Vicky’s Nail Boutique

Wow! What an adorable place. I have driven by this nail salon many times and one day I had time and popped in. The inside is so unexpected. It’s victorian décor and little touches everywhere made getting my nails done feel a little like I went to Disney! The owner must have a million pinterest boards because there were all of these pin worthy organizing hacks or special details screaming PINTEREST ADDICT. The mani/​pedi was well done and while drying my nails they gave me a little shoulder massage.

I’ve never had a nail salon I liked enough to establish a long term relationship with, but Vicky’s has been my go-​to place in DC since I moved here few years ago. Pretty and clean environment and the ladies here are SO nice and if you are nice and polite in return when you let them know what your preferences are, they will go out of their way to make your experience comfortable.
Vicky and her daughter strive to run a really organized boutique and evenings/​weekends can be super packed here with the Georgetown crowd. So I suggest making an appointment and showing up on time to get the full allotted time they reserved for you. Also, if you find a staff member you really like, make sure you get their name and what days they are there (each staff has different days off). I get groomed here every two weeks and am darn sure of my preferences for nail shape/​eyebrow shape/​etc by now. So it helps that I’m getting the same person each time for consistent service, and there’s no need for me to explain everything all over again.
Again, a GREAT place! :D

Great ladies, great pedicures.
Nice people who laugh and talk with all of the customers.
Three of us snagged appointments towards the end of the day, never rushed and felt welcomed.

I seriously loved this nail salon. The staff were friendly, the place was clean, and I was able to walk in without a reservation. The prices were also very reasonable. I got a pedicure, and loved the hot stone rub that didn’t cost anything additional (as most nail salons do), and I also got a gel manicure that was great, which also included a mini back massage (please and thank you!). If only parking were easier to access this location. Otherwise the service was great and it made for a great Valentine’s Day treat to myself.

New favorite nail salon. So many colors, great atmosphere, not expensive for the area.

Do not go to this place. Other nail shops in Georgetown are better. I am very into getting my nails done and I know what’s good and what’s fair. I do not recommend this place at all. 1. the technicians were rude to me and the other customers. One other customer ended up not tipping them at all. 2. Scratched my skin by the nail buffer and asked me :” do you want to kill me?”. I mean there’s obviously a language barrier, but that was just very strange and rude. Plus there was no sorry said. 3. I was getting opi funny bunny done which is somewhat a white color, so it was harder to apply evenly than say red colors. The technician didn’t know how to handle white color polish and she was trying to SAVE the nail polish by only using just a tiny bit of polish on the brush. The color looked terribly uneven and bad because there wasn’t enough polish painted on my nails. I had to ask for three coats because of that. I still can’t believe she was trying to save the polish. Overall, you’re better off spending that $ 70 something (regular pedi and gel mani) somewhere else. Don’t go there.

This is my go to spot. I recommend it to everyone I know. Best bang for your buck in the area. $ 25 for a gel manicure is unheard of. Everyone who works here is so pleasant and sweet. I love this place!

Vicky’s is the best nail salon I’ve experienced in DC. The atmosphere is very calming and inviting. The employees are nothing but kind. Great student discounts and specials. Excellent nail care — they don’t rush you out either. Excellent service. They take time on making sure the polish is on properly, your cuticles are dealt with, and massage you too. I would 100% recommend and will be going to Vickys as my new go — to nail place in DC/​Georgetown. Bring cash to tip on.

I came in for a gel manicure and regular pedicure for the first time and I absolutely loved it ! Their service was amazing and color selection was great. I did both with Sunny and she really paid attention to detail. She made sure to get the tips of my nails. And I loved the hot stone massage with my pedicure.

I really wanted to like this place, especially because I have been looking for a good place in Georgetown. I went with a friend and the first thing I noticed was how nice it was inside. Both the manicure and pedicure were fine, not the greatest, not the worst, but the lady was nice so I really started to like this place.
However, when my friend went to pay, she handed them $ 80 hoping for change to pay the tip. The change the woman gave her was as if she gave $ 60 and friend politely mentioned this. The woman said she was wrong and that she only gave her $ 60. This went back and forth for a bit and the woman wouldn’t relent and was getting louder and louder. Finally, she clearly was really angry and another woman came over and they started speaking in another language that we didn’t understand. They still wouldn’t relent, so my friend said that she wouldn’t be paying a tip then. The woman said that they would check their books that night and call her the next day regardless if they were $ 20 up or even. However, it wasn’t until my friend asked «are you going to take down my name and number?» did they actually do this. Unfortunately, they never called to follow up with her. We both said we’d probably return even after that debacle, but when they didn’t even bother calling we both said no.
Also, my pedicure two days later was already chipped which was really frustrating considering I’ve never had that happen so quickly. Additionally, I got a gel manicure that’s supposed to last and not chip, and it started chipping within a week! Most places I’ve gone to I’ve never had it chip or it’s not under after at least 2 or 3 weeks.
Really disappointed in this place. I really wanted to like it and kept saying despite a couple of bad things I would come back, but they kept racking up and I don’t think I’ll return.

I’m certain I have found my new go-​to nail salon! Nori was fantastic and I’ll be asking for her again when I go back. She did an amazing job cleaning my cuticles AND ensuring that my gel polish covered all edges of my nail, which some places don’t pay attention to. She was careful and meticulous, paid a great deal of attention to taking care of my hands/​nails. OH and the massage was a great little bonus! Can’t beat the prices, especially when you pay with cash. Definitely a happy customer and I plan to come back for all my mani and pedi needs! Thanks for a great experience!

I really liked this place, the first time I came. The second time was a fail, but the technician really made up for bad management. Third time, today, was even worse. This business does NOT deserve this rating. The staff is rude, pushes you around like you’re a unit being processed, and doesn’t care one bit about the overall quality of the customer experience.
More details–
After my first time, I thought I had found a gem.
My second time, I made an appointment for a mani pedi to be done at the same time because I had a flight to catch at night and appointments back to back after work. I was very well received but was surprised to see technicians non occupied and not taking care of both of my booked services. They prioritized taking walk-​ins rather than providing me with the service I had asked for.
My third time, today, I came with my cousin who was visiting from NYC. They put her in a big chair since she was getting a pedi (normal), and put me on the opposite side of the salon– refusing to place me at a mani table next to her– a table that was free during our entire visit. After my gel mani, I sat next to my cousin, who also had been moved out of her chair for the mani part of her service. After 2minutes comfortably chatting with my cousin, they moved me to sit a new customer when there were 4other free tables that would not have required me to move.
ALSO– in 2016, cash vs. card discounts & cash tips are ridiculous & kind of shady.
This is a fake-​good salon. They should seriously reconsider their view of a what a strong customer experience would be & drop their fake smiles & 2sec shoulder massages

Vicky’s Nail Boutique is just what you would expect of a nail salon in the Georgetown area. $ 17 for a regular manicure. Pretty solid service. Reservation definitely a good idea. Short 2 – 3 minute massage after. Overall okay, but probably not worth the price.

1. Good nails — It’s sad that some people had some bad experiences but all places will have up and down experiences. My nails look great right now and my tech gave me a few tips that would help sustain nail health. And no, they were «get a manicure here every two weeks» but advice on how to maintain my cuticles.
2. Good service — there must of been something wrong with one of my polish layers during my gel manicure since the tech took off the layer and did it over again. I’ve only had that happen once at another salon and I’m thoroughly impressed whenever that happens.
3. Massage bonus — They throw in a small back massage with your mani. Nothing that lasts forever but it’s a bonus add on, not a massage session
4. Unless you’re a color aficionado, the colors here will suffice. It’s a smaller salon with about two wall racks of color. I always go for «basic» colors such as a midnight blue, black, nudes, grays, so I never (regardless of location) have an issue with finding colors of choice.
5. I’ve walked in once and gone once without an appointment. Both times I was serviced rather quickly but once time, I did have to wait a couple minutes. I never get annoyed unless I wait for more than 10 minutes because I certainly know that if I was the exiting customer, I wouldn’t want to be ripped off when I would be done in 3 — 5 minutes. It usually takes me that long to pick out a color (and I don’t like being rushed for this at all) and use the restroom prior to start so I don’t mind a couple minutes wait at the nail salon.
6. Great deals for bundles and students. Gel manis are $ 25. They do charge to take off your polish which squares out the total to 30 $ but that’s standard pricing. If you don’t have polish on your nails then you’re in luck for a cheap gel.

I went to this nail salon yesterday, as it was opposite to the phở place. Since we got a good parking spot we decided to spend more time around the area .
When we walked in. It was slow maybe it’s because of Monday. The lady who did my nail was very pretty and nice. She paint my nail with perfection. We had few exchanges of Korean words. I had to pay 3 dollar extra for kind of polish that I chose which was suppose to last longer, it’s coming off today and it has not been even 24 hours. I am not happy with this. It was not worth spending 25 +3+ tips. I means tip was worth it as she did really good service. My friend loved this place I did too until I notice the paints are coming of .
Anyway enjoy the moment in there

I started going to Vicky’s 8 years ago and never had a bad experience until they expanded into the larger space. The first time I went back after the move, I waited for 40 minutes despite having an appointment, and they were so rushed that my nails chipped within minutes of leaving.
Today, the salon was completely empty, yet I still had a very disappointing manicure. As usual, the manicurist asked if I wanted my nails clipped or filed, and I said please just file them, round shape. She argued and said no she should clip them to make them more even and — boom — my thumb nail was clipped to a squared-​off stub before I knew what happened. My thumb nails have always been a bit longer than my other nails and are now so short that they hurt. Even after I said wait, that’s not what I wanted, she still insisted and kept clipping away. I’ve never experienced anything quite like that. When I complained afterwards, she STILL said no, clipping the nails was better. Why ask the question if you’re going to ignore my response? On top of that, the manicure wasn’t well done.
Vicky was unfortunately not in the salon or I would have complained to her directly. It’s unfortunate that this once intimate and reliable nail salon is now completely hit or miss.

I used to go to Venus in Foggy Bottom, but Vicky’s nail salon is a lot better fit for me because it’s closer to my campus, and the ladies are much more accommodating. They never make me feel bad for asking for more and they make sure my nails are perfect before I leave the salon. It also helps that they love complimenting me haha. The interior is so beautiful it really makes the whole experience that much better. I’m not the type that likes to get a pedicure and go, I really enjoy sitting there and just relaxing, and the inside kind of makes me feel like I’m a princess. They consistently do a great job as well! I’ve been there a couple times and always had a different lady but was always satisfied with their work after. It’s good enough that I don’t think I’ll look for another nail salon for the rest of my stay in DC.
PS. Bring cash for tip and use your student discount!

Overall I will say my nails look good, however we were rushed right from the beginning despite having an appointment we were early for. The girl I was there with got her foot cut and needed a bandaid she had to ask for repeatedly. Not the best nail experience ever. The place was very pretty and there was an extension color selection.

I came in as a walk-​in, and had no problem being seated immediately. However, I was so rushed! I’ve definitely had better pedicures; they went through the motions (pumicing my feet, lotion, etc.) but weren’t very thorough. My polish chipped pretty quickly too.
I also had a gel manicure. I haven’t had any issues with it chipping like other reviews said, but they were rude when they realized I already had gel on my nails (they said I should have mentioned that earlier – no one asked!) I just wasn’t impressed overall with my experience.
They do give you a brief back massage when you get a manicure (score!), and they offer student discounts. I believe tip is cash only.

I’ve been here twice, mainly just to pass time when I get in Georgetown early (some shops opened at noon, and I was here around 11). I got my very first gel manicure here, and Esther was the person that did it. She knew it was my first gel manicure, which made me look kind of silly. I chose a gray-​ish Nail color, and I didn’t know it had some sparkles. Anyways, that wasn’t an issue. Esther was mostly careful with my hands. She instructed me when to put my hands in that light thingy and whatnot. It was a pleasant experience. The downside is that one of my thumb nail polish ripped off the same day. Maybe there was too much or it didn’t dry enough. I’m not sure, but I don’t think it should have done that? The service was good though.
I went here again a couple months later to pass time, and Unilocal mentions that this place doesn’t need appointments. I was able to get in to get another gel manicure. This time I got a dark gray color (no sparkles). Another lady did my nails this time, and she spent more time filing my names than the first time. Maybe mine ripped off because my nails weren’t smooth enough last time?
Though she took great care in making my nails all neat looking, one part stated to bleed. She apologized and continued.
Most of my nails looked great, except for that one. The girl next to me got a warm towel and a little massage, but I guess they were in a little rush, so I got some lotion on my hands after the polish, but my hands were super oily after it. I washed my hands after.
As I was leaving, they told me to make an appointment next time cause walk ins aren’t recommended. Well, okay… Thanks for taking me anyways? Most likely I will not be back because both times I was here, I was in the dc area for work and was placed in a hotel room.
A bunch of people were getting spa pedicures, and they seemed way happier. Based on other reviews, I would say come here for the pedicures! They were saying how comfy the chairs were and how good everything felt. Maybe I would have tried one if I wasn’t wearing my boots.
Also, it was a little uncomfortable when they were speaking in Korean with each other and pointing and laughing.
Overall, they were nice (ish) and the place looked super cute.