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| - I am really surprised that Salon Surreal has received such positive reviews. I mean, *really* surprised. I went (on these Yelp recommendations) and immediately wanted to call Tabitha for a salon takeover.
I went in for a manicure/pedicure and was able to get in the same day. Parking was a bit of a struggle on a weekday afternoon but not too bad. When I walked in I was greeted by a full wall of products. That's all you see. Just this huge wall of products.
I think Huey Lewis and the News was on the sound system, too.
I went to check in and there were lots of young girls--none of them with fabulous haircuts--standing around the front desk. They checked me in and I waited for my nail tech, who showed up and gave me the weakest handshake ever. I almost laughed and could barely hear her. She was perfectly nice and polite, but it was just awkward.
She took me back and gave me a class of water, which was nice, and then started on my hands. I didn't have much to say to her (and couldn't hear her over the N'Sync song on the stereo) so I just looked around as she clipped my cuticles. The place is a cluttered mess. I couldn't believe it. There's just stuff everywhere. Photos, pieces of paper, knick-knacks, stacks of towels, old chairs and nail accessories. Clutter clutter clutter. And on top of the clutter was lots of dust. It was gross.
The decor is this weird early 90s red/black/contemporary thing going on. Oh and did I mention the music? Yeah. I admit that bad music stresses me out--I'm just that kind of person--but this was so bad that if I heard it at a bar or a coffee shop I'd turn around and walk out. And it wasn't even "dentist's office" bad. It was worse than what you'd hear at Applebee's.
My pedicure was better because I could just sit there and let her do her thing and bury my head in a magazine. There were a lot of staff standing around still, too. One had a laptop open.
I suppose the most non-relaxing thing I experienced was the smells. This salon uses Creative nails and the lotions and accessories all reek of fake fruits and flowers. It was nauseating.
When I left I went back to use the restroom and passed by the huge washing room and several dozen lockers where I suppose the staff keeps their stuff? It all just screamed "factory" to me. The bathroom, too, was this weird mish-mosh of contemporary (not modern) and Tuscan.
There is nothing soothing about this salon. And as a new client I was shocked they didn't offer me a discount. Instead, I paid $90 after tip for my mani/pedi. And sure enough, my cuticles were ragged and unfinished and after a week my toenail polish is chipping.
On Newbury Street in Boston I paid $45 for a pedicure that lasted me 3 weeks. If you like the kind of salon that's calm, relaxing, serene, and upscale, this is not your place. If you like fun and action and don't care so much if you have to go back every week because everyone there is so much fun, then this is your place. Personally, I like calm and quiet and quality.
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