Glowly Union Square

Glowly has two New York City locations. The Union Square salon is at 20 West 14th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, phone (929) 837-8223. The Financial District salon is on the fourth floor at 6 Maiden Lane, at Broadway, phone (646) 630-4114. The business focuses on Russian-style manicures and pedicures.

The menu is grouped under Manicure and Pedicure. Manicure options run from a no-polish manicure, which includes e-file cleaning, cuticle work and shaping, to a Russian gel manicure, a hard gel manicure built with the Liquid Strong Gel formula, and gel nail extensions. Extensions are shaped with an e-file to the length and shape a client chooses, then finished with strong gel. A Strong Gel Manicure is also offered; it includes e-file gel removal, dry cuticle cleaning, shaping, gel color applied under the cuticle, a smoothing top coat, a three-minute hand massage, and a finish with nourishing oil and hand cream.

Pedicures are dry e-file treatments with deep cuticle cleaning and smoothed soles, finished with pro foot foam. They can be done without polish or with high-shine gel polish. According to the booking site, a Russian gel manicure and a hard gel manicure each take about 120 minutes, a gel nail extension about 160 minutes, and a no-polish manicure about 60 minutes. Prices shown are starting prices in U.S. dollars and may include applicable taxes and fees.

Appointments and payments run through the Zenoti booking platform, which also handles cancellations and rescheduling, either through a client account or by phone. Cancellations need at least 24 hours' notice; a late cancellation or no-show may be charged the full service cost. Glowly does not store payment information and does not give refunds once a service is completed.

Repair coverage varies by service. Hard gel and Russian gel manicures carry a free repair guarantee for technical issues such as lifting, chipping or early peeling, with the Russian gel window set at seven days and the Strong Gel window at ten days. Gel nail extensions include a seven-day wear guarantee. Guarantees do not cover color or design changes, apply only to services done at Glowly locations, and are for the original client. Repairs outside the guarantee period are priced per nail, and repairs need an advance appointment.

The salon runs a loyalty program: members get 10 welcome points at sign-up and 10 points for every $100 spent on services. Ten points are worth $3 off a service, with a minimum of 30 points to redeem, and points expire 365 days after they are earned if no qualifying purchase is made in that time. Gift cards are sold at both New York locations but are non-refundable and non-transferable. The salon describes its team as having more than three years of experience and serving over 2,000 clients a month; these are its own claims. It describes its Russian gel manicure and pedicure as made with low-toxic formulas, and notes that results may vary and are not guaranteed.

Built around the Russian manicure method, using e-file work and dry cuticle cleaning, with gel and hard gel formulas that the salon describes as low-toxic.