Best Manicures in Chicago

Manicures are every gal’s guilty pleasure for three good reasons: first, the difference between well-groomed nails (and hands) and those that are not is vast. (Translation: picture a work-man’s hands, then a socialite’s set. The vision is two extremes.) Second, for fairly little dough, you get a load of lovely payoff. Third, you can have fun with your manicure, trying new hues and decals, formulas and even fakes, without much commitment. Bottom line: manicures are a marvelous way to be pampered, perfected and polished. Here’s our slew of standout nail spas:

There isn’t a name more fitting than Pinky for this Chicago fan favorite; though we think the intention was to call-out the pinky finger, we think it’s actually more on point to describe the way you feel when you’re inside the salon. (OK, we know the term is to say you are feeling peachy, but heck, we’re feeling the pink fabulousness instead.) The staff is uber-friendly, attentive and just plain awesome at what they do (um, nails). You’ll find an array of faces at Pinky – clients range from cute, little girls getting $5 polish changes to soccer moms chatting and sipping wine while getting their tips trimmed to working women on their lunch breaks looking for a quick fix. Whoever the client, Pinky takes the job of polishing seriously, pleasing each customer and creating a loyal base of come-back-again types.

Lily Nail Spa is Lincoln Park’s best-kept secret, we swear: this small salon on Halsted is a haven for all things nails. Newly-decorated, renovated and under new management, the nail salon has state-of-the-art nail stations made of wood and bamboo in a clean, sleek setting. The prices are on the low side, which make us love Lily even more. Every manicurist nails it, too, which isn’t something most salons can say.

Everyone in the Windy City knows Salon 1800. It’s a staple, and it’s a salon that people take seriously. Expanded to now serve more patrons, thanks to hosting two locations, Salon 1800 is a safe, sanitary, healthy bet for getting a winning manicure. It’s a step-up in terms of environment and allure (after all, it’s a full-service spa and salon, packing services for hair, skin and nails under one roof) from most nail-only salons, but thankfully, you don’t pay a ton for the upgrade.

Gel manicures are all the rage right now. Chicagoans are loving them too, kudos to that they last longer than traditional ones (a typical gel manicure will last three weeks, versus one week), look vibrant longer too. And we welcome this addition to the nail care arena, of course. The best place to score a no-chip, gel manicure in Chicago? TIGI Nails, a mom-pop type of establishment (with two locations) that has a handle on the new craze, without a hefty pricetag to boot. Although the atmosphere leaves something to be desired, the outcome of your nails is not to be missed.