Fantasy Nails of Shallotte

I’ve been to a lot of Nail Salons over the years and this was the best Mani-​Pedi I’ve ever had. I had gel nails done by Derek and they are so beautiful you couldn’t ever tell they were not my own nails. This indeed is as good as it gets!

Overpriced. They charged me $ 55 for a gel manicure over my own nails. Also, the most painful manicure I have ever experienced! She used the Dremel so hard on my nails that I felt the heat building up and it became very painful. Then, she applied the gel and I felt like my hands were on fire. I had to pull them out of the UV lights and blow on them becaus they felt like they were on fire. Already stuck half way through the manicure with now-​deformed gell fingernails, I was forced to endure the almost 2 hour process to get them shaped, airbrushed, and cured. What a waste of time and money. I would not recommend this place. They do have shellac, which is why I went there, but they didn’t have white for a french manicure so I opted for the gel. Wish I had gone somewhere else.

Excellent job, fast and a great price. The lady that did my nails didn’t try to talk to me or sell me on anything extra (its busy season so I am sure they make more money now than the review from december). I would highly recommend Fantasy Nails :)

I don’t normally get mani-​pedis, but over the Thanksgiving holiday I had a girlfriend visiting and we wanted to spend some time away from the boys. So, I began my search for a decent nail salon in Shallotte, since it’s only fifteen minutes away from our vacation home on Holden Beach, NC. (We decided the hour drive to Wilmington or Myrtle Beach was too far.)
Fantasy Nails turned out to be the only one we could find. Located in a strip mall anchored by Belk and Home Depot, this salon was big, bright, and fairly clean. The lovely Vietnamese women who run the place didn’t care we were walk-​ins, promptly ordered us to pick our colors and ushered us into comfy pedicure chairs with foot baths. (I didn’t pick a color, by the way. I can’t stand how nail polish feels on my fingers or toes.)
I suppose I could have rated Fantasy Nails three stars, except for the following reasons.
When I stated that I didn’t want nail polish on my toes, my technician argued with me. Strike one.
About halfway through the pedicure, I decided I didn’t want to have a manicure because I didn’t want my cuticles cut. The technician insisted, saying «I need to finish you!» Strike two. (At least she didn’t make my fingers bleed.)
But then she told me I needed to get my eyebrows done. After I politely declined, she continued to tell me, no, I really needed to get my eyebrows waxed. «You need nice arch!» I resorted to calling my friend over to referee. She, being the nail salon expert, put an end to that line of questioning. (And assured me my eyebrows were just fine as is. I love her!) Strike three. Dock one star.
Our nails did look nice, and I loved the OPI color my friend picked for her nails. Mine were buffed and shiny. On the way out the door, my friend told me that her technician (also the owner) tried to sell her a $ 6 paper fan on top of the mani-​pedi, supposedly to help raise money to send back to her family in Vietnam. My friend opined, «If she needs money, why not just ask for a donation? I don’t want or need a cheap paper fan.»
If you’re really in need of a mani-​pedi and there is nowhere else to go, head to Fantasy Nails in Shallotte. Otherwise, don’t.