AR Nail Bar & Lounge - Somerville, Massachusetts

Eliza Browne

At first I had a great experience here, the salon was clean, and the staff were friendly. I thought I had a gotten a good service. I got a gel manicure and regular pedicure. The pedicure has held up great, however the gel manicure lasted all of 5 days! Only 5 days! A gel manicure should last a full 2 weeks. I’ve routinely gone to another nail salon in the greater Boston area and thought I would try something new by going here. I will absolutely NOT be returning and I am incredibly disappointed that I came here to get a manicure before my vacation and half of my nails fell off in complete pieces within 5 days. Sure they have a 10 day return policy but when you get your nails done for vacation, it’s impossible to get back there within 10 days. If you want a long lasting manicure, do not come here.

Victoria Sullivan

Highly recommend for dip/powder manicures - my manicure always lasts 4-6 weeks no matter who my appointment is with. The last picture I’ve attached shows my manicure grown out after about 4 weeks - they don’t chip so I usually have to file them down and get them redone once my nails grow too long.

The salon is very clean and it’s easy to book and appointment online.

The pedicures are also very good.

Sarah Fuller

My daughter and I got pedicures and gel manicures on Saturday 7/6.. We made appointments with specific people but they were not available so we had different women.. After a few days my nails appeared "cloudy" and my daughters began chipping. We were very excited to try AR Nail Bar as it came with high reviews but we were disappointed .. Pedicures were better.

Jerusha Foster

Drove an hour and a half to this salon on a Friday to get a pedicure and gel x nails for a wedding I had the next day. Requested almond shaped ombré french. The next day I noticed that the tips of my nails were beginning to chip. I also noticed that the top coat was unevenly distributed on my nails and was missing in spots. On Sunday I lost a nail entirely! They also left hang nails and cut my cuticle while trimming which I did not notice until after I paid AND tipped and left the salon. Also, the guy at the front desk is very dismissive and rude. Gives off very snobby vibes. I wasn’t a fan of their work nor the first impression I received upon entering. It’s a great and calming atmosphere. I’ll give it that. Nice space. But there is a discrepancy in their work and what they charge. Waste of money if you ask me as my nail shouldn’t have fallen off two days after getting them done.

channette im

My nail lady of almost a decade disappeared on me a few years ago and I’ve been giving AR nails a try since June 2023. I tried 3 different nail techs. All 3 were very nice, sweet and gentle but I stumbled upon Chloe and I’ve stuck with her since. I’m very particular about the cuticle clean up, nail shape and lacquer application. With time, Chloe learns my likes and dislikes and I can easily relax and close my eyes without worry.

I appreciate how the salon is run. Very clean, very organized, very professional. It has a spa like aura where all techs gently speak with each other and it’s never chaotic. It is a busy salon but it is never chaotic. Hats off to Yenni.

The location is also perfect as it’s located right at the entrance of the orange line and the parking garage. The parking garage is free for the first 3 hours.

They also decorate the salon during major holidays so this is a nice little refresh and vibe switch up.

After testing for a full year I am happy to provide my review.

Emily Kyler

Was hesitant to test this place out with the reviews. I was pleasantly surprised at how great my nails turned out! Everyone was super friendly. Amber did an amazing job and will be back for my future nail care.

Kimberly Colby

I got a dip manicure last Thursday before leaving for a 10 day trip to Spain & Portugal. This place came highly recommended. The man that did my nails was doing a god job, but he kept getting up and leaving and coming back. Then he checked my nails to see if they were dry and smudged my thumb on my right hand. He had to re-do it and then told me to wait 5 minutes for it to dry. Then he came back and said I must have rubbed it on something (I didn’t) and re-did it again and then put a gel coat on top. When I asked if it would make a difference he told me no, and that it was quicker. When I was about to pay I noticed another nail had a little bubble on the bottom, so I asked the guy at the front desk and he called the other man back to fix it. The nail tech seemed annoyed and put a gel coat on that nail too. 3 days later in Spain the 2 nails with the gel coat started to have it come off. This is not what I expected for a $55 dip manicure. I get them about once a month and couldn’t go see my regular nail tech because of my travel plans. Such a shame that 2 of my nails were ruined after just 3 days on my trip. Very disappointed in the quality from this salon.

Edit: Clearly the owner didn’t read my review fully, as I stated I was out of the country for 10 days, so I can’t get the damaged nails re-done at no cost because the 10 day guarantee has clearly passed. Also, I’ve never had the top coat chip off like that and I have had many dip manicures. As others have posted in their reviews, the quality does not equal the price at this nail salon.

Bonnie Kelly

I usually get pretty great service here. Came today and asked for my nails to be cut shorter (I had very long beautiful almond nails but needed them shorter) The technician cut my nails without showing me first. When I looked at the first hand I expressed my extreme disappointment, with tears in my eyes, she said “you said to cut shorter”, then offered to put tips on all my nails to fix it.
Salon owner made me pay, offering me a 15% off discount, and said she needs to review the camera to see if the technician showed me my nails to approve the cut and shape before following through (which she did not consent with me first). The nail technician left me sitting there with no receipt and I was responsible for discussing this service at checkout.
I’ve never been challenged like this, they said I agreed to cutting my nails off so my fingers look like mini hotdogs.
I an anxious to see if the owner actually calls me to reverse the charge.

Posting before and after photos, this is my nails right before coming in vs how I left.