Just had a manicure yesterday and I have to say, I really love this place! It's so different from your everyday nail salon - it's environment and animal-friendly, it's health-conscious (their products are natural wherever they can do it) and it's just so darn gorgeous inside! BEACH is located inside a pretty inconspicuous converted house off 17th Avenue, shared with a couple other businesses. You can find it in the basement suite. When you walk down the stairs, you'll be amazed, it has the coolest decor inside, from beach chairs on actual sand in the pedicure area, to restored doors and weathered paint. Super chic!
As for my service - I opted for a Straight Up manicure (bonus: gel polish OR regular polish is included in the price). They also have a great selection of Bio Seaweed gel, which is 5-free, even better. Estrella (the assistant manager) was the most amazing aesthetician I've ever met! She offered myself and my boyfriend a cup of tea while we waited, and when she got started on the service, she walked me through the background and history of BEACH and their beliefs. I'm impressed with how knowledgeable and personable all the staff were. She took amazing care as she was prepping my nails, and even used lemon as a natural cuticle softener and nail brightener, which I thought was great as I'm very sensitive to chemicals. The BEST part was her attention to detail as she was applying the gel. She was so careful and even fixed areas she didn't think were good (I didn't even notice)!!
I'm so impressed with this place. I never felt rushed, my manicure is actually FLAWLESS, and I feel good about the products and the impact on the environment! I love the idea behind BEACH and I've already told all my friends to come try it out.
**nail art was something I asked about, and they do it!