Pinckney Nail Salon

I forgot how bad they were. Just got a regular mani and the paint job is awful. Was drying my nails and they rushed me out (still over 30min to close), assuring me my nails were dry. No drip/​express dry. They sprayed my nails with compressed air. Simply putting on my coat smudged them. If the train hadn’t just arrived I would’ve turned around and asked them to fix them. Mani + paraffin wax = $ 17. Nice ladies, but the place isn’t busy for a reason. Head to Town’s Nails if you don’t mind the wait.
Bottom line: terrible paint job. If you’re strapped on time, they’re quick but proceed at your own risk.

Very efficient, put ample coats of gel on for my manicure. Cut my nails a little short but I should have spoken up. Will come again!

Pro:
Reasonable price
Decently clean
Fast (but if they say «5 minutes» don’t believe it).
Con:
Pushy sales person (hassled my friend about not getting a manicure when she only wanted a pedicure, tried to upsell me on massage multiple times during one visit)
Not a great shaping job either time I went
Nail in the coffin:
I usually tip $ 4-​$ 5 when I get my nails done depending on the cost of the service, how well they did, etc., more if it was two people and they have to split. Yesterday I try to tip on my card, tell the woman how much to put on, and she said no, $ 6 or $ 7 would be better. Um, I don’t think I’ve ever had a service provider tell me how much to tip before unless I specifically asked. She wasn’t subtle, and she was repetitive and downright rude.

I like this place! Has a policy that if your nails get chipped within 2 days, you can come back and fix it!
They accept walk ins, and it’s decently priced.
I don’t think they do a great job of removing the dead skin from the feet, and the water isn’t warm enough…

pros
*cheap
*convenient location
*colors/​brands (but doesn’t everyone have «selection»?)
cons
–nails did not dry and already smudged around
–not the best shaping job, and I have VERY long natural nails, so it’s kinda noticeable
–ain’t no spa, that’s for sure

I love Pickney Nails! I visit on a weekly basis for their regular manicures and am never disappointed in the service or color selection. Often times their polish buyer receives early shipments fro OPI of their seasonal colors. GREAT policy of fixing chipped nails for no cost if the chip occurs within a given number of days since the service. Free paraffin wax for hands in the winter to protect skin from over-​drying. Friendly ladies who remember your name and always offer a smile.

Great quality for the price, $ 45 for pedi and gel mani! They do take their time to get it right, as long as you are not in a rush it shouldn’t be an issue. The massage chairs are awesome too!

They do an awesome job! I get my nails done here and all my waxing. A little pricey but over all awesome!

Got a pedicure done and my feet felt more rough than before the pedi! It was not at all relaxing. There was no massage, the girl just splashed lotion on me. Never going back again.

I’ve been going here for several years but just had the WORST french manicure I’ve ever had anywhere. Plus, they had attitude so I won’t be going back, ever again.
Not sure if it’s under new management but the same people aren’t there anymore. Time to move on.

Very good !!!
Weekly fan.
Clean, pleasant experience, all new pedicure chairs.

I went to this salon on the advice of a male friend :-). The salon is fine, nothing special. The woman who did my mani/​pedi was courteous and polite; nothing she said or did made her stand out.
What makes Pinckney Nails stand out for me is that a month has gone by and I just realized that I need a pedicure. Not because my polish is chipping — after an entire month there isn’t a single chip! — but because my toenails simply need trimming and my summer sandal heels some TLC. I’ve even had compliments in the past week about how nice my pedicure looks!
They use OPI polish so I’m not sure where the magic is but I can’t get over how long my toes have looked good! And only $ 30 for a mani/​pedi. Worth a return visit!
UPDATE: I returned to this salon today for a mani/​pedi. Not such a great experience this time. The young lady who did my nails gave me a little cut on my big toe and then, when I told her specifically how long I wanted my fingernails, she disregarded my wishes and cut them very short. When I protested she said she likes them really short and it was okay. Hmmm… I thought it was about what I wanted!
Guess your experience here depends on the technician.

the nail polish smudged almost immediately, and perhaps I could have waited a little longer to dry it but I think there was more to it. also not impressed by the attention to detail — i.e., they didn’t do the edges of the nails.

Great salon. The location is very convenient, and they almost always have an appointment for walk-​ins. They have a wide color variety, including the best colors of the season from OPI and Essie.
The best part is the occasional special, if you can catch it. $ 30 for mani-​pedi!
All of the women here are very careful– they don’t miss the very edge of your nail or leave a trace of stray polish on your toe. They even have a great system for putting you back into boots after a winter pedicure: saran wrap across your toes! It seems weird, but it’s really effective. I barely noticed it at all and my nails didn’t crease. The woman even took the time to tie my shoes for me and button my coat so I didn’t smudge my nails on my way out the door.
Overall, very attentive to detail and a nice salon.

I was on a lunch break and had a pedicure that made me so relaxed that I was hesitant to come back to work! the nails were well done, and stayed nice looking for a longer time than i’m used to. I would definitely come back.

This is my favorite budget nail salon on «the hill». Mani pedi is $ 30 and manicures are $ 12 as are most of the similar salons on Charles Street, but I find the work here to be good quality, nice polish selection, and the atmosphere is calm. They are very efficient, but I never feel rushed. I used to go to Town’s all the time, but stopped as it just always seems too crowded and there are often children running around. I appreciate the quieter (but not dead) surroundings at Pinckney.

This salon is wonderful. I went for the first time to get a mani/​pedi for my birthday this past June, and finally went back this past Wednesday for another mani/​pedi. The first visit was super relaxing and the woman who did my nails was so nice and took her time. My mani lasted a whole week without even a chip! I even kayaked — no joke.
This past mani/​pedi was much quicker (lasted 30 min rather than nearly an hour the first time), but I still had a great and relaxing visit, despite the girl being a little heavy-​handed with the scrub. Like the first time, my nails are perfectly polished and shiny!
Bottom line, you can’t beat a FABULOUS mani/​pedi for 30 bucks. Love this salon!

I love Pinckney Nails. I also really like Teke’s and Town but Pinckney has won me over with their kindness and professionalism. I decided to «check-​in» today and in the process, read past reviews and I’m surprised by most of them! I’m more surprised by the fact that after leaving one star that Alyssa J. is sitting in front of me getting a polish change… Must not have been so horrible as to preclude her from returning!
Anyway, the prices are great ($ 30 for mani/​pedi) and the massages are to-​die-​for. Ivy is seven months pregnant but has magic fingers that melt the stress from my back and shoulders.
Kim does an excellent manicure. I used to be a nail-​biter and she cured me of it with her excellent polish choices and perfect nail shape.
I don’t have a single bad thing to say about Pinckney nails and I encourage you to visit and see for yourself!

I was weary about going to Pinckney after reading Sara S.‘s review on 7÷29÷09 but my best friend wanted us to get our nails done there for her bday and she’d been a few times before, so we went. I was very pleased with the salon. New stations with built-​in fans, a color-​coded wall of polish, a station of dryers. I was very happy with how neatly by cuticles were cleaned up and soooo happy with the polish color– Essie Bermuda Shorts. After that mani, I was pumped for a weekend of partying.
We went back a couple weeks later. I left even more pleased. At the end of drying, they sprayed our nails with the drying spray. After more drying, they helped us put our coats on, zipping us up and everything!
The only cons I can think of:
–I don’t like when nail tecs speak another language in front of their guests
–Tip must be in cash (cannot tip on your card)

Don’t go here. I’m serious. I feel like these people robbed me. I am currently rocking the worst manicure ever. EVER.
They do an okay job with eyebrow waxing… but…the UV lamps are WACK! They don’t work. I had to go back twice within 20 minutes of leaving the salon to have them fix a nail. Normally that would be a good thing, but twice?! All that says to me is that the lamps are old and don’t work. I actually had to ask them to take me to a different station because one of the lamps was out! ARGHHH!!!
Manicures are supposed to be nice and relaxing… The hand massage was nice. They have a great supply of OPI and what not. The salon is very clean. But… if I wanted to pay 17 for a hand massage I would have gone to a massuese! This place fails to deliver in that they can’t dry your damn nails!
UGHH!!! I’m so mad. My nails look like I had a blind neice give me a manicure.
Do NOT go here.