Getting your nails done in NYC can sometimes feel more stressful than relaxing. But we can always count on these spots for both an expert manicure and an environment we don’t mind hanging out in for an afternoon. From toxin-free polishes to nail designs worth showing off on all of your social media accounts, here’s what makes these salons our go-tos.
7 NYC Nail Salons We Keep Going Back To
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Published Dec 4, 2018
Courtesy of Sundays
Sundays Nail Studio
Tucked away on a quiet block off Madison Square Park, this salon not only offers mani-pedis using its signature vegan polishes but also gives you the option of getting your nails done while listening to a guided meditation. Even if you don’t go that route, the Scandinavian-Zen environment and rose petal–infused soak will put you in a relaxed mood in no time.
51 E. 25th St.; dearsundays.com
Courtesy of Chillhouse
Chillhouse
A trip to this downtown spa is all about finding your chill. That can mean visiting the salon side for a simple polish change, gel manicure or nail art with names like No Apologies and EIC (founder Cyndi Ramirez was editor-in-chief of Taste the Style) or hanging out with a wellness-boosting latte in the adjoining sunny café.
149 Essex St.; chillhouse.com
Courtesy of Essie
Essie Flagship Salon
If Essie’s cheekily named polishes are already your go-to, then it’s worth popping into the brand’s flagship inside the Samuel Shriqui Salon, where Essie Weingarten herself is a regular. Settle into one of the leather chairs and get lacquered up by one of the trained technicians. Regular and gel options are available, as is Weingarten’s signature mani (a coat of both Blushing Bride and Mademoiselle) if you want to put yourself in the polish guru’s Ballet Slippers.
35 E. 65th St.; samuelshriquisalon.com
Courtesy of Primp & Polish
Primp & Polish
The North Brooklyn chainlet has a huge selection of brand-name polishes—not just the usual Essie and OPI, but also Chanel and Dior—plus a memorable pedicure experience to match. The leather massage chairs are housed in a plant-filled sunroom where you can enjoy a sea salt foot bath and hot stone massage. Splurge on the luxury Dead Sea or Milk & Honey pedicure treatments when you need to—in the words of Parks and Rec’s Tom and Donna—treat yo self.
Multiple locations; primpandpolish.com
Courtesy of Paintbox
Paintbox
Dubbed a modern manicure studio, the Soho spot specializes in nail art that’s truly Instagram-worthy. Started by onetime beauty editor Eleanor Langston, the mani-only Paintbox curates a seasonal collection of customizable graphic designs—current looks include the bejeweled Perfect Pair and glitter-streaked Power Surge—that will have everyone asking where you got them done.
17 Crosby St.; paint-box.com
Courtesy of Tenoverten
Tenoverten
The beloved lacquer brand combines a modern aesthetic with its nontoxic products to make getting your nails done feel less hectic and stressful. Tenoverten’s lofty industrial-chic salons—filled with custom-made chairs and limestone tables—are also open late (9 or 10 p.m,. depending on the outpost), so you can avoid the post-work mani rush.
Multiple locations; tenoverten.com
Jinsoon Hand And Foot Spa
You don’t have to be Sarah Jessica Parker to get star beauty service—just head to one of celeb manicurist Jin Soon Choi’s salons. With names like the Balm of Purity and Breath of Milk and Honey, the hand and foot treatments are guaranteed to put you in a tranquil state. And true to Choi’s fashion roots, intricate nail art is another highlight.
Multiple locations; jinsoon.com