Chocolate Spa & Nail in New Haven, CT

My sister and I had gel manicures and the keratin hand treatments. Kimmy and Lucy were our technicians and they really rocked it! Both our manicures turned out beautifully, but it was the hand treatments with a massage that really set them apart from salon I used to go to. I'll be going back for sure!

This was, by far, the worst manicure I have ever had.

The nail tech used the drill on my bare nail, attempted to cut my cuticles without any kind of cuticle oil, and returned the clippers to the drawer without sanitizing them. The table was gritty before he even started working, everything just felt dirty. I know I tend to have "stiff" fingers, but the nail tech visibly rolled his eyes each time he had to direct my fingers. He provided me with what I can only describe as a small cardboard box covered in dirty black tape as a bolster, despite the fact that there was a regular bolster right next to him. By the time he finished the manicure, I looked down to see that every single nail had bubbles. He clearly noticed too because he took the drill and unsuccessfully attempted to smooth the nails out. They look like absolute garbage and I'm sure will crack over the next couple days.

Worst of all, the last thing the nail tech does is take out the file and proceed to file my very regular length nails down TO THE QUICK and rounded. I only noticed how short he was filing them when I felt pain because he was literally filing the skin under my nail bed. When I say I was horrified when I saw my right hand... they look like tiny tombstones. I can't believe I didn't bleed. I said, "Oh, these are very short and very rounded... please don't make the nails on my left hand so short." He said, "You asked for rounded." I said, "No, I asked for almond and to keep my natural length." He immediately appears to be not only irritated but furious. He stands up and whips his gloves off, gives me a filthy look, and just walks away. I'm left sitting with my nails ruined and 70% finished. I literally had to ask "Excuse me, is anyone going to finish my nails"???? What in the world?! The manager ended up finishing my nails. She asked me what I had asked for, and again I repeated almond. She has the audacity to respond, "Your nails are too short for almond. Next time you need to get tips like mine." Like??? They weren't too short until your nail tech ruined them?! At this point I was fighting back tears, so uncomfortable and counting the seconds until I could leave.

I cannot believe that this is a real business. I HIGHLY doubt that the "nail tech" is licensed, there are too many details to list but he truly did not seem to know what he was doing. Between that and health department codes this place should be permanently closed.

Be careful if you get a gift card. My daughter got me one from the New Windsor location. I got a great pedicure today, but when I went to pay, they would not accept the gift card and told me that due to the signature I can only use it at the Monroe location. So disappointed because they did such a great job. Hopefully Monroe will honor the gift card, otherwise I will need to find out how to get reimbursed.

I got my mother a gift card in 2021 that she was not able to use. I took it back and went myself. They were unwilling to honor it saying it was too old. When I tried to explain that in CT gift cards could not expire everyone in the building all of a sudden could not speak any English. I love Monica my nail tech there but I will never go back. The way that I was treated as a long time customer I could only imagine how they would treat new clients.

I have been a customer for many years. I'm usually very loyal to establishments that I'm comfortable with and have a good rapport. I was even given a rewards card that tracked your visits and accrued points (allegedly).
Here's my issue. Each time I made an appointment I would ask for a balance. You would need to have spent a certain amount in order to use the minimum balance of $10. Prior to covid I was given a receipt that stated I had the required balance.
Each time I schedule an appointment I give my telephone # because that's how they like to look up the card without having the physical card on your person. I'm either told there is something wrong with the computer or the computer was turned off because they are getting ready to close, and the latest excuse was the card don't work anymore.  
After all this time being a loyal customer even after they changed staff, they began using a machine to cut your cuticles (which they NEVER used to do thus the reason I enjoyed going there) and do not keep up with the latest nail fashion amongst other things.
Needless to say I'm in the search for another nail tech.