Contempo Nails

I’m going to echo a lot of what a few other reviews said: there’s a language barrier, they’re typically quite busy, and that can leave you with a feeling of having been rushed while in there. And since they’re missing a receptionist, there’s less of the welcoming feeling that you might find in other locations.
AND maybe opting out of some of the bells and whistles that other salons have is what allows them to keep their prices really reasonable. I go there because it’s cheap, not because they make me feel like a princess.
I’ve had a few good quality shellac manicures done by Contempo, which have typically lasted between 1.5 to 2 weeks. For the price, I think that’s quite fair.

Cheap but, you get what you pay for. Feels like a drive through nail salon. When I was getting my service, there was a lady who stormed out of the place. This is not the first time something abrasive has happened while I was getting a mani/​pedi. Small space.

Will never return. Left with the worst mani/​pedi I’ve ever received. I have cuts on both thumbs. They were working frantically, without any regard to service or shape of nails. Paid $ 40 for a basic mani/​pedi to sit in discomfort for an hour.

I would really love to give contempo 4 stars but here’s why I won’t.
I really love the friendly atmosphere in this salon, however I find it a bit rude that they all communicate in Vietnamese in front of customers, My regular nail salon does not allow their employees to talk in Vietnamese in front of customers, I find this to be really respectful.
Also, when I ask for 4 – 5 coats of shellac they argued with me saying that it will chip easier with that many coats which is a flat out lie… I’ve been getting shellac for 4 years and I’ve always gotten at least 4 coats of color and it lasts forever, which is why they don’t want to do that many coats, they want you to have to come back sooner to pay more money!
Don’t listen to nail techs that tell you this… it’s a lie!
Sadly I probably won’t be back because my shellac chipped too easily after only getting 3 coats of thin thin color… I went twice and the second time was worse :(

I came here because Encore was closed due to construction & I’m glad they were because this is now my go-​to nail salon in Boulder. I’ve seen a couple of reviews mentioning how rushed their manicure was, but mine wasn’t at all! I’ve been getting acrylics for about a year now & this set is definitely the best I’ve gotten in Boulder & might be even better than the sets I get back home in Los Angeles. The shape is exactly what I wanted, the polish is perfect, & the price is very reasonable. The woman who did my nails was also very gentle & conversational.

I had previous shellac manicure removed and got a new shellac manicure. There were a lot of colors to choose from, and the staff seemed friendly. But I felt that my manicure was rushed and the results are just ok (I had to point out areas to fix that she otherwise would have not fixed). I felt that they were very rough on my nails while removing the shellac, even after I asked for them to be gentle. The biggest problem was the lack of massage. She took but just a few seconds to apply lotion to my hands, and that was it. I consider getting a manicure a treat, and the massage is usually the best part of a manicure experience, so I’m very disappointed. I won’t be back and don’t recommend this salon.
Update: Its been seven days since my manicure. In the removal process, he filed the tops of my nails down to such a degree that they are now incredibly weak and breaking. My polish started chipping almost right away, and now that is been a week, most of my nails are chipped. My last shellac manicure lasted past the two week mark. I’m very, very disappointed.

Just got a pedicure. Waiting for the paint to dry took forever, they don’t have fans. The oddest thing for me was that the woman who gave me my pedicure had plastic gloves on the whole time which felt really disgusting on my skin as she was rubbing in the lotion. Also the water was cold. I don’t like to complain but it was a pretty lame experience.

Best nail place in Denver/​Boulder, hands down. Such wonderful people, reasonably priced, and longest massage ever :).

Highly recommend for Shellac mani-​pedis. I’ve had nothing but spectacular service and my nails always look flawless. Although there is a slight language barrier, the staff is friendly and tries to make small talk. This is definitely my go-​to nail salon.

Contempo Nails is close to where I live and convenient but I have a couple of issues:
1, For the same service I am charged a different price each time, sometimes $ 45 other time $ 50 or $ 55
2, When I have a Pedicure and a Nail fill they do both at the same time. I like to relax when I get a pedicure and am not crazy about having them use electronic nail equipment while my feet are in the pedicure spa water.
3. Not the best atmosphere, I walked in exactly at opening time 9:30 and stood there for 15 min and none of the staff would acknowledge my presents.
(Guess it time to find another Salon)

I got the solar mani. My nails have bubbles in them, and a few of the tips are crooked. I didn’t want to go through the process of removing them, and wasn’t confident they would be done correctly the second time, so I was stuck with a bubbly manicure on my wedding day. It’s not as though anyone other than myself would notice, but I was pretty disappointed.
**UPDATE**
Went back for polish only, and the polish started flaking off the same day that I got it. I was really hoping this place would work out, but I won’t be giving it a third chance.

My new favorite nail salon since moving to Colorado. All the staff are polite and nice. They always ask me how I’m doing. I don’t find the language barrier at all that difficult if you’re a social person. I’ve never came in and they couldn’t take me. Wait time has never been that long to the point where I want to leave. I always get my gel manicure done here $ 30 total including tip. It lasts me until my next visit which I love since i use my hands a lot at work. Awesome place! Best in Boulder!

It was more like a 3 ½ star experience!
Now I am not sure what others are complaining about wait and rudeness (maybe they went in on a busy day without appointment… which is common sense not to do)
I went around 4 pm yesterday (Wednesday). I called ahead to find out wait time, there was none. So I drive there, plenty of parking… i go in, they ask me how can they help me.
I asked for a pedicure… and the guys who brought me to my chair and did my pedicure were very nice and made sure I was happy with the service.
The only thing i deducted a star was the whole thing lasted i’d say 20 mins. it was a quick pedicure… and i wish it was longer. It is $ 25 only…+5 tip so $ 30. Make sure you bring cash for tips.
But I had no waiting time, everyone was polite and affordable. I might come back if i’m in this town again. MAYBE.

I made an appointment for 1:30 because I had to be somewhere at 3:00. At 1:45 I asked when they would get to me. The answer: in 15 minutes. Not acceptable.

I really wanted to give this place five stars but the only thing really preventing me from that is that the place is really crammed and its a much more of an assembly line kinda feel and they do cash only tips– I never carry cash with me anymore so this is a bit of an inconvenience. Overall, I would certainly come back! I got a shellac manicure and spa pedicure for $ 50! You really can’t beat that! Also, the massages were excellent! This place will be my go-​to for all my mani-​pedi needs in the future!

I actually was very mislead with the bad reviews. Of course, naturally there are going to be some bad eggs at any salon you go to. Minh and Linda are wonderful! This is my second time at this salon (after just moving here from Boston). Their prices are very reasonable. I had a pedicure and shellac manicure and everything with tip was $ 60 (I may be a generous tip giver) so without the tip it was $ 50, which in my experience is absolutely reasonable. Minh and Linda where polite and talkative. And I don’t mean the super awkward chit chat talk. Not to mention my foot massage was great! I will absolutely be coming back here.

The Good:
Contempo is a local’s favorite for getting your nails done beautifully. They know the regulars and they always have done a perfect job for me, I keep going back.
The Bad:
Not the most welcoming atmosphere… They’re always busy, no receptionist, no one to greet you. Stand there awkwardly for a minute and someone will go «can we help you» and a lot of times they can’t take walk-​ins because they’re so busy. Say what you need (manicure, rebase, pedi, gel) and if they have time, they’ll take you, if not, too bad so sad!
The Service:
Professional if not the most friendly. They do a fantastic job, I trust them to do my nails beautifully and they always have, for years. Sometimes they make small talk, but more often than not they don’t try and I don’t bug them while they work, I just sit there quietly and relax and let them do a great job.
The Results:
I have always been pleased with my nails after a trip here. They are super professional and excellent at what they do.
Overall:
This is my go-​to place for nails — it took a few trips for me to get the hang of the whole situation, but now that I know the drill, I am much more comfortable.
It’s in a strip mall off 28^th with plenty of parking — the quiet outside can be misleading, you walk in and it’s usally a zoo in there! If there’s more than two people waiting, just leave and come back later (or earlier!). Don’t try to get in without an appointment on a weekend, go on a Tuesday morning or some other off time for a more relaxed experience.
Know what you want. Be patient and polite and work with the language barrier. BRING CASH, they take cards but you can’t tip on a card, don’t look like a noob and have to leave to go to the ATM.

They do a good job. They’re quick, but they are thorough. My shellac has lasted Til my next visit, which often time borders on a month. Howie is funny. They care about their work. Highly recommended

My first experience was interestingly bad but I will still rate 4 stars because I am content with the results and will definitely go back. It is in a strip mall and isn’t anything fancy, if that is something that would deter you.
The woman I had did a pretty bad job. Maybe she is new? Maybe she is having an off day? I don’t know. But she put too many coats on (gel manicure) and it’s as if she didn’t shake the polish bottles because every coat was laying on thick and goopy. She didn’t go very close to the cuticle so it looked like outgrowth already. She however did a remarkable job at cleaning up my nails and cuticles, I’ve never seen such good work on them haha.
It was very visible that my nails didn’t look good enough to be seen so I said something, and so in stepped a woman who I will assume is the owner. She undid the manicure and redid it and it came out fantastic. The original tech watched over her as she did this.
Granted it wasn’t the best first experience, I assure you it won’t be the last. I come from Denver after having my tried and true nail salon start to get a little sloppy over the past few visits. It is worth the drive to me if I will leave with my nails looking as beautiful as they ended up.

I am with Liz F. on this one. Contempo in Boulder is staffed with technicians who care deeply about your satisfaction (even getting to know you if you are willing to venture beyond the standard silence and take a sincere interest in making connections by working through the language barriers). Mai is the owner and sets the tone for great service and warmth, as well as humor, when customers are open to it.
I have found the salon clean, reliable, competent and economical. What more could you want?