Sugar Scrub Nail Spa & Beyond

Pedicure appointment was good. The polish is holding up very well… but let me say… the foot and leg massage is «unbelievable» … Kim did a fantastic job! This was my first time at the salon and I’ll be back.

Sugar Scrub has done just an ok job on my pedicures for the last two years… until yesterday.
The technician got so aggressive cutting cuticles down the sides of my nail bed that she caused a major ingrown nail and infection. It was painful as she was doing it but I trusted her anyways. I should have spoken up but didn’t want to be rude.
I had to see a podiatrist this morning who had to perform minor surgery; anesthetic shot and then cutting my nail. I haven’t unwrapped it to see what it looks like yet… But it hurts! It was infected so I also have to be on antibiotics.
Photos are posted. I’m clearly no foot model but wanted to give a visual of what happened to save anyone else the time, money, pain and aggravation of an ingrown nail.
If something hurts or you feel like damage is being done, throw courtesy out the window and save your toes!

Phenomenal little nail spa! Hidden in an unassuming strip mall in the heart of Old Town. Exactly what I was searching for having moved from the West coast. The staff are all polite, sweet and sooooo talented. The arm massage you get after your shellac is set is to die for and the polish application flawless. Will be returning as a regular!

Super impressed. My mom and I came here last Friday afternoon without appointments. They were really kind and fit us in for a gel mani and pedi. The shop is well laid out, bright and spacious, and clean. The massage chairs are nice too.
We had two technicians working on each of us which kept things moving. I kind of like having my nails done at the same time my feet are being done. It is always a balance, manis and pedis are suppose to be calming and relaxing but at the same time I’m sure we all don’t have all the time in the world to get them done.
All of the technicians were great! They really know what they are doing and take the time to prep your nails in the proper way depending on what you are having done to them. This really makes a difference on overall wear time for polish so I appreciate this so much! I also happened to pick out a color for my toes that really needed a polish under it to make it shine. The ladies let me know this and picked out a good backer color for me. Again I appreciate them taking the time to note this and not just slapping it on.
I am also extremely impressed with my nail wear. I went one week ago and my nails are completely chip free. I know you would expect this with gel, but I am abnormally hard on my hands and happen to swim several times a week so I am happy to see no chips. My toes are doing well too, no chips there either and I am flabbergasted. My mom had a few chips on her toes on Sunday, but as she was leaving the next day there was not much we can do.
I will definitely be back again as I never had a regular nail place before, but I think I have found my spot now.

I’ve been here about 7 times for standard mani-​pedis & gel paint. I’ve always been very pleased & relaxed when leaving. Good work & massage with mani-​pedis. The very last time I had an issue with the standard polish taking forever to dry & then rubbing off on the tips. To be fair, I did not return to tell them so it might have been a bad jar of paint. I’ll be back for more & summer gel on my toes (the only way to survive the beach).

I’m not sure I’d go back here. The staff is really nice, but the fumes in the place are overwhelming — it’s not very well ventilated. It also cost $ 50 for a mani/​pedi, and the manicure chipped on multiple fingers that same night, even though I wasn’t even doing anything with my hands — just watching TV. I know they don’t last long if they’re not gels, but this one chipped because the edges of my nails weren’t smooth underneath. I’ve been other places where they did more buffing and trimming work on my nails before applying the color, and that smoothed everything out and made it last a while longer. The pedicure was fine. Not the worst experience, overall, but you can definitely get better quality for your money elsewhere.

Were do I start this place is the worst. To begin they say the take walk-​in but in reality don’t. I walked in and asked if I could get some work done the Asian girl by the check out desk is rude and barely takes the time to acknowledge one is there. Then started arguing with another slimmer chick that is there. I hate going to salons that make you feel like they are talking about you. One told me to sit and wait, while the other told her customer on the chair she wasn’t going to take me. I waited for about 30 – 40 min and decided to leave. Such a waste of time and a big disappointment. this place is highly priced for the customer service you get when walking into this shop.

I went in for a gel manicure and It is holding up nicely. I love the hand scrub they use to massage your hands and it smells delish!

I have been to this salon three or more times beforehand for a mani/​pedi and have always been very happy. Unfortunately today, I was given a complete novice for my manicure. She asked if I wanted them shortened. I asked her to even them out. She couldn’t have cut them any shorter without breaking skin. I stopped her from cutting after the one hand, hence one hand of long nails and one of very very short nails. I brought it to the attention of their «management» who did not charge for the manicure but the damage was done and they could have offered a free redo. The pedicure was done by one of their regulars and was very good but the young manicurist had no clue. An unfair situation for her and for the customer. I will not be back!

After fairly extensive Unilocal research, I’m so happy I chose this place for my pre-​vacation mani/​pedi. I just moved to the area so it was my first time here. I made an appointment the day before and they were ready for me when I showed up. They took their time but did my mani while my pedi was being finished so I was in and out in under 90 minutes. I wasn’t sure which gel color to use but the tech was super patient in finding the right shade, painting her own nails to show me the options and making sure I was happy with it. It wasn’t cheap ($ 70 for a gel mani and regular pedi plus tip) but it looks great and I was so relaxed when I left!

I have been looking for a salon for a couple years. Been to a lot of places in the area and have not been satisfied with the service, friendless or the product. I was on my way to a salon on Mt Vernon that I had tried once before when I saw «Sugar Scrub» they were open and I thought why not. OMG I got the best pedicure I have had in 10 years. A week later and my feet still feel amazing! While there I decided to get a full set of nails. Please understand, I have not had acyclic nails for almost 3 years due to the fact I haven’t been able to find someone who knew what the hell they were doing. I am going for a bikini wax today (OMG its Sunday and they are open) i love this place!

Great pedi. Detail oriented. But a little too time consuming for a regular appt. Considering the effort price was good.

I have been going to this place for a while.
First, I always find free street parking.
Call ahead to make an appointment (even if it’s earlier that day… do it!). When you do make an appointment they are ready for you.
They are very detail oriented. They spend time doing it right, especially pedicures. If you have a rough thing going on, they will smooth it out. The cool thing is they do the pedicure and shellac at the same time. So it’s a big time saver.
It’s also clean. Ever been to a place that isn’t? Yuck. This place makes sure to clean!

Reasonably priced, and they took their time with my mani-​pedi. I’d definitely return.
Only downside is it doesn’t appear the pedicure tools are put through an autoclave, and they don’t do plastic liners in the pedicure tubs, so if you’re a super germ-​a-​phobe, it might not be good for you. Everything is cleaned I’m sure, just not to the level some other spas do it.

I went to Sugar Scrub, which is near my house the day before my wedding for a mani-​pedi. I was disappointed that the polish on my fingernails chipped before I ever made it to the rehearsal dinner that evening– and all I did was shower and get ready! (photos posted) Too bad I paid for a manicure and ended up having to go to CVS the morning of my wedding to buy a similar polish and do my nails myself!
The pedicure was fine, but the polish job was somewhat sloppy as she did not use a brush with remover on it to smooth the line around the cuticle.

Really fantastic place. They ask questions, explain, listen, and do a great job!
Did a full set of nails. She was great– made them short and thin like I wanted. Also very friendly and honest about time and when I could come.
The pedicure was great too. Better than any I’ve had in Virginia since moving here. The chairs worked– wonderful massage. The sugar scrub felt very nice too– part of the regular pedicure. The spa pedicure was worth the cost.
The place was clean and well vented. Everyone seemed in a good mood.
The manager was organized and efficient.
So I am updating this– the next day my toenails chipped– I have never had that happen before. But I think it was the nail color– Essie. I was worried about it then and asked as I usually default to OPI.
The finger nails– bubbles everywhere and very thick. I wanted them thin and definitely without bubbles. Will not be going back.

I loved my experience, the time and attention was well appreciated at this salon. While I did have to wait for 5 minutes (even though I had an appt) they gave my nails the TLC they needed. I’m not a fan of salons rushing through my mani/​pedi so I was a happy customer. Quinn did my mani and I was a big fan of her attention to detail. I will go back again.

What a shame! I was looking forward to finally having a local nail salon to frequent when I cannot get to my regular salon in Gaithersburg, but Sugar Scrub turned out to be the ultimate disappointment. The only thing that made it worth while is that I got to spend a lot of time catching up with a good friend in the pedicure chairs.
Pros:
— They have two pretty pictures hanging on the walls.
— There was a nice breeze coming in from the open doors.
— I got to spend time with my friend without being rushed. They definitely won’t push you out the door. Seriously, someone could move in here and I don’t think they would notice.
Cons:
— The staff was running way behind. My friend and I had appointments and they seemed to not really care. The goal is to get in as many people as possible. We did not get seen until at least 20 minutes later and even then we were just set up to soak.
— The salon is crowded. There is a constant flux of people in and out, in and out.
— Slow, slow, slooooooow. Plan to spend HOURS here. For some people this may be a pro — like if you are trying to escape from your children or life. It’s not a relaxing slow where you are being pampered. It’s slow as in you are sitting around A LOT! There were so many people just sitting around on the couch, at the manicure stations, in the pedicure chairs, in random other chairs… just waiting. I have to say they have the most patient clientele. I was amazed at how patient NOVA people were being. I seemed to be the only one who minded the inefficiencies. People were literally falling asleep waiting (even while reading the paper — haha).
— The salon is cluttered and a bit dirty. The equipment they used on me was not new (buffers etc).
— The staff is so distracted. Nina was running around doing twenty things at once. My friend was getting a pedicure and the nail technician started the pedicure and then disappeared for like 20 minutes. No idea where she went. They also never really guide you or move the process along. You just sorta move yourself along. And when you want to pay you go up front and wait at the register until someone sees you.
— The quality of my manicure was AWFUL — the worst I have ever experienced. I requested a particular color and she used the wrong color on me. I verified when I got home against the bottle I own. The color was so streaky, uneven and sloppily applied (see pictures). My nails air dried — no fan or UV light. Then 30 minutes later I chipped the polish when getting my keys. Nina was annoyed and she barely even fixed it after I tipped her over 20%. I have never had any nail technician not fix my nail if it was chipped before I walked out the door. Plus if she provided me with the appropriate drying tools this would not have happened.
Unfortunately I don’t have any recommendations for nail salons in the area. I am still looking. I know of several in the Rockville and Gaithersburg area.

While living in Alexandria, I found this place through an extensive Unilocal search. I have been pleased with my gel/​traditional manicures and pedicures. My favorite part is that an exfoliating sugar scrub with a hot towel massage is included with each service for no extra charge. Everyone has been nice, friendly and happy to get to know me. A second nail tech may start the manicure while a pedicure is in session. The décor could use some updating, but it’s not a big deal. Expect to pay Northern Virginia prices, but it’s well worth it. Street parking is easily available, which is not often in busy Del Ray.

This salon is really nice, its quaint, quiet, and clean. The Mani– and Pedicurist pay attention to detail and leave NOT one cuticle unturned. Honestly, the best mani/​pedi I have had in a long time. They work on your feet and hands at the same time and the massage is at least a few minutes for your feet! …and they use a sugar scrub on both your hands and feet! I enjoyed it.
The reason I took it down a star is because I do think its a bit overpriced. We got regular mani/​pedi with no special service (like gel or shellac) and it was $ 100 for the both of us. Maybe I’m used to the $ 35 mani/​pedi a little further down the street.
Regardless, If you have the money and are not worried about a $ 50 mani/​pedi. Well, this is probably the place for you. If you want to save your $ 15 dollars and cut out the extended foot massage and sugar scrub– Well, go down the street.