Beauty Review: Naility! Gel Nails
A few days ago, I was taking a look around the Alta department store in Shinjuku, which mainly targets a young customer base evidenced by the booming music on every floor and eclectic mix of fashion. There’s even a Claire’s in there! Remember Claire’s?
I had some spare time and spotted a small table alongside a wall of nail polishes where a young woman was having her nails painted. I casually looked over their price menu and found that a full set of gel nails is ¥1000! What’s funny is they’ll do a single nail for free. I guess it’s just so you can get a taste of gel nails. So for that price, I decided it was worth it to book an appointment for the following Tuesday. This nail salon is called Naility! And I believe they have multiple locations. The Alta shop is pretty easy access though if you’re in Shinjuku for the day.
So the day arrived and I was really satisfied with the service I received. My technician carefully filed and cleaned my nails of any excess skin or imperfections. She never rushed and she made pleasant conversation. The filing and cuticle cleaning are both an extra ¥540 each. I decided to try it for the sake of this review but I also think if you’re reasonably okay at shaping your own nails, then it’s not necessary. She did a lovely job, however. I think it’s nice that they let you choose the option to add other services. That’s how they keep the gel nail price so low. See my finished nails at the end of the article!
I asked her to match my nail color to my shirt because it’s currently my favorite color, a kind of dusty purple-pink. She found the perfect match.
I think even if you don’t speak much Japanese you could enjoy a visit here. Most of the directions are very intuitive. Point at the color you want. Point at the menu service you want. And they may ask you what shape you want your nails, but that’s the extent of it. They also have a ¥2000 menu which includes adding gemstones or design to the single color. I think I’ll try that next time!
If you didn’t know, nail salons, at least from what I’ve seen, are extremely pricey in Tokyo. The average price I see for a set of gel nails is ¥7000. That’s why I was so happy to find this place. And the service you receive is nothing short of what you’d get at a higher-end nail salon.
It’s a fun little treat to have your nails pampered but it’s not so fun to fork out big bucks. This is a great way to treat yourself without retail regret. I say try out Naility! if you see one while walking around Tokyo or if you’re around Shinjuku sometime.
Pretty in pink! They even let you sniff and choose a nail oil to rub into your cuticles at the end as an extra little luxury.
I’ll let my nails grow for awhile and go back for the gemstone treatment. Of course I will report back to you on the result!
