Fancy Nails

Pedicure 3 stars, eyebrow wax 5 stars… so, a 4 star medium.
Pedicure…mediocre at best. The polish/​nail work is fine, but there was little to no foot or calf massage. That is the only reason I come to pay someone to to this for me. I can stay at home and paint my toenails over the coffee table if I just cared about the polish.
The eyebrow wax though… amazing. Precise and accurate as well as gentle.
I will be back for sure for the brow work for sure.

Great service and friendly staff. Easily the best place to go to in Madison for nails! Good variety of gel polishes and brand new space in Midvale was a great change of scenery to a beautiful, new, clean building!

I’ve only had one bad experience here, the rest of the time has been perfect. I’ve had 2 manicures and several pedicures. When I leave there my nails look like perfect little jewels.

Love coming here on off times as a walk in. They are always friendly and efficient. I usually just go with a fairly simple pedicure though. I’m pretty easy to please in that way, but I think they do a nice job and it’s pretty reasonably priced.

Tried the shellac and it’s perfect. I’ve also noticed that the staff takes the time to make conversation and knows their repeat customers — it’s much warmer and friendlier than your typical nail salon. And as before, it’s very clean.

This was my second time here. First was a shellac manicure and second was a pedicure. Both times I was very satisfied. They are quick but very thorough. Even when there were a lot of people who came in, they still gave us their full time and attention. I definitely recommend this place for all nail services!

My pedicure go-​to in Madison. I like coming here because it’s close, it’s cheap, and they do a good job. I am usually in and out within 35 – 45 minutes. The service is good and the color selection is vast (especially pinks and reds!). I always leave with toes that look amazing and color that lasts at least 3 – 4 weeks without major chips.
The only downside is that it’s in a mall and people look in as they go by, which can be kind of awkward. Not a big enough deal for me not to keep coming back or recommending this place to others.

My boyfriend and I came here yesterday, him for a mani pedi (his first!) and me for a shellac manicure (my first!). We walked in and were told to come back in 30 min, but it was about 45 — 50 til we got seated, though it was a Saturday so that’s to be expected.
First, I’ll say my boyfriend was happy with his experience. He had a crack in one of his toenails (soccer player problems) and they glued it for him. However, I was disappointed they charged him $ 45 for the mani pedi when they didn’t even polish his nails! That’s half of the cost/​time of a manicure.
Now for my gels… Blegh. The technician was very nice and efficient, but I was not happy with my nails once I saw them in daylight. He didn’t wrap the tips, which is my biggest manicure pet peeve, and some of my nails were filed unevenly and the polish was uneven at my cuticles and sides of my nails. I’m frustrated because since they are shellac I can’t really fix them myself.
I will probably be back because the reviews here are good and the location is convenient, but I will ask for a different nail tech.

Fancy Nails is probably the worst place I have ever been to get my nails done. The first time I went I just got a basic manicure and they did an ok job. The place is fairly clean and I left mostly satisfied. The second time I went in I got a shellac manicure and it has horrendous. I have honestly never paid to have my nails done and have the result end up so sloppy. The manicurist was not paying attention and messed up and had to take all the polish off and start over again twice! When she finally finished the result was a bubbled smudgy mess. I would honestly never set foot in this nail salon again especially for the prices they charge.

The staff is friendly. They always try to work a walk-​in customer if possible. The location is great because you can get your nails done and then see a movie or shop.
The staff does a good job.

Fast. However polish job is really bad. Clean-​ish. I don’t think it’s unsanitary.

We go to Fancy Nails about every 6 weeks. The Shellac manicures (~$ 35) are a good price for the area and the selection of colors is crazy. They have more colors than any other place I’ve been.
The pedicures (~$ 35) are really good for the price too and the staff are all really friendly. They are attentive and do a good job with the cuticles. They will even wrap your toes if they aren’t wuite dry so you can put on your shoes if you didn’t bring sandals.
Fancy Nails is also willing to fix pedis/​manis that chip shortly after, which I will say doesn’t normally happen, but every once in a while. They also don’t make a stink when i make a reservation and show up a bit late because of traffic or weather.
They sell gift certificates and are open earlier, at 9, during the holidays.
I think I’m giving this place a 4 becuase I don’t love the chairs they have for the pedis and they have one woman who was very rude to a friend of mine. They fixed that right up though.

If you want a good pedicure or shellac manicure, ask for Danny. He actually cleans his tools and does a good job with your nails. I have gone there three times now and the second time I didn’t have him… My nails did not look good at all and the man doing my nails used dirty clippers (ew).
All three times I have gone here I have done walk-​ins and haven’t had a problem!

I’ve gotten two pedicures here — both really nice. They also fit 5 of myself and a wedding party in on pretty short notice.

I’ve heard good things about Fancy Nails, both about the shellac service (at $ 35 — SO worth it) and the atmosphere. I went for my first time tonight, and I was very pleased.
My number one qualification for a nail salon is that it must be CLEAN, and Fancy Nails is extremely sanitary.
And the friendly but brusque technician was right — I’m never going back to a regular manicure after shellac. Two to three weeks with no chips or smudges is amazing. And I’m a chronic smudger, especially immediately post-​manicure.
I also loved the speed and efficiency of Fancy Nails. I become pretty antsy waiting for my nails to dry, in general (thus, the smudging), and I was out of there in 45 minutes. While the occasional hand massage is wonderful, Fancy Nails is perfect for your maintenance manicures. No frills = a quick indulgence you can fit it into your busy schedule. Haven’t tried the pedicures yet, but I will soon.

Beautiful Nails…
I drive across town to Hilldale to get my nails done by Maggie at Fancy Nails. She always does her best to get me in at my convenience. The salon is always clean and my nails stay looking good for at least 2 weeks. The fact that the whole family works there is a plus for me too.

The variable reviews here (from 5 stars down to zero) are testament to the cultural differences between ourselves in terms of what we expect for our money and the mores of people who hail from other places (and who view the relationship between businesses and customers differently from ourselves). If you go when things are slow at Fancy Nails, you will probably be quite satisfied with the services you receive both in terms of quality and price. Go when they are busy, and you will butt heads with another culture’s norms. They have many seats/​stations so they use them all, sometimes as waiting areas. If you will wait, they will try, or perhaps encourage you to come back another time. Yes, I know most American businesses don’t tell you to «come back later,» but how about you just deal with it this once? Also, expect the staff to converse amongst themselves, but they are not YELLING at each other. Volume, again, is culturally relative in terms of what it means or doesn’t mean in terms of who is angry. I saw a tech there wearing headphones once as her customer yakked on her cell. Whatever.
As for the grunts as commentary — dude. Not everyone in America speaks English and while we do expect people to do so, we can’t hold very new immigrants to the same standard as ourselves in terms of comprehension. The guy probably spoke little to no English but was attempting as best he could to be personable.
In any event, I’ve been in for a manicure and a pedicure here on separate occasions. Both were good to very good. My sister got her nails frenched and they looked beautiful — the guy really paid attention to doing the correct crescent shapes. Then again, we also came when the place was dead. Avoid the weekends and Friday afternoons, choosing instead to come over an early lunch on another weekday. Work with people a little and you will leave feeling pampered and happy as the techs work for their tips by throwing in a little extra massage or attention — and let’s face it, this place is EXTRA CRAZY CHEAP. They even do shellac for like $ 35. Other places in town charge $ 50 or more.
Go on a slow day or time, and you will be happy.

Fancy Nails has quickly moved to the top of my Madison manicure list. They offer shellac (a.k.a. gel or acrylic) manicures, which have lasted 2 – 3 weeks without chipping or peeling — and I’m extremely hard on my nails/​hands in general.
The shellac manicures are approximately $ 10 more expensive than a typical manicure, but completely worth it for the amount of time and quality of the manicure.
Fancy Nails takes walk-​ins as well as appointments, and while I typically call ahead, I’ve also walked in and never waited more than 20 minutes to be seated. The manicures and pedicures I’ve had have been thorough and relaxing, regardless of which technician I’m seeing.
There are other locations in Madison that will pamper you during your manicure, so if you’re looking for a salon whose staff will cater to you, Fancy Nails is probably not the place for you. However, my experience with the manicure itself and the results has hands down been best with Fancy Nails. So if you’re looking for a high-​quality manicure or pedicure, along with speedy and cost-​effective service, Fancy Nails is your place.

Encouraged by Unilocal reviews, I visited Fancy Nails this morning and was seated for a walk-​in appointment immediately. I needed to get these pesky acrylic/​gel nails removed and was too chicken to try it on my own. Although I had to soak my fingers in acetone for an hour (yuk!), the nail technicians were friendly and efficient and returned my nails to their natural state. While waiting for the fake to melt off, I napped in my comfy chair, eavesdropped on their gossip, and witnessed the cleaning of many pedicure tubs and other surfaces. Clean = good!
Fancy Nails may have just turned me into a non-​nail biter. Thanks!

I’ve been getting manicures and pedicures for years and started at Salon 2000, which then became Aniu Spa Salon. I’ve gone to the Aveda spa and other such places, but NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE, does as good of a job as the people at Fancy Nails. They are located inside of Hilldale Mall and consistently do a wonderful job.
These men and women have never turned me away, even if I walk in relatively late at night. They are so accommodating and polite and know when to engage you in conversation and when to just turn on the massage chair and let you chill.
I go every two weeks for a manicure pedicure and it generally takes about an hour. (Short in the summer when you don’t have to dry for as long.) They are so precise and clean and I am NEVER disappointed by their work. They have an amazing selection of colors to choose from and let you bring your own if they don’t have what you want.
Their salon is organized, clean and comfortable and I never feel awkward. My manicures generally last a week and a half and the pedicures last up to a month. I won’t go anywhere else unless I absolutely have to.
Oh, and did I mention it only costs $ 45 for a manicure and pedicure? It used to cost me $ 60-​$ 75 just for a pedicure at Aniu. Trust me, you want to give Fancy Nails a try.