I typically do my own nails every other week, and have not set foot in a nail salon in close to two years. However, I wanted to treat myself to an afternoon mani/pedi to escape the whirlwind craziness... Read More
I typically do my own nails every other week, and have not set foot in a nail salon in close to two years. However, I wanted to treat myself to an afternoon mani/pedi to escape the whirlwind craziness of finals. I extensively reviewed Yelp and Google reviews to find a place close to my house and I decided to try out Le Park.Location-wise, this spot is close to downtown and there is ample parking close to the riverfront. Ok, that's a good start. I was kindly greeted by the owners (a husband/wife team, I believe) after having called to confirm an appointment approximately 30 minutes before and they showed me around and asked me to pick a polish. The shop itself was tiny and dimly lit with a polish selection that was entirely reds and bright pinks - few nude or earth tones. As I was hoping for a ballet pink mani I was really disappointed, but chose a light tan shade. I settled in to the pedicure tub and was treated to a rushed, inconsistent and sub-par service. I received a brief "massage" and then my feet were over-buffed, causing cuts which bled. The woman who was conducting this pedicure was visibly shaky throughout the whole process, and I noticed that she made a point of turning off the overhead light right before she painted my toes. This was confusing to me as I thought better lighting would be preferable, but I trusted her judgement as she was the trained nail technician. I knew as it was happening that my pedicure was lousy - the technician was extremely jittery and did not paint all of my toes with the same number of coats. I figured I would give her the benefit of the doubt and if the pedicure was as bad as I suspected, I would come in at a later time to have it corrected because my afternoon was slipping by.The manicure, I'm happy to say, was an entirely different experience. The husband did an excellent job with my nails and took great care to properly shape them. The polish job was fantastic and he was good company. Very pleased.My total came to $41, which was a price inconsistent with the quality of service I received but I paid and tipped anyway. I stepped out of the door into the daylight and examined my toes and immediately regretted the entire experience despite my beautiful manicure. I did not realize how badly the female technician overbuffed my feet, but the heels and top of my feet were bright pink with several cuts that would scab painfully in the upcoming week. The polish itself was a disaster, there's no other way to put it. As I began the march home to tackle some work I called the salon and stated the issue and asked if there was another time I could come in to have it redone. The owners seemed to expect the call and were more than happy to correct the mistake, which I sincerely appreciated. Two days later I was back for a re-do and the gentleman handled my pedicure while the female technician attended to another customer. He did a phenomenal job and I was very pleased with the end result, but I should not have had to go back and the job should have been done right the first time. Furthermore, the discrepancy in quality between my manicure and pedicure was bizarre to say the least. I will not return to Le Park and would strongly caution customers against working with the female technician. Read Less