Swoon Boutique Spa

Wow. I was surprised to read some of the other reviews.
I’ve been twice, and both times had a mani/​pedi. I’m a nail chewer, so I have them buff my fingernails (no polish) but I am all about bright polish on my toenails. Both times I’ve been here I bought the special on their website. $ 35 for a mani/​pedi. The pedi chairs aren’t the massage ones, but the bench was fine for me. Maybe if I was super tired I would want to be able to slouch and be rubbed by a swanky chair, but I don’t really miss it.
The girls are always friendly enough. I’d rather have silence (or talking amongst themselves) rather than me try to make smalltalk and decipher their accents. I also appreciate that one time I hadn’t pre-​paid for my service and she let me do it on site (which saved a bunch of $$).
The quality of the services was great! My pedicure lasted 3 weeks and looked great. No big chips, just the usual grow-​out. I do think that their «regular» prices are steep. Wouldn’t pay full price, but the website special is great and if I lived closer then I would be back more often…

This place is ehh at best… I came here with a groupon and I likely won’t be back. Too bad because I had high hopes!
The good:
1. Pretty atmosphere and décor – I did feel like I was in a boutique spa!
2. Really good massages!
3. The yummy mask they put on your hands and feet and then wrap in a warm towel – delicious!!!
The bad:
1. My mani literally PEELED OFF the same day I got it – wtf?! No bueno.
2. Not the best selection of colors – also it was a little confusing to figure out which colors were available for mani/​pedis and which were for sale, since they were displayed together.
3. Super uncomfortable chairs – cute to look at, but you have to sit straight up in them and it makes it really difficult to sit comfortably without sliding into the poor girl doing your pedi!
4. The prices– seriously? $ 75 for a mani/​pedi? Outrageous.
All said, not the biggest waste of money ever, but pretty darn close. Bonus ½ star because their staff were really friendly but honestly I can think of about 20 other places that are a better value and a better experience!

No way in hell would I ever go back here.
1. The chairs — you look for something cushy and relaxing when going to get a pedi. What I got at Swoon was a stiff back chair that was an awkward distance from the too small foot soaking bath. I kept sliding down in the chair and ended up having to hold myself up for the duration of the pedi. Yeh, suck my left toe because that was surely the most uncomfortable situation I had ever been in.
2. The music. I effing hate country music. If you are advertising as a spa boutique be one. No spa I’ve ever been to had country music anywhere close. It was horrific and terrifying. Play Mozart or something else calming — not something that makes one want to chew each one of their toenails off one by one.
3. The pedicurist — hi, I came here and paid you a nice sum for a relaxing mani and pedi. I could look past the the uncomfortable chairs and horrific music seeing as you probably had no say in either. Ahem, when working on my toes and nails I would really think it courteous that you refrain from having to step away more than once to answer your phone AND have a conversation as my toes turn to prunes. Common courtesy?
4. Ok, so this is a total side note but the chiropractor that seems to have her business there was definitely not the friendliest or most welcoming of people. She didn’t greet me as I walked in and instead made eye Contact then walked to the back to get someone else to help me… Awesome. And the other side note — both the pedicurist and the masseuse lady microwaved their lunches while I was there, Smelling the place with what seemed like a crazy mix of hamburger helper and saffron.
Oh boy what an experience. I hope they at least fix the chairs.

I joined a friend and her third-​grade daughter for a girls’ day today and our first stop was at Swoon for mani/​pedis. We all used the Living Social coupon, so paid $ 27 for services that normally would cost $ 70. Let me be clear: there is no conceivable way I would pay $ 70 to repeat the services I had. That said, we had an enjoyable experience, and for $ 27 + $ 10 tip I felt like the visit was appropriately priced.
Everyone was friendly to us, and I think the staff were pleased to have a pre-​teen to work on… they hand-​painted special flower designs on her toes for no extra charge! For most of our visit, the three nail techs conversed back and forth amongst each other in Vietnamese about their cell phone providers, so despite the chi chi décor, don’t go here expecting the solace of a place like Habitude. Techno music played softly in the background.
The only real difference between Swoon’s services and those from any other nail shop in the Central District or on Rainier Avenue is that Swoon does a skin «mask» plus hot towel wraps. The staff checked with us each time to make sure the towels weren’t too hot, which I thought was considerate. However, having frequented many other non-​boutique nail salons in the central and south regions of Seattle, there’s just simply no way I would pay $ 45 for a pedicure I can get for $ 17 – 20 at any number of other places.

I thought Swoon was fine. I had a Living Social coupon, so the price was very responsible. It was pretty cute and my friend and I enjoyed a glass of champagne while getting our pedicures.
The atmosphere was a little awkward though. They two women working were nice enough, but seemed super annoyed when people walked through the door to ask a question or check in for their appointment. Maybe they are a tad understaffed.
My nails turned out fine, but I’ll probably try a different place next time.

It’s a sad day when a girl gets a terrible Brazilian. I tried Swoon because it’s close to my house and it sure looks damn cute from the outside. Bad idea. Deets include: Being asked to get completely undressed with no towel or cover up, while in front of the esthetician — I’m not modest, so I did as I was told. The room i was in was cluttered with crap, as if it were also used as a storage closet. The wax was terrible, and she only used one kind and re-​waxed the same spots over and over… and everyone knows that once you apply wax to a spot, you cannot apply the same wax to that same spot again. She did not explain what she was doing or how to adjust myself. Her pluck job was even worse than her waxing ability. She did not understand, «please don’t take it all off…», because she sure as heck took it all off. Thank god for an understanding boyfriend! ;-) Please don’t go to this spa. It is more than scary.

I had a great experience at this salon. I did, however, have the Living Social deal described in earlier reviews, so my expectations were not as high as if I did actually pay 75 $ for my mani and pedi… But I was very pleased with the results. Oh and I didn’t have any waxing done, which apparently has a big impact on reviewers.
I was late to my appointment due to crazy traffic, but they didn’t make me feel bad. She also didn’t balk at my request to make the pedi a french, even though I was late. Nice.
The pedicure equipment is all sterilized and everything seems very clean, the staff even wears latex gloves (an added plus if you forgot to shave that day and you’re worried they might judge you. Anyone else secretly worry about this?) The whole experience was very nice and took an hour and a half. There were masks and massages and multiple layers of nail polish. I was moved to a chair to finish my manicure. Vicki was the person taking care of me and she gave me the one thing I like most in a salon — quiet. I actually really like it when I don’t feel like I have to talk to someone. I really just want to read a trashy magazine or two and pretend my real life doesn’t exist for a while. And that’s what I got.
Bottom line: I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and the service. Given that a mani & pedi usually costs 75 $ (for the Smooth ones, Express ones are cheaper), I will come back again when I am rich.

Nice décor and a decent mani/​pedi, but their regular prices are rather high for the service you get. (I used a certificate I purchased on Living Social for a $ 27 manicure and pedicure).
I was lucky enough to snag a same day appointment, since the last couple of times I called in, they could never take me that day. The place is rather small, so I can see how it might get crowded in there. The polish selection is quite limited, but I was happy to see that in addition to OPI, they have Zoya polishes. I love Zoya. Anyway, the manicure and pedicure I received were good, though I ended up having to trim my own toenails the next day because the woman doing my nails forgot to do it.
I also agree that the seats are kind of hard. They also have a chiropractor there, which strikes me as an odd/​awkward fit. Maybe that’s why they have a chiropractor there — you might need it after sitting in those hard seats! ;)

Terrible manicure and pedicure service! There is nothing boutique about this place beyond the prices — totally overpriced, painted well beyond my nails and onto my cuticles, and made my toe bleed. I will never go back.

Can I not give half a star… this place was a joke!
Most uncomfortable seating for pedicure ever, the water was so cool that I got goose bumps, they used latex gloves and did not ask if I was allergic.
The ladies were cold, and interrupted my mani/​pedi to answer the phone, how rude!
I would not recommend this place to anyone!

The salon has been swamped with the Living Social deal.
Having said that, I made an appointment fairly soon after the promotion — for the moment the salon opens. They arrived as I did and i was a few min late.
I loved the look and feel of the salon. The owner was friendly and informative. The mani/​pedi was very good and lasted through out a trip to Thailand.
I found the chairs to be uncomfortable as was getting a manicure in them. I had to hold up my arm myself. They should likely move the client from the chair after the pedi is completed.
Additionally, the massage was very short — I suspect that this was because there were a number of people waiting by this time in the service.
The overall result was a very good mani/​pedi and the rest of the issues can be addresed through staff training.

I went to Swoon today for a pre-​Vegas mani/​pedi. I got a deal from one of those groupon things for both services for $ 27 — hard to pass up. I’m glad that’s all I had to pay and I won’t be going back.
1. I was on time for my appointment, there was no one waiting at the front desk and the staff who were working on other clients looked surprised to see me, as if they weren’t expecting anyone.
2. I waited 15 minutes until I was seated.
3. They soaked my feet for another 15 minutes before anyone got around to me. By that time the water was cold and I’d finished my magazine but there weren’t any others nearby.
3. No background music made it hard to ignore the annoying group next to me.
4. Pedicure area SUPER close to area where clean up occurs. I thought about doing my dishes at home the entire time, probably because my view was of people washing dishes.
5. The manicure portion occurred in the pedicure chair. Uncomfortable for me and I’m sure for the employee.
6. I had pre-​paid for my service but forgotten that I had done so. I got a call later that day from them saying that they’d over charged me (very nice of them) but they told me I needed to drive down (10 miles from where I live) there to get a refund and they tried to convince me to go the store-​credit route. They thankfully figured out how to refund me over the phone.
I wish this place was as nice as their website!

My friend and I bought the living social deal and made appointments two weeks in advance for 5pm. On our way there they called us at 4:40 and again at 4:50 when we told them we were parking… They didn’t sound very enthusiastic… Once we arrived we realized why. There were only two people working and one lady looked very distressed holding her stomach and she seemed to be arguing with the other lady… The one who was upset started on my friend and got up 3 or 4 times to answer the phone within 10 minutes (later we found out she was cancelling the two appointments after us). There was no music playing and they kept «arguing» while we sat there confused and disturbed. After about 15 minutes the one in pain apologized and said she had to leave (giving way too much detail about her health issues…) and so the other lady switched off between us completing our mani/pedi’s and ending 45 minutes later then we had planned.
Our hands were cold left in wet towels too long, my friends pants were wet from the towels, our nails look awful, our feet got zero scrub and our hands zero rub… we feel bad for the lady who was left alone to complete two clients BUT HELLO re-​schedule???

Sandy did a great job on my mani/​pedi. It relaxed me, the ambiance is cool, relaxing, great music. I love talking to the ladies and getting flowers on my nails!
I was late to my appt (shame on me) and they were sweet and forgiving. My favorite things: music, tea/​water, masque & massage for hands n feet.
Come on in! The water’s fine.

I bought a Living Social deal for a Swoon mani/​pedi and felt fortunate when I was able to redeem it on the day that I called to make my appointment. Since over 2,000 deals were sold, I knew my chances would be slim of getting an appt. The lady who answered first told me that the noon appt. wasn’t available and when I asked her what her availability was, she said she was booked for the day and asked if I could reschedule for another day. When I said I would really like to come in today, she said she had an 11:45AM available. Yay!
I rushed out the door and made it to my appt. on time. Street parking was easy and the place was also easy to find. I really look forward to massage chairs for my pedis, but I knew Swoon didn’t offer them so I wasn’t terribly let down.
As for the pedicure and manicure I was happy with how my nails and toes looked afterwards, but was surprised at how fast everything was. There wasn’t much pampering involved (light foot massage, no calf massage, no hand or arm massage, etc.) and at times I felt discomfort e.g. when the once warm hand and feet towels were left on too long and the towels got cold, actually leaving my hands red and itchy when she got around to taking the towel off.
Overall, the services felt rushed and if I had to have paid full price, I would’ve been extremely disappointed. For a bargain deal, it was a bargain mani/​pedi.

The place is really cute and the girl who did my manicure was nice and did a lovely job. But for the price and claim of a «boutique spa», I was a little bit disappointed. The service, if you can call it that, was weird; I was hardly spoken to. The price is a bit high… I went for convenience since it is on my block. My nails do look great though!

My boyfriend gave me a gift certificate to Swoon for Christmas, for a manicure, pedicure, and facial. I finally got around to making use of it yesterday and had quite a splendid time. It was pretty empty when I got there, but a few people came in and out, and I only had to wait a minute or two before my appointment.
It’s a very cute, colorful place, and seems very clean. No need to worry about creepy foot fungi here as far as I can tell. The facial was fantastic (my first one!) and the mani and pedi were awesome as well. I got the «Essential» mani/​pedi, which is the cheapest and shortest, but it was still relaxing and awesome.
It’s not a cheap place at all, so I will probably only be back for very special occasions and splurges, but it’s a nice little place that I’d definitely recommend if you can afford it.

Bummer. OK — so like everyone else, I have been trying to save a few bucks. A couple of months ago I had a nice eyebrow wax at Swoon and thought I would get myself back in during their happy hour promotion. 5 bucks off the regular price! The place is cute and clean. I asked if the gal I had before was in, but alas no — she is now just in on an on-​call basis.
Once I arrived, I could tell why they have her on call. The place is a ghost town. Now granted, I was there at 2:45 on a Wednesday, but it was very quiet. The girl answering the phone and holding down the desk informed me that she would be the one doing my service. Yikes — I should have run then, but being polite overruled.
She seemed to know what she was doing — except for the part where she actually got wax on my eye lid. I mentioned that I like to have my brows trimmed as well as shaped and she seemed cool with that.
Once she finished I looked in the hand held mirror. .. are they uneven?
I got to my feet — looked in the mirror standing up to get a better view and yes, completely imbalanced. When I mentioned it to her she said — well I guess it is, but only a few hairs. Let me just fix it. OK. ..
then she mentioned that I had one eyebrow that was «bushier» then the other — wtf? I didn’t before I came in!
So, I went from a little out of shape brows to completely out of whack ones that I now get to grow out for the next 6 weeks! Happy Hour it was not.
If you want to get eyebrows that make you look like you were drinking. ..

I went to Swoon this afternoon for a Brazilian. A friend had recommended the place and having just moved here I’m in dire need of a new waxing spot. The staff is very friendly and the salon is clean.
HOWEVER…this was the WORST wax I have EVER gotten. It took over an hour. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Not to mention I still have hair down there. Ahhh… so painful too. I know, I know, Brazilians are painful but this one was torture. The gal doing it didn’t pull hard enough at the wax so it was like she was tugging on my skin. I just couldn’t believe that after an hour and after all the pain that I still had hair down there.
I will not go back nor will I recommend it to anyone. Perhaps their manicures and pedicures are better but I just can’t go back. Especially when it costs so much do get a Brazilian anyway, I need to find a better place.

I’m a fan of this place.
I play sports, so pedicures usually last until my first game then falls off.
The Swoon pedicure, however, has lasted through many a hard-​played game.
It’s on the expensive side, but well worth it.

I went to Swoon to get my first facial in four years, and had a lovely time. The facial was super relaxing — way more than I was expecting. Less extract-​y, more massage-​y.
For me, the worst part of any facial is dealing with the constant upsells and the pitch for expensive products at the end. I gotta say that I only got one gentle upsell for an additional service during the facial (which I turned down). And when I was leaving, even though I said I might want to buy some lotion, I left with tons of samples so that I could come back and buy which ever one I liked most. Talk about not upselling! It was a relief.