Summer is here and, let’s be honest, if we haven’t got our footsies in tip top condition by now we are severely lagging behind. ‘Peace no judgment’, I told my good friend, fellow advertising and marketing exec, Peitra as we laid by the pool examining our toes and noticing the dry skin on our heels; remnants from a brutal NYC winter. We had a BBQ (Aussie style) to go to in Brooklyn that afternoon and I personally couldn’t think of anything worse than turning up with chipped polish and cracked heels (ewwwww, horrendous). We tried to get into 3 salons on our way and it seemed that everyone else had the same idea because all were booked out. Finally we settled on Meet 2 Nail and Foot Care Center, I thought the name sounded professional so it must be good – right? How wrong could I have been? We asked them if we could have a mani and pedi at the same time as we were on a time crunch, at first they said no because they were too busy to spare the extra hands. Given we were running late to our BBQ, Peitra opted for a mani (she could always hide her feet for the next few days) and I went with a pedi. Fifteen minutes into our treatment the salon emptied and they accommodated our request to have a mani/pedi simultaneously. My nail technicians worked quickly and quietly on my fingers and toes; they weren’t as meticulous as past technicians however they seemed to do a reasonable job. My poor friend was not so lucky. Not only did her manicurist nick her cuticle so it bled, but she also did a terrible polish job. To be fair the polish we chose (OPI’s ‘My Vampire is Buff’) was difficult to paint with so we did have some grace. We asked for them to redo the polish job and fix their mistakes, at first they were defensive and blamed the fact that they had to work quickly. I pointed out that my nails were completed at a quicker pace with no issues. Eventually the manicurist responsible took ownership and apologized. Thankfully, she also put some antiseptic spray on Peitra’s cut finger, which I was pleased about (I mean, imagine if she got an infection – yikes!!).
This salon did not have a relaxing vibe, it was hot, humid and stuffy, maybe because they hadn’t turned their A/C on and it was 84 degrees coupled with 90% humidity. No wonder the staff were quiet, not engaging, and in task mode. In fact the salon owner could be classed as rude, I like to see the best in people so maybe it was the heat that was getting to him.
Overall, I would not recommend a visit to this salon. I do however believe in second chances so maybe in the future if I choose to go back to this place my experience may be different. Here’s to hoping.
Until next time,
Ruth
Meet 2 Nail & Foot Care Center, 299 Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn
Ambience: Hot, humid and stuffy. Not a relaxing experience.
Cleanliness of salon: Mildly clean, cluttered.
Polish:
Ruth
Mani: OPI ‘My Vampire is Buff’, Retails $6-8
Pedi: OPI ‘Dim Sum Plum, Retails $7-10
Peitra
Mani: Essie: ‘Go Gingza’ Retails: $8.50 (she decided against ‘My Vampire is Buff’ after they messed it up)
Pedi: OPI ‘Kiss on the Chic’, Retails $6-8
Polish job & chip factor: Polish ended up on my skin and they did not clean it off. Peitra’s polish job looked good once they redid her mani. My mani chipped within 24 hours.
Brands they stock: OPI, Essie, Dare to Wear, Duri, Cuccio, CNDC
Color range: Extensive selection of colors and the polishes were in good condition
Customer engagement: no customer engagement
Price range: Mani $8-32, Pedi $17-$50, Special: mani/pedi $27
