Allure Nail Salon - Pedicure

Hello all! I just went to my favorite nail salon, Allure on 86th and Westfield, for a pedicure. I go here for pedicures at least once or twice a month since my best spa-buddy Natasha introduced me to it several months ago. Allure is priced about the same as other walk-in salons, but the environment and services are better. Allure is nicely decorated, and not junky and run-down looking which a lot of walk-in salons can be (I guess it helps that the salon is fairly new). One of their best features are seven really great pedicure massage chairs. They are honestly the best automated massage chairs I think I have ever sat in at a nail salon. If you have a bit of a wait when you get there, all the better, because then you get to sit in the chair and have a pretty good massage with your feet in warm water while you wait. The service at Allure is also above average. They have a hostess, which is nice because then the manicurists and pedicurists are not having to get up to answer the phones, get people set up, and take people's payments.

I went in today at about 11:30am, and waited in the massage chair for about 15 minutes. When my pedicurist got there, she gave me the regular pedicure. The tools of course were brought out in a sterilized package. I have found that most walk-in nail salons I go to have a similar level of quality to the main pedicure part. The real difference is in the leg and foot massage. Today I got the sea salt massage for $5 more. So I got two massages; one with lotion and sea salt, and one with lotion and oil. She then gave me the hot towel treatment, and did a little bit more foot massaging with the towel. At the end she rubbed a bit of gel into my legs, which keeps your legs from getting dry after the lotion is wiped off with the towels. Many salons don't do this, but I think it's a nice touch.

Next came the polish. Again, I find that most salons seem to have a similar selection of nail polish colors. Today I got OPI's color Russian to a Party, a brownish red. It must be the brand of bottom and top coats they use, but I have found that Allure's pedicures don't chip as fast. 

So what was the cost of my pedi? I got the regular pedicure for $26, plus the sea salt massage for $5, so the total was $31 plus tip. A great affordable spa treat.

Service Quality Rating: 4 stars out of 5
"Spa Experience" Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Price: $$ (unless you include the 15 minute pre-pedi chair massage, then it would be $)

Price Guide
$ = less than $1 per minute (very budget friendly!)
$$ = about $1 per minute (reasonable)
$$$ = more than $1 per minute (an occasional treat)
$$$$ = about $1.50 per minute (only if I get a gift certificate or great coupon)
$$$$$ = more than $1.50 per minute (I'll be surprised if I ever get to go to one of these)