Spa Urbana

They do a nice job and have a nice facility. The technicians are nice. They are reasonably close and get the work done.

unknown

I have been looking for a new nail technician ever since mine got married and moved back to California at the end of the summer. I live in the North End, so I was looking for something downtown or otherwise close by that had a relaxing atmosphere and did quality work. For those who were clients at Floating Feather, Spa Urbana is located in their old location.
I visited on a Friday morning at 10am, which is when they open. I was greeted promptly and ushered in to the nail room, which is painted in some soothing neutrals and has a 3-station pedi bench on one wall and two manicure stations kitty-corner on the other side of the room. I was the only client in the nail room at that time, so I was able to relax and spread out a little. When I arrived, there were several magazines fanned out on either side of the bench for me to choose from, the scrubs and lotions were beautifully arranged on some artistic trays around the workstation, and before we started, Carah asked me if I would like some tea or water. I asked for cold water and I'm not sure she heard me, b/c she returned with a glass of room temperature water, but it wasn't too bad. Carah did a great job removing my previous polish and working on my (oh-so-unruly) cuticles, which can be a real challenge. The soak was comfortable both in temperature and distance (I didn't have to stretch too far) and the products were very nice and left my skin feeling soft and smooth--in fact, my feet were still quite soft and smooth two days later, which my boyfriend liked very much. My manicure was also very well done--and Carah was very nice and had a calm manner about her, which was perfect for me, as I was seeking a relaxing bit of pampering.
Spa Urbana uses Zoya polishes, which are not my favorite, but they had a nice selection of around 30 colors. The two shades I chose were quite lovely and you could see that the bottles used on clients were well-take care of--no dried rings of messy polish caked around the top of the bottle--and fresh, so they went on with a smooth even finish of thin layers. The top coat was also very nice, and when I left, my nails looked clean and my hands looked well-cared for. I can't tell how long the manicure itself would have lasted, but I worked on putting up the Xmas tree and hanging outdoor lights this weekend, so the manicure is toast. My toes still look great, which you would hope for 4 days out. And I will say that even the nails I chipped still had a lot of shine before I took the polish off today. Happily, I liked the silver sparkle on my toes so much that I bought a bottle, so I'm going to try to give that a shot on my own, once the Xmas decorating is done.
Spa Urbana also does Gelish gel-process nails, which I didn't get this time, but I may opt for in the future. I used to get Shellac quite regularly, but eventually it started to breakdown my nail beds with repeated applications and removals, so I'm not planning to rush into the Gelish experience anytime soon. However, maybe for a special occasion like a trip or a wedding, I might be willing to go for it once in awhile. Carah did say that Shellac was one of the higher quality companies for gel-process nails, and she did acknowledge that my experience was not uncommon, so I respect her honesty and not trying to upsell me by insisting Gelish would be different, so that is some integrity displayed.
My treatments took a little bit longer than I expected, which was only a problem in that I had another appointment to get to across town and needed to leave at a specific time, which I inquired about when I made my appointment, and about which I was assured would be no problem. As it was, I made my second appointment, but I did not have the extra 15 minutes I had planned for to stop and get a coffee or a smoothie for lunch. I'm not complaining too much, but this may be something to watch for if you'e on a really tight schedule, especially since I was the only client in the nail room at the time and arrived on time with no one before me.
I think the prices were average for this category. I don't feel like I underpaid, and I don't feel like I overpaid--I got a quality mani-pedi for a fair price, and with the way Carah took care of my horrible cuticles, and the pleasant, relaxing atmosphere, I will be back.