Lily's Nails of Santa Barbara

Jan 05, 2025

I am writing this on behalf of my girlfriend who got the worst service she has ever experienced in her entire life. Her and her friend decided to go get their pedicures done to what seemed like a normal place at first until they started dealing with the employees. Both girls got told a price that wasn't the same in the end and were ripped off completely by this terrible establishment. They prey on people who aren't from the area and will take advantage of anyone anyway they can. They completely cut my girlfriends toe, blamed it on her, and attempted to charge her for the "extra services" of cleaning it up. This was including them talking shit to them in their language, harassing them to get an extra "gel" service over and over again, and trying to rush the process as quick as they can so they can move on and scam the next customers. The way this was explained to me was like nothing I have ever heard of before and highly recommend everybody to stay away from this trash can of a business. This place has money laundering written all over it and I will continue to see that they get shut down.

Dec 05, 2024

I had such a sweet experience here the other night. They did a great job on my nails and toes and gave a really excellent foot massage. Everyone working there is very nice and it’s in a great location in downtown Santa Barbara, where you can go out and get a drink or dinner after.

Nov 05, 2024

Loved the place and the people. Tracy was so sweet and fun to speak with. The nails came out lovely and very good work for the price!

Aug 05, 2024

Fantastic service! The staff is very skilled and friendly. The salon is clean and my nails turned out perfectly. Will definitely be coming back!

Aug 05, 2024

I had such a relaxing time at this nail salon! Nga did an amazing job with my manicure, paying attention to every detail. Highly recommend!

Aug 05, 2024

My favorite nail salon in all of Southern California! Incredibly kind and professional staff who always do an amazing job. The team was very accommodating and flexible with my appointment time when I had an unexpected family event occur. They all made me feel so welcome and I was at peace when getting my pedicure. Lily’s Nails has consistently served the Santa Barbara area for decades now and does so with the upmost excellence. I fully endorse Lily’s to anyone looking for nail and beauty services. I will be a lifelong customer and am grateful for all Lily’s does!

Aug 05, 2024

My favorite nail spot in town. They are always incredibly thorough and so accommodating to my particular preferences with my nails. Nga is the loveliest person you'll meet, and you are truly treated like family when you are here. A local, women-owned salon, so I'm always happy to take my business here.

Jul 05, 2024

Horrible service, horrible behavior, horrible spot in general. Do not come to this location whatsoever, as they do a horrible job and scam their customers. The owner of this establishment up-charged me for an additional service I did not want nor get. The owner charged me $65 for a gel removal on my girlfriend’s nails and was trying to force additional service upon us when she did not want it and then still charged us for it. The owner was also not letting us leave after agreeing to pay the correct amount and was just creating a very hostile and uncomfortable scene/environment. Very unprofessional and wrong, they are also know to have a rep for scamming people, and once she found out we were not from the area she definitely saw her opportunity to take advantage and took it. Not to mention, she was also very rude to one of her employees for no reason at all as the owner was cussing her out right in front of us and shoved her employee’s work station across the room in an aggressive manner, once again for no reason at all. All in all, a horrible establishment, with a horrible owner and environment with a history of providing terrible service and scamming people. The only reason we even entered this place to begin with is cause we are not from the area and were unaware of the history. DO NOT COME AT ANY COST, IT IS 100% NOT WORTH IT AND YOU WILL REGRET IT.

Jul 05, 2024

Literally absolutely so crazy. Please read all the reviews about this place before going. I’m from out of town but I was charged $65 dollars for a gel removal. I initially went in to get a full pedicure but the first lady was taking a while to remove the gel, which is totally okay but the owner came in speaking to her in a rude tone and took over and started to cut my cuticles and I had said she did not have to but insisted. So I decided to just do the removal because the vibes were already so off I couldn’t stay. We go up to pay and she said it was going to be $65 for a removal and a full pedicure. Keep in mind I just got a removal which the price had stated “$15” so she told me that I was charged an extra $50 to cut my cuticles. They are absolutely crazy to charge that price and will definitely try to scam you and play dumb. They know exactly what they are doing. Please go to any other place before this one. Terrible service and will scam you.

Jun 05, 2024

Read the reviews before going in - wish I did! $90 before tip for a basic mani pedi, where mani didn’t even have polish and the nails were uneven after and snag everything I touch…the pedicure also is so uneven I could’ve painted with my non dominant hand and got better result. I questioned the price after the fact, and she said “good price for Santa Barbara.” I have lived in Manhattan Beach for 7+ years and paid normal standard price of $50-60 for a no paint mani cleanup and nail trim. I lived in or gotten my nails done in many expensive cities, many where I’ve lived in upper scale parts of town..NY, Chicago, LA, even including airports where I’ve gotten my nails done and I have never felt so robbed. She asked if I live in SB - read below. Makes sense but yes I do and visit here often so the prices don’t make it ‘ok’ if you live here or not. At the end, she asked for cash after I waited an hour and a half basically to pay. Even if I had cash, wouldn’t have that much. Sometimes that impulse you get when you’re walking and go to just any place needs to be double checked… could’ve gone to a nice salon where I wasn’t questioning the cleanliness, quality of polish and quality of service the entire time. I’m still uncertain if hands and tools were washed between the person before me and I. Just go 2 blocks in either direction and you’ll find a better nail place. Hell, get in your car and drive a mile and you’ll be able to get two mani pedis for less money. I don’t mind paying, but give me an experience where I feel like what I got was worth it.

May 05, 2024

There’s a reason this place is always empty…85 dollars for a pedicure and nail shaping on hands with no polish? Cold water, cold towels. Yikes! Stay far away!

Feb 05, 2024

Come here for my gel manicures! Always great service and they are so quick!

Feb 05, 2024

Don't do what I did which was walk in and ask for a mani without asking price. I should've done that and checked the reviews. I thought it was crazy that the place was completely empty on a Saturday morning. I paid $35 for a basic mani. I didn't even have the nail tech paint my nails. She almost cut me twice with the cuticle nippers. When I asked the price at the end, the woman (not the nail tech) asked me why I didn't like it. I told her it was too expensive for a basic mani. Then she asked me if I lived here. I do, but what does that matter. Do you charge more if I don't? I have been to multiple salons in SB and have NEVER paid $35 for a basic mani. I would have expected more. Warm water to soak my nails in, warm lotion for massage, warm towels. All of that was cold. Something to make it spa-like at least. I got my nails and palms sprayed with cold alcohol at the end. Will definitely not be going back.

Feb 05, 2024

I am a Santa Barbara local and go to Lily's Nails of Santa Barbara regularly for nail cutting and filing. Ask for Nga, she is the owner and is very nice, I recommend.

Feb 05, 2024

I decided to stop by this business while visiting family in Santa Barbara. My nails were in pretty bad shape and I needed them to be cleaned up ASAP. Nga was my manicurist and she did an AMAZING job. She throughly cleaned my cuticles and recommended that I choose a polish that was more durable than the previous one that I was wearing. I appreciated her willingness to take her time during the process along with being very gentle. If I lived in the area I would definitely go to this salon regularly! I highly recommend going to Lily's Nails of Santa Barbara with all your pedicure/manicure needs. The staff is wonderful.

Feb 05, 2024

I have gone to Lily’s nails many times and always receive kind, friendly and professional service. The ladies who work here do an excellent job! Thanks Lea for my beautiful gel manicure!

Feb 05, 2024

I love Lily's Nails. I have been getting my Mani/Pedis here for the last 8 years. I love how attentive they are to my requests and their flexibility to squeeze me in for an appointment. I wouldn't go anywhere else.

Feb 05, 2024

Nga & Lea are so welcoming, and excellent service! The salon is always spotless and has a wide variety of different colors to choose from. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a perfect gel mani & pedi.

Feb 05, 2024

Rude owner. Stay away from this place.

Feb 05, 2024

Sweet and welcoming place. Did a great job!

Feb 05, 2024

This is such a special spot. When you come here you can to be left alone to be pampered or if you engage with the staff, the owner Nga makes you feel like family. Large selection of gel colors, modern and comfortable massage chairs, clean and attention to detail. The location downtown can’t be beat and plenty of parking. I bring my kiddo and we always make it a special day with a visit to Public Market for lunch and ice cream and a stop at Chicken Little. This sweet family run business is a gem. Check it out!!

Feb 05, 2024

Was going to buy a gift card for my mom and didn’t bc it was like super hard so I bought it somewhere else bc it was easier and like ya

Feb 05, 2024

Wonderful service - very fast but thorough. Very nice staff!

Feb 05, 2023

Do yourself a favor and do not go to her saloon. She charged $80 for manicure… If you tell her you are not local She is taking advantage from it. When I ask why it is so expensive, she said because everything is expensive in SB. Right after I left I passed by a different saloon and check the prices. It was regular prices $40 for manicure. No wonder why her saloon was empty on saturday.

Feb 05, 2023

I have been to this salon a couple of times and it always takes over an hour and a half just for a manicure. When I went in for a manicure this second time, they used the drill on my nails to remove old gel, even after I asked them not to (since my nails are so thin and brittle) because the gel was "hard to get off." This created dents in my nails that will take months to grow out, since they are closer to the base of my nail. I had let them know ahead of time that I had to gel to be removed, but was never told that there was an additional price for that removal until I was charged $60 for a regular nail polish manicure with no other add ons. I was mostly bothered that this additional charge was never mentioned to me beforehand, since if it were I would have gone somewhere else. I have never been charged for gel removal, and when I called to mention my complaints the staff disregarded them and said that everyone "knows" that there is an additional charge for this additional service and there was nothing they could do (I noticed a few other reviews mentioning surprise charges, so it seems like something they spring on customers often). I have never been charged for old gel removal for a manicure, so I found this to be very strange. If you are looking for a great nail salon in town, I recommend Papillon, I should have never gone anywhere else!

Feb 05, 2023

I should have read the reviews more closely. I got a standard gel manicure and pedicure for $165. Wow! No fancy tips or spa treatments. I called around to a few other places and everyone was booked on a Saturday afternoon. When this salon could take me I didn't even ask about pricing. The place was empty when I got there, I should have known that was a bad sign. It was dumb of me to assume I'd get both done for a reasonable price. A few other reviews mention surprise charges, and I get it now! I'm hoping the gel actually holds up. Very sketchy that they have no pricing displayed or a price menu. On the bright side, the ladies were really nice and I did appreciate their speed and attention to detail.

Feb 05, 2023

I was visiting SB and I went to this place because it was the only nail salon open on new years. It was too expensive, the lady charged me $15 for a gel removal and $75 for a gel pedicure and I only get charged 5 dollars for the gel removal and 35 dollars for the pedicure with gel at my nail place. It was a bad experience the lady was rude at the end of the service, I don’t recommend this place, I wouldn’t pay $90 for a pedicure it’s ridiculous!

Feb 05, 2023

I’m not a local so I don’t know if I just got a bad day. I did a gel manicure and the old lady who did it kept hurting me while trying to trim my nails. I told her and even though she apologized, she kept rushing through the treatment, and hurt me more. At the end of the manicure I could feel my nails were way weaker than before, and that the layer of gel polish wasn’t as thick as it usually is. Plus, I had some polish on my fingers and hands. The manager saw my disappointment but didn’t propose to fix it. One week after the manicure, my nails started breaking and the polish was cracking. If I stop to SB, I’ll definitely choose another place.

Feb 05, 2023

Loved coming here! Got a manicure and pedicure and the staff are so lovely. If I lived in Santa Barbara I would come here all the time!

Feb 05, 2023

Me and my girlfriend came in when all the other nail salons were too busy, and they treated us the best! It was my first pedicure and it was really fantastic. And my girlfriend was so happy with everything and she looks so beautiful with her feet and nails all done up. The ladies at Lily’s are so nice and welcoming. And the ambiance of the place is something special. We loved that the place didn’t smell like a bunch of chemicals, since they don’t use acrylics.

Feb 05, 2023

Nice people but totally incompetent and overpriced. I have puddles on the nails of polish that are uneven on the edges. My pedicure wasn’t better. I still have calluses and the polish is uneven. It was $95 and they wanted cash.

Feb 05, 2023

Not a local and got charged $165 for two gel pedicures. Would not recommend due to their prices.

Feb 05, 2023

So I should’ve asked how much the services cost, there are no prices listed and they charge as they go on. I paid $170 for manicure and pedicure and apparently to remove the three nails that had gel. She was nice and the job was fine but no services or anything, overpriced. Prices are different online too.

Feb 05, 2023

Way too expensive !!!! $65 + tip for gel manicure and the result does not reflect this price....and the lady was not happy that I did not give her a big tip ....

Feb 05, 2023

We had amazing gel pedicures at Lily’s Nails. Very happy with the treatments and the place is very clean with comfy massage chairs. They are the sweetest people and I really enjoyed talking to Nga and Lea. They also had great recommendations for how to keep my feet soft. Would go back again if we lived in SB area.