Peponi Nail & Skin Care Lounge

I’ve been here a few times, both in the cute little house and in their new, slightly less romantic location across the street. (they were just moving in though so I’m sure they’ll work some of the charm back in!) i’ve gone for both mani’s and pedi’s, with mixed results — some of the girls are definitely better than others. (if i was better with names, i’d give some shout outs.) my biggest beef though, and it sounds odd, is that the chairs are a little too low to be comfortable if you’re a tall girl with long legs. a pedicure is a lot less relaxing when your legs are at an odd, uncomfortable angle. and isn’t relaxation the whole point? i too am headed back to main attraction.

I have to agree that this is really cute but there pedicures are terrible. There were 3 of us. My person never showed up so we had to share. The pedicures were mediocre — they barely did anything but soak our feet and polish them. We had the peponi and the rejuvenator — nothing to write home about and definitely not worth it!

In a city with a nail shop on every corner, it’s refreshing to know that I can escape to Peponi when I need to be pampered. When I lived in the South Bay, my favorite spot for massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures was The Body Therapy Center. But since I’ve moved back to the L.A. area, Peponi is my spot.
I love the fact that Peponi uses foot bowls instead of those huge chair tubs that are usually unsanitary since they’re harder to clean. I also love the fact that this salon is in a house because there’s no better place to relax than a comfortable house. The Hawaiian/​tropical theme is also a unique touch. At Peponi, I’ve never had to wait for service, and I’ve never felt rushed.
I’ve definitely recommended Peponi to all of my girlfriends!

I brought my 3 best girlfriends to Peponi for my 30^th birthday party prep. They’d flown in from all over the place and I wanted to treat them for being so special to me and traveling so far just for my party.
The folks at Peponi were incredibly gracious and set us up in a private room and served us snacks and wine (in addition to the cocktails we brought along, because that’s how we roll). I have never seen such a beautiful setup. We were lounging in beautiful comfy chairs, not your standard $ 20 spa fare, but furniture that makes you feel like you’re hanging out in someone’s amazing beach pad. The craftsman house is gorgeous; I covet every inch of it. In the intimate setting, we had the perfect opportunity to catch up and goof off, all while relaxing and getting our nails done and our limbs rubbed down. All of the manicurists were really fun and we had the most perfect time. THANK YOU, PEPONI!
I returned several months later to treat my next door neighbor for looking after my pooch after I’d been out of town. Again with the heavenly manicures and pedicures. No one does it like Peponi…
Update: Peponi moved to the other side of the street, was open a few months, and the space is now up for lease.

A friend and I converged on the craftsman-​house-​turned-​salon in Venice, situated off the ever busy Lincoln Boulevard. Since the happy hour is only on Thursdays from 5 to 8pm, we made our appointments for 6:30. Surprisingly the salon was pretty quiet with only two beauticians on duty.
The receptionist asked us to take a seat after we checked in but not before fixing us up a couple of raspberry cocktails made of vodka, cointreau and cranberry/​raspberry juice with three fresh raspberries floating on its candy red surface. They were so delicious for a «free» cocktail in a beauty salon. Not too sweet but dangerously potent.
Apparently the cocktail flavors vary week to week, and there’s a two-​drink maximum. A shrewd limit considering any more would make you too tipsy to mind your wet polish.
Finally they were ready to take us but asked us to choose our colors first from the collection of Essie and OPI nail polishes on display. I went with Essie’s Rock the Croc, a lovely shade of red but also described as «an exotic mahogany.» It sorta matched my cocktail and complemented my skin tone. My friend went for a sparkly silver, forgoing the black nail polish she had in her purse.
The manicurists then sat us down in a lovely room where we could chat side by side. And what didn’t we chat about, that is, me, my friend and the manicurists. These girls were lovely and hilarious. I had to make sure I didn’t move around too much from the laughing when my girl painted the lacquer on my nails.
After our second cocktail we were all having a grand ol’ time. The only problem I had with my manicure, actually two, was that my manicurist didn’t ask me if I wanted to have my nails cut or filed down so my nails were different lengths. And my two coats of polish weren’t enough to give my nail color a uniform look, rather, they looked spotty. My manicurist said that OPI and Essie differ like acrylic paint and watercolor, with the former providing thicker coverage than the latter.
In any case it made me want to return to Main Attraction where I usually go for my $ 20 mani/​spa pedi and where they usually ask if I want my nails filed or trimmed. Sure, I won’t get a drink but at least I’d have the extra dough to buy myself a cocktail elsewhere and lovely nails to show for it.
If anything Peponi’s happy hour was more for a fun, alternative way to spend a girls’ day out. OR you could be more proactive than I was in my happy happy state and ask them to file or cut and make sure to opt for OPI instead of Essie.
If you miss happy hour Thursdays, know that the salon also serves wine and champagne every day of the week.

I do enjoy getting my piggly wigglies in tip top shape. In my hood and environs, there are many places catering to nails. And most are a cheap thrill. You can usually get a mani/​pedi for $ 20.
So when I elect to spend $ 75 for a pedicure, I expect something that will greatly, enormously, tremendously exceed what I can get for $ 20.
Now, Peponi is in a house, rather than a shop, so points for ambiance. But after that, there was nothing special going on here. Didn’t even get a foot/​leg massage which is a normal component of every pedicure I’ve ever had.