M&M Studio

The employees are very nice but service is a different story. When I first came in, there’s only two employees working here. Chloe that handles nail care and Satomi handles nail art/​painting the nails. I came in at 5:30 and Chloe started cutting my nails, filing etc etc after she was done, I had to wait 30 mins for Satomi to finish her other client. Satomi asked me what nail art I wanted and she agreed to do 2 glitter nails and 2 nail art and once she started paint my nails, she changed her mind and told me I can only do one nail art and one glitter nails. I had to ask to add one more glitter nail… She painted my nails super quick and gave me a sloppy job with nail polish all over my fingers (on my skin not on the nails) which I pointed out for her to remove… I literally had to direct her to do everything since it seems like she didn’t want to do anything and rushed to paint my nails so she could help someone else since she was the only one who does the gel nails.
Long story short, one of the uv machine broke so I had been waiting for a long time there to cure my nails while the employees paid no attention to me… Finally, Chloe saw that I was still there and came over to notice my nails still was not finished and put some top coat on my two thumbs and switched the gel machines. By that time it was already 7:15ish and my reservation was at 5:30. Also, you girls out there know that your hands are dry as hell after getting a gel manicure and I noticed my hands were dry so I had to put lotion on myself… at this time I was already fed up with the service and wanted to go home already since I was there for almost two hours for a gel manicure! At the end, I still left a good tip because I felt bad since they were nice. Once I got home, I noticed that Satomi didn’t even put any gel top coat except my two thumbs which Chloe was the one who applied it and now most of my nails look matte while my two thumbs are shiny as hell. Super dissatisfied and super disappointed because I really wanted this place to work out. They should hire more nail technicians who has knowledge and is able to apply uv gel.

found a deal on groupon for eyelash extensions — the technicians are SO good. My eyelashes lasted over 5 weeks AND they do really really fairly priced fills per week. You can pay with venmo too! Really convenient to book an appointment.
It’s worth every penny!

Satomi did great job on my nails! I will definitely go back there for gel manicure!

I tried this place out after purchasing a groupon for a gel manicure. I’m used to paying 26 $ but with plenty of hesitation I figured I should try this place.
It was a very cozy looking place. She was meticulous and careful which is unusual at most salons in NYC. All my nails were perfectly shaped.
The gel they use isn’t that typical Sheilac gel that every salon uses. They use some sort of gel pod with a paint brush.
Whatever it was, it’s great. I’m 2 weeks in and my nails look flawless.
I’ll probably go back next week which will make it three weeks that I’ve had this gel manicure without one chip.
Definitely worth the 35 $.

My go-​to place in the city is Fresh Spa (near Union Square) but ever since I moved I’ve been trying to find a place closer to my new apt. I think I need to give up my search and just stick to what I know.
Came hear after reading about the great Groupon deal. It is in fact, great! $ 22 for gel manicure. I called and made an appointment no problem. You can even text or email them if you want, which is nice. You can walk-​in but because they only have 2 stations you take your chances.
I got a regular gel manicure, no nail art. White, very basic.
What I liked: The girls were friendly and they seemed very meticulous. Place seemed clean and well kept.
Why I was disappointed: The technique was time consuming. Instead of doing a coat of polish on each hand and rotating between the UV light (like every other gel manicure I’ve ever had), she did 2 fingers at a time, which took twice as long. And despite what I thought was attention-​to-​detail, my manicure was sloppy! Polish was all over the base of my nail bed and cuticles. I guess others had the same experience. See Brenda H.‘s photo! I could tell she was trying to clean things up, as she kept using a nail stick to scrap away the excess polish, but it still turned out shoddy.
At their regular price for gel manicure ($ 40), I wouldn’t come back. However, their expertise seem to be in nail art, which based on the pictures, seems like a good bet.
One final note: the gel they use here is strictly a Japanese brand (ace gel?). They don’t have any of the usual OPI, CND or Essie stuff. This type of gel comes in a small tub and is applied using a small brush (versus a standard nail polish bottle where the brush is embedded in the cap). The color selection is decent but doesn’t offer great hue variation.
Tips on location: Look for the eyebrow threading salon. Walk through the entrance but pass the salon on your right and go down the hall. At the end of the hall go right and down a second hall. At the end turn right again (at the florist shop) and M&M’s at the very end.

Two stars because my manicurist (Miho)? who did my nails seemed nice, but honestly, probably far from the best gel polished I’ve received. You can see from the picture that not only does the job look «dirty,» there are bumps and unevenness with the polish. Looks like something I would do if I were to do it myself! Miho was not social and did not start up a conversation during the entire process. I don’t expect a therapist, but cmon! I even gave a decent tip because she did spend some time with me, but I don’t know why there are so many good reviews about this place.

Great service! Very professional and clean! Pretty gel manicure! Love it so much! Coming back tomorrow for pedicure!
Nice pedicure! Last more than one month

I loved this place so much that after purchasing a groupon for a gel manicure, I purchased the Unilocal deal for this as well.
The location is very difficult to find (inside a small doorway at the very end of a winding hall of storefronts) and the technicians were very patient in providing directions.
Quality of the manicure is comparable to the ones I’ve gotten in Tokyo. They can imitate any design as long as they have the material. Selection of colors and 3D studs were great as well. As the salon is very small, be sure to book several days ahead of time.

I will consider M&M my first option the next time I need gel manicure, and quite frankly, it should really be my number 1 go-​to place for mani pedis, plus they also do lashes, I might make this a one stop shop! Maiko did a wonderful job on my toes and my gel mani is so pretty, I could not be happier. The difference is she really pays attention to details, without you having to say too much; she shaped my nails exactly the way I liked, and she really tried to find the
perfect color I wanted for my vacation, even tried several customized colors by blending 2 colors. We ended up putting a tiny little gold bead on all ten fingers, after seeing how pretty it was when she placed just 1 finger to test and see, and I loved it! Service is great, they are sweet, nice, and very attentive, and they are not greedy or pushy, what a big difference from so many nail salons in the city! Location is convenient too!

I’m giving an extra star for the color choices available and well the nail artist is also nice.
But I don’t think they practice the usual standards of sanitation. My cuticles were cut with a clipper that was dipped in acetone for a moment. The brushes are all sitting in a vase but I don’t think they’re getting cleaned that often. The one she used to paint the gel on had pink color on it from a previous use. And I came in the am so my guess is that it’s had pink color on there for hopefully only overnight.
My nail color was applied with a swiftness that ended up in decent color application but I was stuck with some of it on my cuticles since my nails are always on the shorter side. I wanted the clean up service to be a little better. Just a little more attention to detail is always appreciated. I guess if you get an upgrade and do designs which seem to be great from here, they pay more attention to the little things.
I was in a small room getting this service which also had two eyelash extension beds. The whole suite seems to be like a three room mom & pop salon (the Asian version) that operates on appointment only services.

Went with a groupon deal and it was completely worth it! Even the full price is worth it. Very meticulous with the manicure, had a custom color made (no extra cost) and added some nail art. Highly recommend it!

TOTALLY RECOMMEND! I came to M&M studio for a gel manicure with a groupon/​living social deal (i can’t remember which one i bought from honestly), which is usually the only way I’ll try out a new salon because you just never know. The girls at M&M are incredibly skillful and meticulous. The gel product they use also is really high quality. I got my manicure three weeks ago, and it still looks flawless! No chips, and i put them through a lot — running against purse zippers, scrubbing dishes, etc — I was not being cautious with this manicure at all. I’m actually about to schedule for another manicure because my nails have grown too long for my liking, even though I’m sad to destroy a manicure that still looks new! If you’re looking for an awesome gel manicure or pedicure in the city for reasonable prices, go to M&M.

Bought 2 groupon deals– one for nails priced at $ 32 & paid an additional $ 32 for designs and one for eyelashes priced at $ 45.
Sayaka did my eyelashes which were done painlessly and gently. I got awesome results and was told to touch up every 2 weeks priced at $ 40-​$ 45 and 3 weeks being $ 60. I got the longest lengths available (11, 12, & 13) with an cat eye style. Results ended up being gorgeous! Still very natural and not too dramatic. Perfect for my thin & non-​curly Asian lashes :(.
Satomi did my nails after I gave her free range of a few styles I brought pictures of. She worked her creativity and was able to complete my nails in an hour or so. I believe she used cal gel or biotech.
Really happy with both of the services they offered. Only reason I was able to found the place was due to it being in the same building as where I got my eyebrows threaded earlier & ran into the spot while using the bathroom.
Also make sure to make an appointment the day before or earlier. Will definitely be back for more services!

Had an awesome first experience! I’ve been searching for a place that does custom designs, not just the standard French manicure or sad flower. M&M definitely delivered.
They were prompt with responding to my appointment request and sent a text follow-​up. This is appointment only, which I appreciate because I felt I had her full attention the entire time as opposed to other salons where they’re talking to people walking in the door as you pray they don’t stab you with the cuticle clipper (just me??).
It’s a 45 minute trek from BK to get here, but well worth it. Check Groupon for a deal.

This is a little gem! Booking an appointment was extremely painless and convenient, as they will correspond via phone, text, or email depending on your preference. Be sure to book in advance because space and technicians are limited, but after you’re scheduled sit back, relax, and enjoy! The small staff is very attentive and friendly and will go the extra mile to accommodate whatever wacky or classic style you have in mind. My nail technician was Maiko, and she is absolutely lovely and talented. I will be returning soon!

Came here with a Groupon deal for $ 22 for one gel manicure. I booked last minute and they were quick to respond via email (I always hate calling to book appointments when I’m at work, so it was super convenient for me). I arrived a few minutes early and they took me right away. The studio is small, not very pretty and tucked away in the back of the building, but none of that really matters to me as long as they are friendly and care about the work they’re doing.
I actually asked for a special design on my nails, so it came to $ 20 additional for all ten, which is a fair deal, considering the Groupon. If you want something particular, I think it’s best to email them the photo ahead of time and come with a print out photo. The manicure took a little over an hour.
This place is convenient for me to get to and the woman who worked on me took her time and was very polite. I’ll come back here — especially since they have a punch card!

Best gel nail manicure I have ever received. I am at 3 weeks and it’s still going strong.
Glad I read reviews, it’s a little hard to find this place and they are appointment only because they can only do 1 or 2 manicures at a time. I opted not to get any nail art, but instead, my manicurist mixed up a perfect custom shade of nude for me. My nails looked beautiful and the color kept, without fading or cracking.
I also should mention that I messed up the timing of my appt and accidentally ended up 30 minutes late and they were (luckily) flexible and forgiving. I really expected to be turned away.

Great place to put on your list of TOP nail art salons of NYC.
It’s an authentic Japanese hair/​lash/​nail salon in the heart of Ktown. The business is extremely small in the back hallway of a building, but the excellent services and skills makes up for it.
I will definitely come back here after checking out other places on my list.
There’s currently a groupon for $ 22 and you can add art/​decoration on top of it. My total came out to $ 27 on top of the groupon. Which is an incredibly reasonable price compared to other places I researched.
The ONLY thing I wasn’t so happy with was their sanitation. The technicians looked really busy, but I just wished they would sanitized the tools before taking another customer.
This place gave me a great first experience for nail art. Would strongly recommend.

**Must make an appointment!**
Disclaimer: I purchased a Groupon for $ 22 gel manicure.
I see a lot of reviews for Sakaya, but I got my manicure from Satomi, who spent an hour and 15 minutes meticulously painting my nails and it came out to be a masterpiece! I didn’t get anything too fancy like some of these crazy art nails I see photos of, but I love them! Totally worth it, especially with a deal.
I’ve never gotten a gel manicure, but now I’m afraid I’m hooked. They make my nails smooth, even, and super shiny and it looks like it will last a good while before my nails start growing.
Satomi doesn’t speak English too well, but well enough to understand what you want. She painted my nails with several layers of gel and helped suggest a nice basic decoration for them (just a strip of gold tape across the first ¹⁄₃ of the nail) — love it!
The shop itself is pretty small in the back of this little shopping/​office mall thing that is a tad bit ghetto, but it’s clean and cool inside. No windows and just a few chairs.
They charge a hefty price for their gel manicures ($ 45), but this is their speciality and the quality of the results seem to be worth it. I would continue coming here.

Found this place on Groupon and bought a deal for the gel manicure ($ 22). As I wanted nail art I paid an additional $ 26 for my design.
This place was a bit hard to find. The store shares the same address with like 5+ other shops so finding this place was a bit difficult, as the shop is located in the very back.
I brought in a design for Sayaka to reference. She was very meticulous and the design came out amazing! I would recommend her/​come back again :)
I recommend calling in advance and making an appointment — this place is extremely small and serves only 1 client at a time for nails.
Follow her on Instagram: @sayaka_nyc