Ahhh, love is in the air. Oh wait, it’s just the smell of nail polish.

Getting your nails done can be an expensive pleasure, and getting a specific design can cost even more. But how can you say no to such beauty on your hands? There is a saying that nails are the cherry on top for any look, and we cannot agree more.  

So, for those of you who want to enjoy the pampering without emptying your wallet, here are three places that can satisfy any nail needs.  

Nails in Haidilao (海底捞） 

Haidilao is a Chinese popular hot pot place. It is not your ordinary restaurant – it includes multiple little privileges, like free snacks, free drinks, secret menus, and, that’s right, free nails.  

While you enjoy your meal you can enjoy a free manicure. They do a massage for your hands and you can choose a color to use. Haidilao lets you enjoy everything at once while just coming to eat. There are locations all over the city, but my favorite for when I want my nails done for free is in Sanlitun.

Find It:
1F, Sanlitun SOHO Bldg 6, 8 Gongti North Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工体北路8号三里屯SOHO6号商场西院1层
Tel: 6595 0079, 6595 2982

湫.实美学.NAIDU  

If you go on Dianping, this place has some great reviews and the prices are not bad (RMB 77 to RMB 288+). In addition to nails, they can also do lash extensions, which are popular this year.  

You have an excellent choice of colors to choose from, from dark to light, in any shades, so any design might be possible. They move fast, too, so you do not have to wait for a long time. 

If you feel bored, you can play with the cat that lives there – a small friend to accompany you while you are there.  

Find It:
707, 7F, Bldg A, Shuangjing Youshige, 8 Guangqumenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区广渠门外大街8号双井优士阁A座7层707室
Tel: 186 0041 9527 

星辰美甲  (Xing Chen Mei Jia Nail Salon)

Over the last few years, this place has become a major hit for teenagers to go to.  

To do a basic nail gel color, after the Dianping online discount, it only costs you RMB 68. You can choose from 180 colors. Because of cheap prices, the salon became popular in no time.  

Modern style, gorgeous colors – what more do you need in life?

Find It:
3 Shuizuizi Beili, Yaojiayuan Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区姚家园路水碓子北里3号楼底商
Tel: 185 0087 6457

When all else fails, at least you can have nice nails! So, achieve your nail dreams with these great on-budget nail salons.

Images: Pexels, DIanping

I’ve been in Beijing for almost two years now and it never ceases to amaze me how many beautifully groomed women live in the capital. Growing up as somewhat of a tomboy (do we still say that anymore?) in sunny, sweaty Singapore and being blessed/cursed with little body hair, I never really bothered with plucking my eyebrows or waxing my legs (even though my husband tells me I have hairy knees). What’s more, I’d never had a manicure before my husband brought me to a nail salon on one of our first dates. 

It wasn’t until my 20 or 21st birthday that I was finally inducted into the ever-changing world of female beauty standards when my best friend bought me a Groupon for laser hair removal. I continued with the sessions for a couple of years until I had no more hair in unwanted places (I still never did my legs). I started facials the same way: with a special trial price, then got sucked into the beauty black hole to “cure” all my imperfections, from pimples to freckles. Then, after childbirth, it was my postpartum tummy and jelly thighs… it just never ends.

But the Beijing belle takes things to a whole new level. I spoke to a few well-kept Beijing ladies about how they maintain their picture-perfect selves and worked out their grooming schedule and costs at the salon/spa: 

Facials: Weekly, RMB 380
Eyelash extensions: Every three weeks, RMB 300
Eyebrows: Every four weeks, RMB 200
Hair removal (Underarm or leg being the most common): Every four weeks, Starting from RMB 150
Hair Cut: Every four weeks, RMB 350
Hair Color: Whenever the mood strikes/every six weeks for maintenance, RMB 800
Hair Care: Every four weeks, RMB 350
Manicure and Pedicures: Every four weeks, RMB 600 for both

Phew. And that’s before we delve into more invasive procedures such as Botox, which is surprisingly common here. But that’s a whole other Pandora’s box all its own. No wonder women are always pictured at the salon or in the midst of some kind of beauty regimen (think Julia Roberts with the cold cream and cucumber eye masks in My Best Friend’s Wedding). If we are to look anything like how we are imagined to look, we would have to dedicate an incredible amount of time to the pursuit of pretty. 

I’d like to point out that I’m typing this as I sit in a hair salon getting my hair colored and cut, so I’m a complete victim of the endless pursuit. 

But what if you could do it all from home and for a significantly lower cost?

That’s where the 河狸家 Hé lí jiā app steps in. This decade-old app is the secret that a Beijing belle and good friend of mine shared with me. Its mainstay is dedicated to providing at-home beauty services, though there is also an option to book appointments at over 5,000 beauty salons and spas through the app.

When you first download the app, it will ask you to choose the categories that you are most interested in – from nails to make-up to body treatments.

Booking an appointment on the same day is easy, just click the button circled below to view available time slots! I was able to book an appointment for eyelash extensions within three hours.

They also claim to provide 24 hour service, though I have yet to test that myself…

The lowest price I saw for eyelash extensions was RMB 99, and the most expensive was RMB 488, so how much you spend is really up to you.

Pro Tip: My Beijing belle friend used the app until she discovered a particular service provider that she really clicked with, and has since personally set up appointments with her, in order to enjoy more exclusive service.

So there you have it, a beauty app that will hopefully save you some time and money!

KEEP READING: In Favor of Guasha Over the Knife

Images: 河狸家