Willow Glen Resident
Business
Photograph by Vicki Thompson
Time to Reflex: Tina Le, owner of Nail Elegance Salon in the Garden Theater, soaks Winnie Benanti's hands in water blended with floating oranges before starting Benanti's manicure.
Reborn nail salon in Garden Theater adds touch of Vietnamese pampering
By Mayra Flores De Marcotte
The sweet scent of violets and classical Vietnamese instrumental music greet customers who step into Willow Glen's Nail Elegance salon.
The shop, in the Garden Theater adjacent to Sushi Kazoo, has been a Willow Glen fixture for more than eight years and with new owner Tina Le has undergone an elegant makeover. The 27-year-old took over the business two months ago and wants to share Vietnamese health and beauty secrets with her customers.
The makeover is a hit with Willow Glen resident and longtime customer Winnie Benanti.
She sits at the nail counter, dips her fingers into water sprinkled with orange slices and waits for her manicure. She has been a customer of the shop for eight years and has known five different owners.
"I belong to the shop," she says, "and out of all of the owners, Tina is my favorite."
That positive response it what Le has worked to create in the transformed shop.
"For Asian people, it is another way to feel beautiful and happy," Le says. "I enjoy doing nails and making people feel more beautiful."
Le arrived from Vietnam nearly five years ago. There, she attended a local university and earned her degree in engineering, but obtained a cosmetology license to help meet expenses.
Le has worked at various nail salons throughout the Bay Area and throughout the years has developed her own clientele.
The Willow Glen shop is Le's first business venture. She chose Willow Glen because of its strong sense of community.
"I like the area because the people are very friendly," Le says. "In Willow Glen, residents want to support their local shops."
Her customer base is made up of long-time customers, including multiple generations of families.
As part of her services, Le has expanded the nail salon to include the use of hot stones and hot lotions during pedicures and manicures. At the end, customers are treated to a paraffin wrap. The idea is to kept the experience as natural and holistic as possible.
Le says, "It makes their skin feel refreshed and soft like a baby's."
Le also offers services for children 10 and under.
"Kids come in here and get a pedicure or manicure and at the end, I give them a small gift, like a hair clip," she says. "It makes them happy and teaches them how to treat themselves."
Nail Elegance is at 1165 Lincoln Ave. No. 120. For more information or to make an appointment, call 408.885.1305.
