far from my home that was still open. With the time then being around 630 pm, I thought I might as well give it a try.
I was captivated by this salon and the spunky woman who runs it, Nancy. How can I even begin to describe her? In my own opinion, she is a rare human being and is an absolute joy to be around while you are getting your nails done. Not only does she have a personality that makes you feel as if you’ve known each other for years, but she is also a true artist with nails. Never in my twenty-​three years of life. have I ever had a nail tech do such an amazing job and for that reason, I continue to go back every three weeks.
Although, I can understand some of the reviews previous to mine about her professionalism. Some people may take her over-​the-​top personality as a tad bit unprofessional and inappropriate but I only see a woman who is achieving her life goals and strutting around with an amazing amount of confidence.
Nancy, YOU GO GIRL!
If you are looking for PERFECTIONIST nail tech also enjoy a entertaining conversation, look no further.
You can thank me later ;)

Came here for a manicure because my friend had wanted to try this place out. Had French tip with shellac and was totally disappointed. It was actually the day before my wedding so I did not have a lot of time to spare. When we showed up, I was expecting more than one person. Instead, Nancy worked on my friend’s mani and pedi and my mani simultaneously. I’m pretty sure my friend, whom was also a bridesmaid, knew I was not pleased. Things got even more weird when Nancy started telling us about her much older boyfriend who lives in Vegas, she was also sharing information that was not necessary at all… She’s nice but also seems totally off at the same time. I felt like we were overcharged for the services we got. Finally, my nail polish was already peeling by the day after my wedding.

I’ve been getting my nails done for years and when I moved to Alameda it took a few tries before I found the perfect nail salon. Nancy is simply amazing! She has over 30 years experience and ALWAYS does my nails perfectly. If you want your nails done right come see Nancy

Wow. When I drove by and saw they were still open around 6 this evening, I did not expect what the visit would have in store for me.
Highlights:
Nancy went to brush her teeth while the pedicure tub filled up and came back to check the water temp with the toothbrush in her mouth.
Nancy told me all about her new man friend and then took a call from him while working on me, on her bluetooth. At one point, she put him on speaker so I could hear his voice.
Nice music, nice sound level.
Comfy chair.
Clean shop.
Low points:
A little rough on the cuticle care.
Poor selection of colors.
Massage after getting nails painted. That was different.
All in all, if you are in need of a quick and dirty mani/​pedi, go here. Or if you are in need of a surreal experience, Nancy is quite the entertaining personality and if you’re the only person there, it’ll definitely be an experience to remember.

TL;DR — if you’re looking for somewhere to get a «no frills» classic acrylic set done for cheap and you’re not in a hurry, this is the spot. If you’re looking to have anything popular in nail trends done or even a standard manicure, head elsewhere this is not a place to get pampered…
Review:
I found myself with few options while trying to schedule myself and a friend manicures on a Sunday in Alameda when I came across this seemingly unbelievably high rating for a nail salon. I thought this place must be perfect! So I called Nancy and made a 1230 appointment for 2. We were done with other errands early so we stopped in at noon to see if they could squeeze us in a little earlier but no dice as Nancy, who apparently runs this salon alone, had a client getting a pedicure and another sitting on a couch waiting. She let us know she’d have time for us closer to 1. Being in a patient mood and wanting to see what all the fuss was about, we went out to lunch and came back around 1 as she was finishing up.
The only reason this place gets stars at all is because Nancy as a person is fantastic. Her personality sparkles and she is a ball. Outside of that I’m hugely disappointed. While my friend was having her nails wrapped to remove old gel polish, Nancy sat me down and we got to work. I showed her a photo from Pinterest of a nude nail with gold sparkles on the tips of one nail and some gold lines on the tips of the others. She was upfront about not being able to do the gold strips which I appreciated but I found myself quickly strong armed into a gel manicure. I like the way gel lasts but I’m impatient with color so I usually forgo that; at only $ 22 I couldn’t pass it up … but I really should have. I only got one coat of color polish and one of faint glitter, the nude doesn’t show at all and my accent nail which should be gold looks more like fungus. Due to a sloppy application the edges of the gel polish bled on to my cuticle so the edges are turned up now just waiting for a snag to happen, and it already has — pinky nail is officially clean off in under 24 hours since application. When my friend asked Nancy for a bright pink with gold accent, she was also quickly talked out of the color combo because it was too outlandish for Nancy’s tastes and replaced it with a feminine light pink with sparkles. Even so my friend had to politely decline the pushing of a gel manicure at least 5 times before she finally got the regular mani she came in for. No soaking/​hand massage and barely any shaping or trimming. She also clipped my cuticles to the point that they are sensitive to touch today. I couldn’t believe this place was rated to so well for a job like this! Needless to say, I won’t be back.

I visited Nancy for a spur of the moment mani/​pedi and could not be happier! I have a crazy schedule that rarely affords any «me» time, so I was ecstatic when Nancy said she could see me at 7:45 pm. My hands and feet feel 100% better. Nancy is professional, quick yet thorough, gentle with her technique, extremely personable, and the shop has a laid back, no fuss atmosphere. Very reasonable pricing. I will absolutely be back, with friends!
Another plus is the shop location within a charming neighborhood retail block on Encinal. There’s a great café right across the street (great coffee & sandwiches) with a hair salon next door that I would also recommend (Salon 1500), a nice bar a few shops down, a market, and an art studio for kids. Totally walkable, tons of parking… I would give 10 stars if I could!

Nancy gives the best gel polish manicures in Alameda! She is a perfectionist and takes her time so the manicure lasts. She is also fun and makes good conversation. I will definitely be going back in a few weeks.

I highly recommend this nail salon. Nancy the owner is a nail artist. Nancy is a perfectionist with attention to detail with the shape and size of your nails. I love getting my nails done by Nancy. She is a very outgoing and friendly individual. She acknowledges all of your individual requests and assures that she will apply everything that is asked. There is no hesitation to speak up if you do not like something because she is very flexible and reasonable to the needs of the customer. My nails last a long time, as I always get tips and they are beautiful to look at. They look fresh every single day that I am wearing them. I love the fact that she doesn’t rush through the process of my nails in order to get to the next client. She dedicates quality through service.

I stumbled into this shop by pedicure desperation because my usual one was closed and BOY WAS I A HAPPY CAMPER!!!
I normally do not like to write reviews when it is non-​FOOD related, BUT this serendipity shop won a 5 star review that I was hesitant to share because I wanted to keep this gem to myself, but I had to express my happiness. After all, sharing is caring :)
IF you’re those high-​princess type attitude then stop reading & go elsewhere. If you’re nonchalant-​teeny-​weenie-​picky like me, then you’ll like «Nhu» (h silent) aka Nancy.
When I first saw Nhu, thought she was mean because she had that mean look, so do not be frightened and/​or intimated by her facial expression because shame on me for judging this book by its cover when her work was AWESOME!
She won me over when she told me my nails were long and rather than saying, «cut or not», instead she said, «MAY I cut it?» WOW… how often do you hear MAY I.
I got a French Pedicure for $ 20 ($ 17 for regular pedicure) and glad I did. I normally have to tell the technician to «thin the white», but I did NOT have to with Nhu. OMGOSH, so freaking happy with my French pedicure and it was almost like she knew how I like it when this was my first visit. I FINALLY found a nail salon that I’m ecstatic to return!!!

I usually do not like to do reviews, but I would like to do one for Nancy and her salon «Elegant Nails»!
This was my second visit for manicure and pedicure,
Nancy is very friendly and made me feel at home and at ease. It was such an awesome experience, especially the pedicure. When I left I felt I was walking on air; my feet felt wonderful and my hands look marvelous.
Nancy, THANK YOU!

Nancy is sweet kind and funny! Pricing is so so and appointment is necessary but she takes time and does it right!

I wish I would have checked the Unilocal reviews before coming here. Very sad after a year of Sally P’s post she’s still yelling at her kid. Not only is the owner completely unprofessional, she does a crappy job on nails! Unless you want to sit and listen to her and her daughter yell at each other I suggest finding another salon.

LOVE this salon! I’ve been coming here approximately every 3 weeks for the past year, and I’ve been so happy with their service. I like to bring my little girl and it is such a fun mommy/​daughter event. Nancy fusses over my daughter and will usually find a little candy or something.
The service is top-​notch. I have always been very happy with everything I have had done there, including eyebrow waxing. Their prices are very reasonable and they do a great job.
If I could give this place more than 5 stars, I would.

I want elegant nails, what girl doesn’t. I like this little nail shop. Nancy is a super star… she has such a cool, no nonsense way about her, so all three stars are for her.
The problem is that the other ladies in the shop do sub-​par work. Anytime I have to do post work on my feet after I get a pedi means there is a problem. Is it me, or do you too expect superior customer service in this economy.
I went in with my best friend a few weeks ago, and mumbled to her, «aren’t we suppose to get a hand massage?» as I stared longingly at a Costco size bottle of unopened lotion. My nail lady told me they didn’t have the color I wanted, but on my way out I spotted it at the front counter. I politely pointed it out to her with my dry, lotion free hands.
On a positive note, they have great massage chairs.