Nail Salons in San Diego

Refresh Salon's technicians buff and colorize nails with professional products from OPI and Creative Nail Design. Shellac is a durable fusion of gel and polish that adheres to digit armor for up to two weeks. The lustrous coating, which is hypoallergenic and free of formaldehyde, allows customers to remain primped down to their appendages despite recent forays into falconry training. In addition to top-notch pigments, paws receive a massage, exfoliation treatment, and warm paraffin wax for soft skin. Patrons opting for a pedicure in addition to the Shellac treatment have feet pampered with a sugar scrub and massage to expel any cricks caused by folding origami swans.

The aestheticians at Empress Nails pamper extremities and fashion sparkling nails with expert mani-pedis. Soft music wafts through the salon as complimentary beverages make customers feel at home and break out into choruses of “Let’s All Go Out to the Lobby.” All services pamper clients with expert nail shaping and cuticle trimming to prepare finger- and toe-palettes for polish, which aestheticians apply in the color of the client's choice. In preparation for the long-lasting no-chip manicure, clients choose from Axxium by OPI, Shellac by CND, or Gelish by Hand and Nail Harmony polishes. No-chip manicures begin with a soothing hand soak and a tension-melting massage. During the signature pedicure, feet unwind in a warm footbath and say goodbye to rough, dry skin with a sea-salt scrub. A cooling mask relieves parched tootsies, and experienced hands massage them into blissful repose with nourishing moisturizers. Spa mani-pedis soothe hands and feet with a warm soak, a moisture-infusing massage, and the promise that newer humans are not born with an upgrade to 22 digits.

Gracy, a native Brazilian, was born with what her clients call “a green thumb for hair.” After immigrating to the United States, she earned her cosmetology license in New York and spent several years working in upscale salons around the city. Today, she lives and works in sunny San Diego where she owns Gracy International Hair Design, a full-service salon. Like Gracy, the salon has a warm, laid-back vibe with colorful rugs, painted furniture, and lots of potted plants. In the front, a small boutique sells jewelry made in Afghanistan, hand-painted bikinis, and purses made from recycled, organic materials.

Gracy and her all-female team perform a range of hair services using products from Lanza, L’Oreal Professionnel, and Glo Essentials that are designed to improve hair’s health. She herself specializes in Beox Brazilian keratin hair treatments, which help prevent hair from frizzing and progressively smooth and improve the quality of hair. She’s been performing these treatments for more than 10 years.

Gone are the days where the only choices for polish were bland, primary colors. Gone are days where nails were guaranteed to chip. Gone are the days where a manicure meant dull, lifeless, and flat designs, and gone are the days when days didn't go away. The staff at Diva Nails & Spa is part of a new breed, one that has fully embraced a more modern approach to manicures and pedicures. For them, nail care is a highly creative endeavor. They see fingers become a palette as they paint images such as cupcakes, ladybugs, and penguins on nails. Their use of 3D nails helps clients stand out of from the crowd. Diva's techs also happily render basic nail services, and offer treatments like gel manicures, pink and white nails, and eyebrow waxing.

Qticles is a San Diego mani-pedi hotspot that reflects the spirit of its Pacific Beach neighborhood. Festive colors of bright orange, deep purple and banana yellow set the tone of this bustling beauty boutique, where clients chatter away and music plays. Refreshing services and pampering mini spa treatments make up the beauty menu, from Brazilian waxes and icy cool peppermint pedicures to paraffin hand softeners and detailed manicures. Facials include a lavender soother or fruit enzyme refresher for glowing skin, and all pedicures come with a relaxing massage. Female gatherings and bridal parties flock to Qticles for group pampering sessions, complete with complimentary drinks and snacks.

Soft light pours into French Twist Salon, where brown pebbled-leather chairs, gilded mirrors, and exposed pipes lend an old-timey feel. But while the decor harks back to another era, the treatments and cache of hair products remain decidedly current. Owner Carole guides her team of stylists as they steal away frizz with Brazilian blowouts and glossing treatments or add color and dimension with highlights. Elsewhere in the salon, stylists perform waxing services and enhance features with makeup applications or three different kinds of eyelash extensions—day, night, or 24 hours of daylight. Carole doubles as a seasoned manicurist who delivers long-lasting shine with Shellac gel polish.