FAQ
What is the difference between regular gel and Japanese gel?
All the products we bring to the salon are carefully selected. There are many Japanese gel brands in the market. And there are salons in New York City that carry Japanese gel. However, different products are produced with different ingredients and are used for different purposes. The Japanese gel we carry is non-toxic and gentle. The base coat we use are breathable, meaning air can transpass it which avoids dryness on natural nails and prevents damage on natural nails. The product we carry can also bend with natural nails when natural nails are soft, in a way to prevent early chipping. Our regular gels are from South Korea. They are produced with high quality ingredients and most up-to-date colors. The base coat is also less harmful to natural nails which allow us to do less buffing and filing when preparing natural nails or soaking off the gel.
Why does Mellow Bar charge soak off for Japanese gel?
Because Mellow Bar aims to provide healthy, non-toxic nail care to our clients, we put in the time and effort to train our technicians on how to properly do soak offs and try our best to minimize the damage caused by gel removal. In such a way, Mellow Bar is able to provide healthy manicures and pedicures that can improve the strength and length of the nail in the long term.
How long does our polish last?
The duration of the polish depends on the natural nail condition and the person’s habit of using their hands. As we strictly follow the product instructions, other reasons like change of weather or change of habit can also affect the durability of the product. Based on the feedbacks from our clients, regular polish mostly lasts 1-1.5 weeks (lasts even longer on some client’s nails). Regular gel polish mostly lasts 2.5-3 weeks (4 weeks on some clients’ nails). Japanese gel mostly lasts 2.5-3 weeks (4 weeks or more on some clients’ nails).
Most of our clients' nails grow healthier and longer after they stick with our products and service for a long time. Polish also lasts longer on healthy nails.
We recommend clients to change polish every 2 - 2.5 weeks for regular gel, 1-1.5 weeks for regular polish (we do not recommend to have our regular polish stay on natural nails for more than 2 weeks).
Why does our Free Fix Policy no longer apply to services with Chrome Powder?
We recently noticed that since the chrome powder has a different texture from gel, it is not as sticky as gel, and so early chipping might happen depending on the habit of using the nails. We also have an alternative choice to use from, which is the iridescent gel color on top of the base color picked out, which will have a similar chrome-effect as the powder and is also really pretty!
Why does our Free Fix Policy no longer apply to services with Chrome Powder?
Mellow Bar is a company that welcomes all talents. We have talented top nail artists, as well as, other well experienced nail technicians who are highly trained to do basic techniques. Mellow Bar makes an effort to train all our technicians on basic and complex techniques. If for any reason, the nail technician set for your appointment did not satisfy your needs, we encourage you to contact Mellow Bar’s Customer Service. Our customer service team will make a note and match you with a technician that fits you better. You can also fill out our In-Take Form before your appointment so that our customer service team can modify the service desired accordingly.
Was my card charged when I booked online or can Mellow Bar charge my service on the card I use when booking?
We do not charge cards on file. We only use that for late cancellations and no show. To learn more about our cancellation policy please visit here.
How to book a nail design?
To complete a nail design, our technicians need to get notified beforehand. When booking an appointment, kindly book any base gel type with design (usually shown as “regular gel manicure with design” or “Japanese gel manicure with design”). After that text the picture you’d like to do to our salon number with your name.
Can I change my service when I’m in the salon?
We would love to have all our clients receive the services they want, however, as we are a small salon (especially in the West Village location) our schedule is usually back to back. Please check with our salon assistant if you’d like to add services. We will let you know if we can offer that.
Do you take walk-ins?
We are an appointment only salon. Our technicians are popular technicians and always get fully booked by their regular clients. The best way to get an appointment is to visit our website and book online. During our busy time, our salon assistants will not be able to help walk-in clients to book appointments. Another way to book with us is to contact our customer service.