By Maddy Vitale
You might just walk by the new shop, Donna’s Nails & Spa at 1326 Asbury Ave., and think it looks charming. But if you stopped in, you would be welcomed by friendly people, where relaxation and a day of beauty await you.
Maureen Holland, on vacation from Westfield, N.J., decided she needed a little pampering. She was on her yearly summer vacation in Ocean City, after all.
“I’m getting a manicure and a pedicure,” Holland said as a nail technician applied cream to her legs, while her feet were soaking in water filled with minerals and vitamins. “I was walking around town and I saw the salon. It looked lovely, so I decided to stop and treat myself.”
Donna Nguyen, the owner of Donna’s Nails, opened the shop in June. But she is not new to owning a business. In 2016, she opened a salon by the same name in Brigantine that she noted is doing very well.
Nguyen came to the United States from Vietnam 12 years ago. She moved to Ocean City seven years ago. She has five employees. Her brother, Denny Nguyen, and sister, Lisa Nguyen, also help out.
Nguyen is hoping to capitalize on her knowledge of the nail business. She offers customers a wide selection of services, competitive prices and an ideal location for tourists and residents.
“I understand what people need and want,” Nguyen said with a wide smile. “People really want to come in to relax.”
Pedicures and manicures are the main offerings at the salon. Skilled, talented technicians work hard to please the customers, she said.
The pedicure spa treatments include foot masks, scrubs, cleansers, and soaks. There is even a soak with hot stones. There are six spa chairs and five nail tables in the space that is ample to feel comfortable and pampered, not crowded.
“People love the spa treatments. It is a treat, especially with the hot stones,” Nguyen said.
Customers also have about 600 nail colors to choose from. There are also different types of nails, from gel, which are very popular, to newer offerings such as SNS, which adds a powder to a client’s nail to add length and strength.
Marja Lindstrom, of London, brought her daughter, Noemie Lindstrom, 11, for mother- daughter manicures on their yearly summer vacation to Ocean City.
Nguyen took care of Marja Lindstrom’s manicure, while Noemie sat at another table with her hands under a heat lamp.
Noemie opted for a color she saw on Instagram. Her nails were painted in a lavender color and one of the nails had glitter on it.
She proudly flashed her newly beautified nails and smiled.
“She is the one who really wanted to come in,” Marja Lindstrom said with a laugh. “She loves having her nails done.”
Nguyen said in just a few months, her Ocean City salon has really started to build up a clientele. She hopes, as more people learn about Donna’s Nails and all that it has to offer, the business will continue to grow.
She said her team of technicians would love to book large groups for weddings and other special occasions for the services offered at the salon.
She emphasized that the salon uses an excellent exhaust system to push out the odors of the chemicals used during nail services.
Everything done at Donna’s Nails is up to code requirements to offer customers the safest environment for their nail treatments, she said.
“We have to have this air system. It is required in Ocean City, and it is healthy for everybody,” she noted. “Our salon does not smell like chemicals. Some do.”
In just a few months, Donna’s Nails already has regular customers.
“They come in every two to three weeks,” Nguyen said. “They are just happy to be here.”
For more information or to make an appointment, call Donna’s Nails & Spa at (609) 938-2008.
