McDowell Mountain Nails

If anyone is looking for Tracy she is at Super Paulene’s at TPP and Bell – she DID NOT move away!!!

This is honestly the worst salon I have ever been to. The girl that did my toes looked as though she was 15. She got polish all over the place. I could have done a better job! I will never go back.

Everyone go see Tammy! She is usually pretty busy so you might want to make an appointment rather than just walking in. I have been going to her for over two years now and she just recently came to McDowell Mountain Nail Salon. Her massages are out of this world, you’ll love her. The salon itself is very nice and super clean. They just got in brand new massage chairs recently which are amazing.

I have been here three times. Twice solo and once with my mother-​in-​law. Both times the experiences were just okay.
The first time, I came on a weekday during lunch. The place was empty. I was able to get both a manicure and pedicure in an hour. I liked the convenience and how quick the service was. My nails looked good and I loved that they used hot rocks during the pedicure. I told my mother-​in-​law about it and promised to take her.
The second time, I came on a Saturday around 2pm. They weren’t that busy and told me to sit down in the pedicure chair. I sat there for 45 minutes before a nail tech came over to do my nails. However, I really liked the nail tech and thought she did a great job.
A few weeks ago, I finally took my mother-​in-​law. We went on a Saturday around 11am. The place was packed! A nail tech told us to write our names down and it would be roughly 45 minutes. So we walked next door to Ross. Well an hour goes by and we go back. The place is still packed and the same nail tech told us it would be about hour. I explained we were already on the waiting list and she told us 45 minutes previously. She apologized and said to pick out our colors. So we picked out our colors and waiting around probably another 20 minutes. Finally, we were seated for our pedicures. Another 30 minutes go by. Finally, two nail techs come over to do our nails. My nail tech was terrible. He didn’t cut my nails properly and they were shaped funny. I really wish I had the nail tech from my previous visit. Otherwise, the massage chairs felt great and my mother-​in-​law loved the hot stones. (My nail tech burned me with the hot towel…)
Overall, two out of three experiences were pretty good. There are plenty of other nail salons in the area, so I might check those out to compare.

I love this nail spa, Tracey is the best :) I’m
Happy to find my new nail girl here in scottsdale :) I’ve also had a pedicure here and it was great!

I went on a slow day to get a gel mani and regular pedi. They were vwry nice and took me back right away. I wasn’t excited with the gel colors they offer. There are many to choose from but nothing really jumped out at me. Some of the «model nails» looked like they had just slapped on one coat so it was hard to get an idea of the actual color. They did offer to do my nails at the same time as my pedicure, which was great since I just want to get in and out. Overall, good nails and good service.

Let’s start with if I could give this place negative stars I would. Honestly, this was the toughest and worst mani/​pedi I’ve ever got. My friend was with me and asked for a full set, there was 3 employees sitting around on their iPads and after she already waited for about 30 minutes they asked her if she could wait 30 more. They were pressuring me to pick my colors and I couldn’t really enjoy myself. They were all really rude and would stack customers on top of each other without finishing. I do not recommend this place AT ALL.

I just recently moved to Scottsdale, AZ from California. Today was my birthday so I’ve decided to treat myself for some pampering at this place which is really close to my home. I got a fullset done by Lena/​Lina. She was very sweet lady. Took her time on my nails and asked me here and there if I liked the shape and length of my nails. She was also very gentle. Back in California, the ladies would always be in a hurry to get you out and hurt you, telling you to not move. RUDE. Anyways, I love this place and I would come back again and ask for Lena/​Lina.
I also did a walk in but I came in around 9am. Thats the time they open and i was the first one to walk in.

The customer service sucked! The young lady who signed me in was kind. However, as I was picking out nail polishes as I get a gel mani and a regular polish pedi, I had two colors in hand and I was talking to the young lady about what color I was looking for. the lady who was going to service me just walked up and took one of the polishes out of my hand and started to place it back on the shelf before I told her that I wanted that color. She never greeted me nor indicated that she would be taking care of me. She was very rough and rushed through the pedicure. I’m paying for someone to provide a service and that means you need to be pleasant, gentle, and take your time. I will NOT be going back!

There are roaches in this place. It’s not clean and too pricey. Never returning to this «hell hole in the wall» ever again. What a waste of time & money!

This is my regular nail place. They are close to work, and accommodating to walk ins. My biggest drawback is «can you wait 5 minutes» usually means no less than a half an hour, and they only have one young lady who does waxing. If she is in the middle of another service, you either wait, or she will leave someone hanging.
Another odd grievance is the fact they tell you they «can’t» leave credit card tips, but in reality they can, and I have a few times. It’s weird. I don’t know if they don’t want to report the tips, or they have expensive merchant services, but they should either offer it, or not.
They do wonderful gel nail service, and have a great color selection. The massage chairs for pedicures are also amazing. I continue to patronize this place because it is close to work, and I am no longer located close to Jenzia my favorite place in Tempe.

This is only my second visit but I think they deserve a review. Helen is fantastic. No matter how busy she is she takes the time to do a great pedicure — the leg message with the hot stones and oil is well fabulous!

I love this place, I have been coming here for 3+yrs, very clean, great massage chairs and hot stone leg massage!

Not a good experience here today… When you come in with a friend and want to get pedicures at the same time they should be honest if it is a possibility. Today I got a bad pedicure while my friend waited next to me. They never asked us if it was ok for us to get done at separate times. A walk in client came in after us and they proceeded to start on her first. They wanted to start on hers when mine was almost done. They apologized but didn’t do anything to make the situation better. I will never return here…

I’m so annoyed. After my friend and I drove around 3 different places trying to find a place to do our two pedicures, we finally come here and they say they can do both of us.
They start my friend and I’m sitting there waiting. There are two other women doing pedis across from me. One is finishing up so I assume she will start mine. Wrong. A girl walked in AFTER me for a nail repair and she took care of her while I’m still sitting here.
My friends guy was already PAINTING her toes when the second lady said she would start mine. I’m over it by now. I don’t want to sit and wait and watch my friend get a pedi and then have her sit and wait while I get mine. If you can’t do both at the same time then tell us. I opted out of even getting one and I’m leaving with a much needed pedicure. I will never be back here.

Run away and check out Super Pauline’s nails on Raintree and Northsight. I’ve given this place three attempts to reclaim themselves and they never did. The 3^rd time a girl who could not have been any older than high school did a toe polish change. I watched her client before me walk out if a manicure. I overhead her say «she took off my polish and filed my nails and I’m not paying for this». The entire time of my toe polish change, her hands were shaking and she cut all my toes uneven and two were cut so short I nearly bled. I’ve have 3 coworkers go and report the same issues. When the male manager/​owner isn’t there I am ignored and treated horrible. I will never return.

I’ve been here a couple times before for pedi’s and never wrote a review. It had been a good month and a half since I had a pedicure. So needless to say my feet were gnarly.
Called ahead for a 3:30 appointment and got one with no problem.
I’m in love with Angel, my new Pedi Gal! Angel had just moved here from Wisconsin so being married to a Cheesehead, we had WI in common and plenty to chat about. Her English was great!
Angel fixed my feet and now they are beautiful and I’m happy again to wear sandals out in public. The pedicure was great had a scrub, a mask and cucumber lotion. I always ask for designs on my toes and she had tons to choose from. I love them.

This is MY nail salon! I usually make an appointment to see Tracy (the owner and head lady). She is very sweet and accomidating, plus I think she does the best gel nails I have ever found! The other staff is very friendly and do good jobs as well. I even brought my bridal party in last year prior to our wedding. We were able to bring champagne and sparkling cider with snacks while the ladies got their nails done for the big event.
I would highly recommend this nail studio! The cost is comperable and I have found often less than other nail places in the aread.

The man who did my mani/​pedi was truly and unapologetically bad at his job. I’m not too steady with the brush, but I could probably manage to wait for layers to dry and not blob on the topcoat without even reaching the edges. The tips were ragged after he «buffed» my nails, so the polish couldn’t go on smoothly. I could do better at home, for free.
He also had an infected thumbnail, or a fungus or something. He did not wear gloves. I only noticed it halfway though my manicure when he sprayed my nails with moisturizing stuff, and stopped to also spray his infected thumb. Gross.
He avoided eye contact, and did not hear me at all. I asked him to paint my ring fingers gold — he looked at them and said yes, then painted them the other color. I asked him to redo the nails that came out uneven, and he tried to just paint on another layer of blobby topcoat instead. When he did redo it, it was just as bad, and he moved on to another customer so he was going back and forth between us. He stabbed me with the cuticle trimmers because he was watching TV and looking impatiently over his shoulder. I decided to leave rather than have him do an even worse rush job on the remaining nails.
My friend had hers done right next to me, by a woman who did a beautiful job. They chatted in a casual, friendly way about their kids. The stars I am giving are for her. The place was clean, and the massage chairs were lovely. Just avoid the guy with the blackened thumbnail…

8÷11÷12
Wanted to get a much-​needed mani/​pedi before my sister and my dinner with a friend Saturday night, so I brought baby sis, my niece, and me to Scottsdale Nails II, but we were told the staff was fully booked until later on that afternoon, around 430p (it was around 1030a). I told the man at the desk that we had other plans for the day and needed two mani/​pedis right away before lunch, so he suggested we try out McDowell Mountain Nails on Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. I’ve never been, but I knew the location, so I told my sister «why don’t we try it?»
Situated at the Target plaza, between a Jamba Juice and a Ross on FLW east of the 101, MMN was easy to find. It looked very unassuming from the outside, certainly much smaller than Scottsdale Nails II and my ex-​favorite Shea Nails on 92^nd St. (please read my reviews). It was small indoors, but clean, and most importantly, lacked the horribly strong stench of chemicals that greeted us at Scottsdale Nails a few minutes before. We were greeted by a young Caucasian male who was standing next to a female Asian, who was speaking on the phone. A little different, since we’re used to frequenting salons entirely staffed by Asians… I asked if the two of us would be able to have our mani/​pedis worked on right away, as well as my niece and her manicure, and he assured us most definitely. The woman had by then gotten off the phone (thank goodness, as she was speaking directly to our faces while on the phone, instead of moving off to the side to give herself and us more privacy). He told her what we were looking for, and she proceeded to tell him who to pair us up with. I heard that I was going to get «the new girl,» which then made me think, «why me?» «Why do I get to try the new girl?» I wasn’t worried, however, as I had a feeling everything would work out fine. After choosing our polish materials, we all went our separate ways.
The «new girl» Ann, was a joy to be with! While she is new to this company, she told me she’s been a nail tech for many years. She had just finished a couple hours of orientation (she learned what the packages/​treatments were called, and what steps she had to fulfill, etc.) that morning, and I was her first customer! She worked gently, and listened to me tell her how we came to try out this salon, and would ask a couple of times if she was causing any discomfort. Very easy to converse with– in case some of you are not able to understand staff with heavy accents, Ann speaks fluent English (and is studying Biochemistry… we’re common souls!), so if this is important to you, ask for Ann. :)
We finished slightly after my sister and her daughter. My sister was seated for her spa pedicure before her manicure, while Ann started on my manicure first. My niece was originally going to get just a manicure, but when I saw the embellishments that Linda had added to the nails, I asked how much it would be for a pedicure polish. I was told $ 5 for just color, and $ 10 for the matching white polka dots and silver points. I said let’s get it done!
$ 55 for my gel manicure and spa pedicure, $ 25 for my niece’s manicure (cleaning and polish) and pedicure (polish only), plus slightly over 20% tip*. My sister got acrylic nails on her hands and a spa pedicure, as well. We all left very happy and very satisfied with our new looks! (Niece absolutely ENJOYED her first visit to the nail salon and cannot wait till their return here next year for another one!) Thank you, McDowell Mountain Nails… I’ll be a returning customer!
*MMN accepts credit cards for services rendered only, so bring cash for tipping!