Readers will know of my quest to find perfect acrylic nails in the Eastern Suburbs. Herewith the second installment!

Location location location:

LA Nails
159 Walter Road, Dianella. Ph: 9275 4419

(Salons also in Kingsway Shopping Centre and Mirrabooka Shopping Centre.)

Service: Permanent French acrylic refills, after 4 weeks’ growth.

I found this salon by doing a search on the web and, since I drive down Walter Road most days, I was curious to see what the salon would be like. It’s tucked into a strand of shops and parking is easy, so if you live around this area and want convenience, then this is not a bad bet. The low-down on this salon is that it won’t win any awards for service or creativity but it does the job. Unfortunately there are other salons out there that do a better job at a better price.
Service

I called on the Friday and got a Saturday appointment at the time I wanted. When I arrived, the nail tech hadn’t finished with the previous customer, so I waited for 15 minutes. Not that big a deal – there is a coffee machine for customers. Once it was my turn, again, there wasn’t a lot of conversation or interaction with the nail tech although she was polite and efficient. Apparently they were short-staffed and she was the only one on that day.
Nail form

I was very happy with the shape – the nails were shaped square-round and thinner than the previous salon’s efforts. However, the nails were a bit chunky through the middle and could have been filed further to flatten then out. The thing I was least happy with was the ration of white to pink. There was way too much white! For some reason, some salons insist on starting the white powder about half way down the nail bed. Even when I asked for less white, the result still wasn’t natural looking.
Technique

Again this salon uses a tip to cut through the drying white powder which creates a nice, even crescent shape. Electric drills and emery boards are used. Gel was applied to create a glossy look.

Time

1 hour, in addition to the 15 minutes I was kept waiting prior to my appointment.

Cost

$50.00 for refills, although when I got home I discovered that the price-list states that refills are $45.00. Disappointingly, I was not alerted to the price difference or provided with an explanation.

Overall rating

♥ ♥ ♥ (2.5)

Article by Bron, resident nail aficionado & expert!