Smiley Nail Salon

Good job on manicure, not so good on pedicure. Pedicure done first; w/​time it took for manicure, & full drying cycle on mani, pedicure still smudged.
No frills quick in/​out, felt shady, signs requesting cash tips/​outright verbally requesting cash payment for services. On top of asking for cash, they had the nerve to add tax, like they would really declare on their taxes. Annoying repetitive up charges/​selling of quick dry. Nail place serves a need for people who looking for best deal, $ 27 mani/​pedi. Not for me.

I did my homework first by checking all the reviews on Unilocal and I was pleased with the service. The young woman did a wonderful job and took her time. That is something I really appreciate. I hate paying for a rush job. I am so happy with my nails and will be coming here more often.

After obsessively searching on Unilocal for a decent pedicure spot, I came across this place — and I’m happy I did!
I came on a Friday afternoon around 4pm without an appointment, and it was pretty busy, so I had to wait about 15 minutes. I just came for a standard pedicure which was 19.50 — not bad at all! The girl who did my nails was so sweet! The pedicure I got was actually a quality one because I didn’t feel rushed at all and she took her time with the filing and scrubbing, all of which is so hard to come by because so many places rush you. So I definitely appreciated this!
The owner of the place was also very nice and made conversation with me while my nails were drying — a very nice refresher from typical spots! It’s definitely not a fancy nail salon by any means, so don’t expect anything more than what you came here for. All in all, it’s a solid nail salon!

On a Tuesday evening my friend and I decided to try this nail salon in Murray Hill after reading the reviews on Unilocal.We arrived at around 7pm, and waited around 20 minutes (which we expect) before being taken to the pedicure chairs together.
We decided to get regular pedicures and gel (Shellac) manicures. The staff were really friendly, and did a thorough and professional job. We were really please with the service, colour selection and end results, and more than happy to pay the $ 49 dollars each (and give the full 20% tip on top– the girls definitely deserved it!).
Even if you have more than one lady working on your nails, which seems to happen regularly here, the owner splits the tip between them– you don’t have to tip each lady individually. I think it’s better to pay in cash than by card, although you can do (but you must tip in cash).
The owner (who did my manicure) was chatty and really friendly, and took her time making my nails absolutely perfect even though she was clearly very busy managing the salon, and we didn’t leave until closing time– but they didn’t try to rush us out, offered us a selection of nail art designs for free and made properly sure our pedicures had dried before we left.
It’s a no frills salon, but its clean, the colour selection is fab and the end result is great for the price. Best salon in Manhattan! Definitely worth a try.

Smiley is a great, clean salon with the best prices in the neighborhood. Came in for a gel manicure. Service was fast and they were patient when I changed my mins about colors. Will definitely be coming back :)

Very satisfied customer. Was seen right away, didn’t get my ladys name but she was gentle, courteous and friendly. Great mani and pedi and the price is unbeatable $ 28 with quick dry to coat.

This was my first time at this nail salon and everyone was so nice! Place was clean and service was not too fast and not too slow! Fairly priced as well. Highly recommend it!

Great service! Best Prices around!
I showed up at around 8:30pm on a Tuesday night and the owner was super accomodating by fitting me in before closing time which is 9. She didn’t rush me out of there and took extra time making sure my gel manicure was perfect. It was my first time at this nail salon and I can’t wait to go back. The owner went above and beyond making me feel comfortable and relaxed. She even gave me a $ 2 coupon for my next visit. Its not super fancy, just your average nail salon, but the prices and the employees make me want to come back again.
I definitely recommend this spot if you are looking for the best deal in the area.

Although the prices are unbeatable. there’s a reason for that. The no-​frills nail salon was not an issue for me, but I do not like being upsold when I have declined several times. My manicure didn’t even last a week :(

I came here just yesterday and my experience was great. I haven’t had my nails done in more than seven years and they were so patient with my squirming during the pedicure. They do try to upsell and there is a bit of a language barrier but all of the ladies were very sweet.
I thought my nails looked great and I was very happy with the results. Just make sure if you’re asking for a more complicated design you bring in a picture. All in all this place is an absolute gem and I’ll definitely be coming back in the future.

AVOID this place! My mother and I just went in for a pedicure and upon sitting down we noticed none of their utensils were in sealed bags and the person handily my mother wore no gloves. As we sat down and noticed these things, 3 incredibly large COCKROACHES appeared. We immediately told the ladies to stop and promptly left. Lucky for us we stopped them from using any of the utensils on our feet, we literally just had our feet soaked in water. I would never recommend this place and I don’t quite understand how this place got so highly rated on Unilocal.They were not even apologetic, on the contrary they tried to tell us it was ok and clean and that the insects came from upstairs. I am very disappointed, I researched nail salons quite extensively to avoid this situation but we ended up walking out as a result of the terrible conditions.

This nail salon is a no-​nonsense, no-​frills-​involved salon, so don’t expect any special treatment or pampering. There is a reason they are so cheap, and they work hard to turn over their clients quickly.
Walk-​ins are welcome. My friend and I arrived around 6PM on a Friday night, and the wait was around 25 – 30 minutes. We expected worse, and we took so long deciding on colors anyway, we didn’t really mind the wait.
Gel manicures are $ 27 with a nice little shoulder and hand massage at the end. The gel colors they offer aren’t as diverse as I would have liked — there were way too many shades of the same color, but since I really wanted something long lasting, I opted for a gel vs regular manicure.
They are clean, but not as hygienic as I would like from a nail salon. I took an empty seat as soon as the previous client left, and the technician didn’t even bother to replace the paper towel she’d placed on the table. She merely shook it off, and got on with my nails. Kinda gross. :\ But at least it seems like they autoclave their cuticle cutters and other tools?
Even though the pricing is awesome for the city, I was not/​am not particularly impressed by the manicure. It may be the UV machines or the polish or just the technique, but my nails were chipping at the tips just two days after the manicure (which has NEVER happened to me at any other salon) and I’m noticing a lot of bubbling throughout the polish. The technician also over-​filed my (already cut) nails — which really hurt! One of my nails was chipped badly enough that I returned to have them fix it, which they gladly did free of charge. Still, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
If you come here, it’s probably helpful if you are Chinese or Korean, or if you can speak/​understand Mandarin. They seem to be much more accommodating and definitely more hospitable to us/​me than they were to the European tourists who were in the salon at the same time as I was. One lady straight up refused to take some girl’s AmEx, even though it said explicitly on the wall that they did in fact take AmEx for an additional $ 1 charge.
I appreciated that the owner? gave us a card with $ 2 off our next manicure because of our long wait. I’m not sure if/​when I will be back, but that was a nice little bonus.

This is definitely a diamond in the rough. The exterior is nothing to write home home but the interior is warm and friendly. I had Cin for the organic spa pedi ($ 38.99) and shellac mani. She was very meticulous and took a great deal of care during my two hours of services.
I’m new to the neighborhood and happy to have found my new nail salon!
Note that if you use Amex you’ll be charged $ 1 and cash tips only.

I made a reservation for gel manicure the day before for 6:30pm; when I arrived, all the technicians were busy and there was a bit of a wait — granted, it was veteran’s day (I hadn’t realized since I don’t get that day off), so it was especially busy.
The owner (i’m assuming here haha) was super apologetic and when seats opened, she seated me and my friend together. There was more of a wait, but I guess we weren’t in a hurry anyways :) After I told the technician what I wanted with the nail polish I picked (simple design, but a design nonetheless), she started prepping my nails for the gel manicure. When it got to the last steps, she kindly asked the owner to do it for me instead so that the designs would be painted on perfectly.
She noticed that I already had 2 layers of the base color of an essie nailpolish, and she began to tell me how essie gel polishes probably aren’t the best/​most even, and that if we put another layer of a design on it, it’d be too thick. She again apologized for her technician not suggesting a different shela gel, but I was OK with just going plain color this time around! She added a third layer and we were good to go. She even offered to paint me a cute thin black design on top since we couldn’t do what I originally wanted. They give you a mini hand and back massage at the end too!
Overall, great place to go for an affordable manicure ($ 27.50, they even guarantee 2 weeks on the gel manicure), i’ll be sure to come back :)!

Do not judge this place by its outside appearance. It really is a hidden gem!
The salon is on the smaller side with about 4 – 6 pedicure stations and 6 – 8 manicure stations but I never felt it was overcrowded even as it started to get busier. They certainly staff it well enough to keep everything running smoothly as well. I went here a little over a week ago on a Sunday afternoon. I had called ahead to make sure there wouldn’t be a wait. I got a gel manicure and regular pedicure. All in all, it took about one hour and fifteen minutes, which I found to be quicker than a few other places I have gone before. While I had been getting my pedicure, another employee came over to start the process of taking off my previous gel manicure.
I went back today because I had an issue with two of my nails. I explained to Lily, the owner, how I was recently here and showed proof of receipt. She was very apologetic and sat me down right away to fix my two nails. She even put an extra top coat on my other nails and filed them a bit to help them last longer.
All of the staff is so kind and seems to really care about their customers. I go here for the extra care even though it is completely out of the way for me.

Ummm $ 9 for a manicure? Yes please. Cute and clean shop. Everyone was very friendly and the work was top-​notch. I’ll be back.

I love the service and precision at Smiley! The owner is the sweetest lady and the staff is kind to their clients. They have been consistent each time I go, no matter who I have and each technician is meticulous in ensuring you have a pristine manicure. Would absolutely recommend and the prices are very reasonable!

Came here for a gel manicure and regular pedicure. My nails came out fine, but the place is nothing special, and not that clean.
The 2 star review is because without asking, they started a timer for a 10 min foot massage without asking, then charged me $ 13 for it.
When I was shocked at the $ 65 before tip bill, I explained to the owner I was never asked or told about this unwanted service that other salons usually include in their pedicures. This was also my first time there, so how would I know if they didn’t tell me? She still made me pay for it.
Just as this was happening I overhead another customer being overcharged for her regular manicure and 10 min massage ($ 40), the price of which she also was never told about.
I understand that places charge for these services, but this place tricks you into getting services you don’t want by making you think they are included. Instead of taking it off the bill to make $ 13, she lost a valuable customer, as I will not be back.
They also charge extra for «fast» drying top coat, but my toes were not dry after 40 minutes and are now smudged.

«If people don’t like my work, it’s like killing me,» said my Smiley manicurist as she meticulously worked on my gel manicure. It came out FLAWLESSLY. I’ve never seen anyone slay a gel manicure in the way that she did. And I’ve only gotten my nails done a million times at a million different places.
This is the most amazing inexpensive nail salon I’ve ever been to. The ladies here are absolutely wonderful. They’re super friendly and actually care about their work and your satisfaction.
I got a gel manicure and the day spa pedi which included a clay mask, callous removal, and a 10 min reflexology massage. It was a fantastic experience!
I will keep going back without a doubt. I’ve finally found a non-​Brooklyn based nail salon that I love :)
Note: Per the usual, cash saves you tax so take cash if you can. Either way, try to tip in cash (they even have signs up to remind you).

This is my go-​to spot in Murray Hill for a mani-​pedi and I have never been disappointed. The staff is wonderful, especially the owner, and they are absolutely perfectionists, and have a wide range of colors to choose from. The price for a regular mani-​pedi is $ 25.50 so similar value relative to others in the area. I don’t plan on going anywhere else to get my nails done any time soon.
I have also never made an appointment and the longest I had to wait was 10 minutes. Like many other salons, they accept card but you must tip in cash.