Merle Norman

I am a sloppy dude who works in a fancy office. I get my eyebrows waxed by Rosa here, and she always does an amazing job of making them look clean and sharp but not feminine or obviously «done.» If you or your gentleman friend have out-​of-​control brows, go here and get them fixed – you’ll be glad you did.
Today I noticed that my nails were super long and filthy, so rather than be that gross person who clips their nails in the office, I went to see Rosa and got my first-​ever manicure. Like with the eyebrows, Rosa did a great job of making my fingernails look clean, sharp and masculine – no more long nails or nasty cuticles. When I look down at my hands on my keyboard, it could be a Staples ad with a professional hand model (except that my keyboard is filthy and I have a scar on one finger from when I cut myself chopping an onion in 2011).
The price was cheaper than I’ve seen at some gross-​looking places in the middle of East Van, and this is a very nice, clean, upscale establishment right downtown. In addition to doing waxing/​manicures/​etc they also sell makeup and wigs.
One of the employees is a professional drag queen who offers workshops so if you or a friend are looking to get up in heels for a weekend or for Halloween this is a great place to start.
I didn’t get fancy gel stuff or anything, but Rosa really knows her stuff so if you are a lady (or just want a lady-​like nail), I’m sure she’d be able to help you get your beauty right.

Merle Norman and Studio FX are actually the same, but I decided to leave the review here because I got a manicure, not makeup, done.
I get my manicures done here by Rosa.
She’s such a darling! Her french gel manicures are absolute perfection and she has such a lively personality that it’s always fun to chat with her during the process.
It’s also super important to note, for you gel-​addicts, that Rosa uses acetone pads which go directly on the nail and wrap the finger in foil to keep the acetone pad in place to minimize skin contact. That’s how it’s supposed to be done but sadly, a lot of salons in Vancouver do scary things like use electric files.
Gel nails here are super affordable if you don’t get the full manicure (c’mon, you’re not supposed to cut your cuticles anyway~) and they’re done perfectly.

Really helpful staff, products are pricey but works well with my skin. I’ve had my brows waxed here many a times and recos on skin care /​make up applications. What I like best is that they don’t push you to buy their products, which makes we want to come back more.