For the first time in a long time, I am staring at my fingers as I blog for this week’s #HGmanimonday. I am in L-O-V-E with my spring polish! Coachella is upon us, and even though flower crowns are played out {albeit snapchat says otherwise}, it doesn’t mean your mani has to fade too. If you’re stuck in NJ|NY adulting this week like the rest of us, take some time to brighten your days with a new nail shade.
As we expand Mani Monday to Jersey City, I visited the Nail Loft — located at 389 Central Ave in Jersey City {2nd floor} — and I have lots to say about my experience. Read on to hear all about my visit to The Heights {above Hoboken, literally}.
Customer Service.
So let’s start from the beginning: I called to make my appointment earlier in the week and received a call the day before my appointment to confirm. When is the last time you made a nail appointment, and they called you to confirm? I thought this was very helpful especially with my busy schedule, though, it’s not like I’d forget since I was VERY much so looking forward to my visit.
Polish Selection.
The polish array at Nail Loft was slightly different than the usual Essie and OPI selection; they also carry LeChat and Color Club. My favorite was the designer nail polish which included Louboutin, Gucci, YSL and Chanel — though I wasn’t wild about there being an extra charge for the prestige brands.
The gel selection is endless! They also carry the ‘mood changing’ gel polish brand, Wave. I’m not sure how I feel about this especially as a gel, but it could be cool for vacation? Debatable.
Pricing.
A mani/pedi is $30 and a gel mani is $30 which was surprising for how charming and unique the salon is. The only bone I have to pick, is that they carry some {killer} designer brands that would be fun to try, but for $10 extra…no thank you. The prestige brand selection is slightly amazing though, so if you are in a ‘me, myself and I’ kind of mood, go for it!
Rumor has it that their eyebrow threading is on par {and you know I am VERY particular about brows!}. If you end up trying out this spot, be sure to make an appointment with Pam for your brows.
Cleanliness.
The salon for how large it is {and for their dark floors}, is very clean. They use a new buffer and nail file for each client and you get to take them with you when you leave! They are the perfect size to throw in your purse or travel case – #score. It also doesn’t smell overwhelmingly like a typical nail salon with acetone seeping from its walls. What I loved most is that there was zero clutter. It would be a shame for a place to be this cute, and have a bunch of stuff shoved in the corner – but there was nothing! Everything was in its place, and that is very telling for a business.
Vibe.
This time I decided to get a mani AND a pedi {#treatyoself} and it was glorious! The salon is absolutely huge and was kind of a nice change from being crammed in some of the not spacious local spots.
^The adorable set up at Nail Loft
Not only does this salon have space on their side, but the interior design is ador-able. Between the acrylic chairs, the chalkboard price list, the massive windows and even the vintage-ish turquoise soaking bowls, I was beside myself! The women there were very nice, though, were getting a bit antsy by how long it took me to decide on a color and use the ladies room {even though I arrived early} – in my defense, I take #HGmanimonday very serious and need to really focus on THE color…and my friends, I have found it!
^Pictured here, ‘Flowerista’ by Essie – the photo doesnt do it justice, neither does living in the bottle! This color is absolutely beautiful on! I chose ‘Double Breasted Jacket’ by Essie for my toes, another bomb shade for spring.
A few things to mention: while the salon itself is absolutely beautiful and a fantastic experience overall, unfortunately it doesn’t have much surrounding it to make it a desirable location to continuously go back to on the reg. This is a spot I’d recommend for a girls day/post brunch/pre-bachelorette bash, but you do have to Uber to/from (approx. $7 each way from Hoboken) and there isn’t a bar or coffee shop to really hang out in before or after {thumbs down}.
If you’re looking to try something new, take your time and not run into your boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend or high school frenemy who now lives in the mile square, this is a place to try!
Have you had a Hoboken salon experience and lived to tell the nail tale?
Post your mani with the hashtag #HGManiMonday on IG and share your experience with us {tag @hobokengirlblog}.
