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Seven salons in the Vancouver area that offer toxin-free treatments, gel manicures, relaxing pedicures, eye-catching nail art + more
Whether you want your nails painted this season’s “it” colour, a relaxing forget-all-your-worries pedicure, eye-catching nail art, or your nails just need some major TLC, there’s a nail studio calling your name with wide-open arms. We’ve tried and tested out places around the city that will get your fingers and toes in tip-top shape.
Click through for our top seven Vancouver nail salons.
Nestled between the surf and snowboard shops on West 4th in Kitsilano is the newest kid on the nail block: Joyride. The ultra West Coast-vibey studio is strategically designed to provide clients with a calm, relaxing environment. This includes their state-of-the-art air purification system, which will keep your lungs happy and allow you to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
Joyride is the place to go for toxin-free treatments. They have created their own line of products, from soaks to scrubs, to use in their salon. Oh, and did we mention this line is all-natural and plant-based? Joyride also only uses nail polishes that are free of harmful chemicals like formaldehyde. So why did Joyride choose the toxin-free route? It was a no-brainer for owner Claire Mandell. “I always thought it was weird going into a nail salon, not knowing what they were putting on my sensitive skin, and regularly having allergic reactions, which is why I created the Joyride product line. By keeping the ingredients to a minimum and scents neutral, the line is accessible to everyone,” says Mandell.
Nail guru Linh Khuu opened up this hidden gem in the upstairs of locally famous beauty boutique, Beautymark. Varnish offers a wide range of services: from classic manicures, luxurious brown-sugar pedicures, Swarovski crystal designs and everything in between.
Come here for meticulous nail art and gel nails. Linh and her team are known for their gorgeous nail art—seriously, check out their Instagram feed. When it comes to gel nails, Bio-Gel is Linh’s favourite. “I personally use Bio-Gel on my nails because it’s the healthiest of all the gels. I like working with it and the quality it provides,” she says.
What began as one chic nail salon in Yaletown 11 years ago has turned into Vancouver’s largest nail salon chain, thanks to savvy Vancouver entrepreneur, Irene Lee. With 11 locations across the Lower Mainland, Pure Nail Bar is a favourite no matter what ‘hood you’re in! Pure Nail Bar has also been voted ‘Best Nail Salon’ 10 years in a row by The Georgia Straight’s “Best Of Vancouver”—talk about some major Vancity love!
Visit their downtown location for your monthly mani/pedi catch up with the girls. Relax on their comfy couches while your callouses get sloughed away—with your favourite Kate Hudson rom-com playing on the TV, of course. Pure Nail Bar locations are also a huge hit for parties—celebrating everything from baby showers to bachelorettes.
In case you missed the memo, The Ten Spot, an East Coast favourite beauty bar, has opened its doors in Yaletown. With 17 beauty bars (and counting) in Ontario and B.C., owner Kristen Wood shares her excitement on expanding to the West Coast: “We are so thrilled to be in B.C. It’s always been my dream to take The Ten Spot across Canada. We created the concept of the anti-spa, providing guests with efficient, yet impeccably executed beauty services with an unpretentious vibe, in a spotless environment.”
This is the place for squeaky-clean manicures—actually, squeaky-clean everything! The Ten Spot prides itself on their super-strict standards when it comes to hygiene and sanitation that aren’t limited to not reusing anything that can’t be put through a meticulous sterilization process. Whether you’re popping in for a quick polish change, or baring it all for a Brazilian, you can relax knowing you’re in good hands.
On the corner of Fraser and 20th, you’ll find something you wouldn’t expect on the mainly residential block: a chic little nail salon. Ever since this small family business opened, clients have been raving about Charm Nail Spa’s fabulous service.
Come here for gel manicures and extensions. Their most popular service is gel manicures because of how long they last (about two weeks) and the virtually non-existent drying time. When it comes to extensions, serious skills are required. “I like to do gel nail extensions because it takes a little more precision and it’s more challenging,” owner Rose Tran tells us.
Tucked inside the chic lifestyle boutique Crown The Queens, is where you’ll find the Michelangelo of nail art, Steph Berry. Whether you’re a single-colour gal or looking for nail art to match your ’80s-themed birthday party, Steph Berry can make it happen. The Blanche Macdonald grad is nothing less than an expert when it comes to using your nails as a canvas.
“Clear-cut nails and cut-out nail art have been the most popular requests lately, but I also get a lot of ‘do whatever you want’,” says Berry. And as to why she loves what she does, it’s simple: “I love doing nails because it makes people happy.”
OK, we know it’s located in Richmond, but we couldn’t resist keeping Glam Nail Studio, a secret from Vancouverites. Keiko Matsui opened this nail studio in 2008, after the increasingly high demand for her Japanese-style 3-D nail art. Matsui and her team have also racked up awards in prestigious nail competitions worldwide.
The team at Glam can really turn your nail dreams into a reality with their Japanese-style 3D nail art—if you can dream it, the ladies at Glam can bring it to life!
