My salon review took me across the Hudson to Downtown Jersey City to a place called Regal Nails & Spa. Regal is not a good way to describe this salon, despite it looking clean and presentable. As I approached the locked door, a male nail technician jumped up to open it (according to their sign they had been opened for a few hours, so I’m not sure why the door was still locked). He was friendly and engaging as he directed me to the polish displays that carried brands such as Essie, OPI, China Glaze, Cuccio color and others I have never heard of. As I looked from color to color, shelf-to-shelf, I was horrified to see that 90% of the polishes had separated and looked unusable. When I queried this with the nail technician (may I also add there was no-one else in the salon) he got a little defensive as he explained that it happens to all polishes because of the chemicals in them and that they aren’t the popular colors so haven’t been used on a regular basis. I couldn’t help it and I had to say something (politely of course) that 90% of the salons polishes needed to be thrown in the trash. I wanted to run out the door. I was originally going to have a mani and pedi, however after seeing the polish ‘situation’ I decided to just stick to a mani – I mean, how bad could it be? I should have stuck with my gut.
The only polish I could find that didn’t seem to have separated was Cuccio Color – ‘Take Heart In Turin Pink.’ Not my normal color for this time of year, however the pale pink and white tones did make for a nice change. Besides, my options were limited.
The blaring TV featuring The Price Is Right did not create a relaxing environment, and I honestly could not wait for my technician to finish. Having said that, he was meticulous with the way he prepared my nails with the only fault being the way he filed – back and forth. This is a no no as it damages the nail bed, a fact I only found out about because my Editor saw me use this same technique in the office recently and almost had a heart attack.
If you take into consideration the ambience, services and polishes offered, this salon was overpriced and may need to look at a name change that really reflects what they are about. I would see my technician again, however on my next visit I will be sure to bring my own polish.
Until next time,
Ruth
Regal Nails & Spa – 88 Morgan Street, Downtown Jersey City
Ambience: TV blaring ‘the price is right’, couldn’t wait to get out of there
Cleanliness of salon: Clean and spacious
Polish: ‘Cuccio Color’ – Take Heart in Turin Retails $4-10
Polish job & chip factor: Within 5 hours my nails were starting to chip & dent
Brands they stock: OPI, Essie, Cuccio Color, China Glaze, Miss USA, CNDC
Color range: 90% of polishes were separating, the color range did not include the new spring collection
Customer engagement: Friendly, professional and engaging
Price range: Mani’s: $12 Pedi’s: $25 and Mani/Pedi $35 pricey for what they offer
