More is more for Nabi

design by: Jenny
technician: Jenny
price: $$$$

Studios are rated in a 1-3 star system. To learn more see our studio list.

Overall:★★★

Did these nails cost me $250? Yes. Have I ever felt more like a queen in my life? No. Do I understand why Cardi B flies Jenny out to LA to get her nails done? Absolutely.

Not everything about this studio is perfect, but no one is perfect. Despite the studio’s flaws, I was exceedingly impressed with Jenny as a businesswoman and as a person. Jenny is everyone’s Asian mom that they never had. She is tough but kind, funny, open, creative and family oriented. I think one of the best testaments to Jenny’s vision is her customers’ loyalty; I was the only stranger out of the five or six clients that came to visit during my time at her office. She also continues to accept new clients even though she has Cardi B on her guest list and over 171K Instagram followers, which many celebrity nail artists don’t do.

I guess I’ll use this section to outline some “must knows” before booking an appointment with Jenny:

You must DM Jenny for an appointment.
Jenny only works at the Bronx location of her studios (Jenny’s Spa).
You must send a $50 deposit via PayPal to Jenny’s business partner and husband, Billy, to secure your appointment.
If you are 15 mins late, you lose your spot and your deposit.
If you need to soak off existing gel, you must come in an hour early.
There is a $150 minimum to book with Jenny. If this is above what you want to spend, the other stylists at her studio each have their own minimums, most of which are lower than Jenny’s. You can also request to book with Jenny’s daughter for a Jenny-esque experience at a lower price.
It is cash only. There is an ATM in the salon, but if you are like me and have a weird bank, it won’t work, so come prepared!

STUDIO: ★★

Jenny should consider renaming her studio “The House of Cardi B” - with the amount of photos there are of Cardi B around the studio, no one would bat an eye. The way up to the studio is a lot like going to Arete; it’s inexplicably dirty and makes you feel like you’re in the wrong place. At the top of the stairs there are poster-size photos of, you guessed it, Cardi B. As you turn the corner, the bling starts. There’s a crystal chandelier and pedicure chairs that sparkle like you’ve never seen. The main floor is full of manicure stations, a lot like Paintbox’s setup. Jenny’s office is partitioned off to the side of the main floor. The door reads “Jenny, Queen of Blings” over a sparkly motif. Inside, the walls are black and all of the furniture is either mirrored or covered in bling of some kind. And of course, there is lovely painting of Jenny and Cardi. There are two manicure desks in Jenny’s office, one for her and one for her daughter. Their banter is adorable. I was dying of laughter when Jenny said,

“We’re busy today because everyone is trying to get their appointments in since they know I’m leaving for L.A. next week.”

And her daughter replied,

“No they’re not mom, no one knows that.” Her mom just did Cardi’s Pepsi superbowl commercial nails and is an actual influencer with almost 200K followers on Instagram alone, but of course kids don’t care about that. To her daughter, Jenny was still just an embarrassing mom.

NAIL CARE: ★

I really don’t want to give this studio less than two stars in any category because they are such nice people, but I feel like I have to because they filed off my gel. This happened for two reasons. First, I was running late and didn’t know that if you need to soak off, you need come early. I arrived exactly on time, which is when I was supposed to start getting art done by Jenny, not working on removal. Unfortunately Jenny didn’t mention this when I booked the appointment, but luckily she was running a little behind so her daughter quickly removed my gel. Secondly, Jenny Spa Bx is really an extensions establishment. All the other customers had tips on of some kind or were getting extensions. The salon culture is more used to being able to grind with the electric file on top of acrylics than delicately scraping off gel on natural nails.

The filing made the ends of my nails super thin to the point they disintegrated. This was not that bad because they were a little long anyway, but I do wish I could have kept more length. Jenny reinforced my nails because she noticed they were weakened by the filing, which I appreciated. I think if you have gel on and come in early to soak off, you will end up having a much better experience than I did.

ART: ★★★

When Jenny asked me what design I wanted, I said that I liked silver and bling. She instantly had this grin on her face and said, “Okay, I know what you want, I got you.” From afar, the design I received doesn't look too complicated, but when you look closely you can see that every finger is different and has its own unique composition. She started with a strengthening coat, then two coats of transparent sparkly gel, and then added the gems. To apply the gems, Jenny used her own brand of nail glue. Dali experienced a similar technique at KPop. We’ve concluded that nail glue is used because unlike gel, it doesn't require you to cover the gem in polish in order to hold it onto the nail. Covering the gem in polish drastically reduces it’s shimmer, so the strong hold of nail glue is perfect when you really want to see that sparkle.

To be honest, after she did the first finger I didn’t like it, and I thought “Oh, no, what should I do?” I decided to stick it out without saying anything because I trusted Jenny, and by the end I realized I had never been more wrong in my entire life. The bling looks immaculate and shines like crazy. I semi-regret not getting extensions too. They’re really her thing and I wish I got to experience Jenny in her full element. However, I also have to type, like right now for example, and I don’t know if I would be able to adjust my lifestyle to extensions. After Jenny finished my nails, I left the studio with a dopey smile on my face because I couldn’t contain my excitement, or stop looking at my nails.

LONGEVITY: COMING SOON!

At the end of my appointment, Jenny showed me video evidence of her work lasting five weeks. She also showed me sneak previews of her upcoming Snapchat and Instagram content, which looked amazing and I highly recommend you check out!

As a final note, I want to take some time to talk about how these nails make me feel. I told Jenny that next time I come I may want to get extensions. She laughed and said, “You’re hooked. That’s what happens, they get the bling and then they need more!” I am hooked. I love my nails more than myself right now. They shine like the light of the sun and they fill my soul. I feel so much more confident than I have ever felt in my life, like the queen and princess I’ve always known I am. I really don’t know what I’m going to do now. I have this sinking feeling that all other manicures will feel inadequate. Well, I guess it’s time to go and make a ton of money so I can fly Jenny out to wherever I go.

Jenny Spa Bx: Bronx, NY