Unik Stars Nail Salon

So far my (regular) manicure has lasted 17 days with no chips. Clean & professional, I’d go back.

Vivian is amazing! She’s very friendly and knows the latest nail trends. She did an excellent job! I got acrylic coffin nails with a matte finish. They make me feel very glamorous and fierce. Viviana definitely made my day! Now my nails are Instagram worthy :)

Mr. Nathan did my nails and he was so diligent with everything! He was very kind and showed a lot of interest in making sure he was doing everything as I wanted it. I had an overall really good experience at Unik Stars! It’s now my go-​to nail salon and it’s located in the heart of west campus – so convenient! I would definitely recommend this place to all my fellow Longhorns. Prices are affordable, average prices. Place is also very clean and well managed. I was the last customer there and there were no signs of rushing to go home! They waited til I was fully taken care of to close down. Also, I had the loveliest conversation with the staff. They’re all Vietnamese and most don’t even know much English. Luckily, I speak Vietnamese quite fluently, so I was able to pull off a good convo with them and they’re legit nice people! I know some reviewers have mentioned that some of the staff don’t even say a single word to them and that it’s rude… But I just see it as that they’re not really comfortable speaking English and lack the skills needed for a full blown convo, so they just focus on getting their work done, giving customers what they want and then moving on! I swear they have way better intentions than to just be plain rude. :)

Called ahead and made an appointment. Got there, waited 50 MINUTES after they told me it would only be 15. No one would give me a time when they’d be ready. Very rude staff and didn’t have many colors to choose from. Spend your money somewhere else.

Today I easily had my worst nail salon experience at Unik. I’ve been to Unik nail salon before, not because they do an amazing job on your nails, but because they are conveniently close in west campus for a student. Given that their mani pedis aren’t the best quality, I at least expect decent service.
I went in at a very free hour in the afternoon on a weekday and was immediately called for my mani. I say this because the salon wasn’t busy and there was no reason to rush or be distracted.
When my manicurist was cutting my cuticles, he went far too deep and literally cut my skin and left me bleeding. This was something that my manicurist did not even notice until I cried out and winced in pain. He doused my finger in some antiseptic, said sorry, and then continued on to cut four more fingers.
After applying antiseptic and drying my fingers a total of 6 times, the bleeding still had not stopped and he casually gives up and asks me what color I want my nails painted. At this point I tell him I don’t want my nails painted because my fingers are burning in pain and also still bleeding so this would be very unsanitary. I’ve had my fingers nicked a couple of times at places and I don’t consider this a big deal, usually some antiseptic and pressure stops the bleeding and it doesn’t even hurt. This was way worse than that.
As I was leaving he stopped me and asked me to pay. I told him I wouldn’t pay unless I actually got a full manicure. The fact that the employees had the audacity to ask me to pay for an incomplete service that was a direct result of their poor attention to detail and lack of concern for customer well-​being was extremely unbecoming. I will not be returning to this salon and would strongly encourage fellow students who go there to proceed with caution and pay careful attention to what their manicurist is doing.
It’s been two hours since my «manicure» and my fingers are still bleeding.

I love this place! It’s my go to whenever I need an eyebrow wax! They do an amazing job and the staff is super friendly. One time I rushed over there because they close at 7:30 and I literally was standing outside the door at 7:30 in dire need of a wax and they told me to come on in. The only thing I don’t appreciate is their long waits… several times they have predicted a «15 minute» wait, & sometimes I’m there waiting 30 – 45 minutes.

Above average service for a non-​luxury salon that still does acrylic. Really take the time to ensure my nails are done well, filing out the acrylic underneath the tip, and being gentle all the while. Also, less expensive than «comparable» salons, which gives the ability to leave a nice tip!

I definitely recommend this place! I’ve had my nails done here a couple of times including regular manicures, and the shellac mani pedi and have always had a good experience… You always walk out with your nails looking great… I have to say though that I’ve had to wait a couple of times even with appointments because they’re so small, and often get so busy. I’ve also seen them asking walk in customers to come back later because they were so busy so I would definitely recommend getting an appointment. But otherwise they do a great job on nails. I got French tips done with my last shellac and they looked great until I removed them about three weeks later… Definitely recommended!

I can’t speak for the other technicians who work there, but the (skinny, rude Vietnamese) guy gave me the worst pedicure I’ve ever had in my life. He was rough and ruthless with the cuticle clippers, which caused me to literally Unilocal several times. Each time I yelled «OW,» he smirked and mumbled an insincere «sorry».
Besides the cuticle butchering, he barely scrubbed or massaged my feet, and somehow managed to make my feet look worse than when he started. It’s been two days since my pedicure, and my toenails are already chipping, and there’s a constant sharp pain in one of my toes.
Not that I minded, but he didn’t speak to me the whole time I was in the chair. Not even to say hello. When he finally spoke it was to demand that I pay him.
I suppose this place is fine if you live in West Campus and have no other option. Luckily, I have a car and never have to come back to this place again.

I popped into this place on a whim and was very pleasantly surprised.
The staff was VERY friendly, the mani/​pedi didn’t break the bank ($ 37), and people have been asking me if I received gel all week (I didn’t) because of the great job they did.
They have a really great variety in polishes (Essie, OPI), and they don’t look like they’re about to expire either. Definitely a new go to when I’m looking for something quick and easy.

I came to relax and get a pedicure, but instead I got cut three times. Needless to say I will be taking my business elsewhere. Fingers crossed that I don’t get an infection.

Sufficient, but definitely a college campus-​level service. Every time I go in here (mostly because it is the closest option), I have to wait at least 20 minutes – even when I’ve had an appointment! It just irritates me that they only ever have 2 – 3 people working in a salon big enough to handle 10 customers at a time.
The service you get is fine, a few careless mistakes here and there, but gets the job done… especially when you can’t afford to drive 20 minutes to get to another quality salon.

They’re friendly and do a terrific job! I’ve only had gel manicures and my eyebrows done here, but I’m sure the pedicures are just as high-​quality.

I think this place does a really great job on services, but I’ve been waiting here for over 25 minutes past when they were supposed to «open» which is really unprofessional and inconvenient.

Clean salon and well priced. I opted for a mani, pedi and brow wax and all turned out fine. Being from out of state if I were back in town and in need of the services I would definitely stop back in.

The only thing that deterred me from this place was the price, however the service makes up for it. The nail techs are incredibly kind and they do such a great and thorough job. The place is very clean and I am impressed.

Friendly staff. A lady named Vivian is very talented and will be able to bring to life any crazy idea you may have for your nails. They make sure that you feel welcomed and leave with pretty nails. I also liked the fact that for the most part they spoke English and even when I heard them speak Vietnamese between each other I didn’t feel like I’m being talked about. A feeling that a lot of ladies visiting nail salons know all too well.
I’m knocking off one star because their appointments are made for «estimated» time. So you still may end up waiting. I also never paid more than $ 10 for a simple Lana Del Ray tip design made with regular polish. Here it’s $ 20. That I on too of fill, full set, manicure or whatever else you’re getting.

When I’m on vacation I never tell the nail techs. I can tell a difference in how well they do if they think someone’s going to be a return customer. But I was with a friend and did not tell her my usual strategy, so when she said we were on vacay my heart sank thinking it would be a usual quickie with cut corners! But Vivian gave me a better job than the ones I get at home! She was so thorough! I wish I had a teleporting machine so I could come back whenever!

I have a friend from Germany who was an exchange student in the States years ago. She was coming into town to vista and asked if we could go get pedicures, because evidently they’re hard to find or nonexistent in Germany. I thought that was weird, but was totally down for a pedicure, so I told her I’d take her.
We were looking to go around 6:00 PM on a Wednesday when I got off work, and her cousin was with her so I needed three appointments. I called around to a few places who said they could not accommodate us. I called this place, because it is in West Campus and I figured they would be a bit slower with most students already gone for the summer. Bingo. (Also, they are right next to Pluckers! Next time I’m in the mood for a me date, I will consider a pedicure and wings.)
When we arrived they were practically empty. There was one girl sitting at the drying table, but other than that we had the place to ourselves. We were immediately seated in the typical pedicure/​massage chairs and the nail techs got right to work. The place is quiet and appeared to be very clean.
The German girls were freaked out about having their cuticles clipped, so they asked for them to not do that. But I’m American, so I told them to cut away. The woman doing my nails was very detail-​oriented and made sure my nails were cut short the way I like them and all the dead skin and calluses were taken far, far away. The massage was definitely lacking. Not bad, but very short and not particularly great. I’ve had better.
In the end, $ 25 was all it cost for a decent pedicure. That’s quite a bit cheaper than what I saw online while searching for places to go. I would definitely come back, but with the trouble with parking in West Campus, and the average pedicure/​massage, I might continue to search for a better place.

I’ve been coming here lately since I moved closer to the area. I love their customer service. Tony is the guy I get my mani from everytime! He is really detailed oriented and I love that about him. I always leave with a smile on my face with the nails I got done.