Affina Beauty & Spa - New York (NY)

1 /5 Stephanie: I was going to count my $50 loss and just go to a different salon but I thought about the health and safety risks of this manicure, and decided to leave a review. This wasn’t my first time to this salon and I had previously had an okay-ish experience but the customer service was exceptional. I returned in hopes of having a similar experience. To start, the previous gel removal was done at the station in the back most corner with all the surplus supplies. It wasn’t even cleaned. Honestly, I’m doubtful that area was meant to be a manicure station, because there wasn’t any supplies readily available. When we ended up moving to a proper station (for better lighting?) they didn’t bother wiping down the area. As soon as the lady before me wrapped up, I jumped right into her seat). The actual manicure was really rushed. I went in the late evening so maybe the tech was tired, but she completely ignored cuticle prep and care. She didn’t push back any of my cuticles. She maybe cut the cuticles on 5 fingers or so. The gel application was horrible. She applied 3 coats but most of it was focused on the tips of my fingers. She kept getting gel on the skin surrounding my nails and attempting to use her latex glove to wipe it off. Regardless, by the time I got up to pay, I had gel on my skin on about 5 fingers. (I later found out that’s apparently a huge health and safety risk because that could cause an allergic reaction - thank God I didn’t have one). I asked the receptionist (the man delagating the techs) if the gel would fall off later on maybe if I attempted to scrub it in the shower. He burst out laughing. The nail tech attempted to use acetone to wipe it off but obviously that didn’t work, so she had to file the gel off my skin. once she realized that there was gel on so many fingers she just let me leave with the file. I definitely would not recommend.

5 /5 liridona ferhati: I’ve been coming here for years, and I can’t say enough good things about this place! Every time I leave, my nails look amazing. Iris is truly the best—her attention to detail and skill are unmatched. She always makes sure my GelX nails are perfect, and I get so many compliments on them. If you’re looking for a go-to nail tech, she’s the one!

1 /5 Victoria Chow: I had the worst experience when removing my gel x nails from here. They told me the price just ro remove is $15. Before asking if I wanted to shape my nails, they cut the first nail very short where it would be impossible to shape. When I mentioned I wanted my nails to be filed. They said it would be a total of $20. How the hell do you charge extra just for filing your nails after removal? Anyway. I went on to having 3 technicians all at different times remove this. The second technician had the intensity of the tool so high that it burned a part of nail. Please see the picture below. When I expressed pain all she said was “wow your nail must be very fragile”. I then said “I’ve never had this problem happen to me before.” She then went to lower the intensity from a 14 to 10 to remove the rest. Afterwards. She did a poor job in filing my nails to the shape I want. It was all crooked and definitely not worth the additional $5. Were they really going to think it was acceptable? In the middle of removing. She was replaced again by another technician because they had a job to take on. To switch nail technicians 3 times just to do a removal while adding on the extra fee is very unprofessional. Knowing the attitude and the quality of work they do. I definitely will not be coming here or recommending anyone to come here.

1 /5 Anastasiya Igonina: The worst manicure of my life. I don’t care much about polish, but I do appreciate a clean, well-done manicure. The nail tech didn’t do anything to remove my cuticles, no cutting, no pushing, nothing. I’ve seen similar complaints in other reviews, so this seems to be a common issue. On top of that, I was asked to pay before the polish was applied. Why? So I wouldn’t notice how bad the manicure was beforehand? While I was paying, they were already seating another customer at my table—without cleaning it first. Gross. To be fair, the staff was friendly, but that doesn’t make up for the poor service. The photo was taken just 30 minutes after the manicure. If you care about proper manicure, I absolutely do not recommend this place.

5 /5 Aya Mohamed: My go-to spot in the city. Amazing service that offers uniqueness. Everyone is talented and accommodating. Theyre very fast, Im in and out 50 minutes max for a gel soak off and then a gel manicure. I recommend paying in cash so you can use that saved money on the tip.