Beijing's best pedicures

Beijing's best pedicures for every budget

Best for nail art

DJZ Nails

Best known for adding bling to the bodies of Beijing’s fashion elite, a trip to DJZ will leave you with flawless feet just begging for a close-up. Flick through Japanese nail-art magazines for hundreds of pages of inspiration, from intricately stencilled designs to the entire cast of My Little Pony on your toes. Prices vary by design, starting from 200RMB for a single colour gel to 688RMB for the whole shebang. 

Juicy Nails

This tiny salon specialises in Korean-style nail art – and has the cutesy surroundings to match. Choose from a wide range of imported gel polishes and add-ons (handpicked by the owner) then sip on tea and play with the salon’s resident cat Shaobing, while you get yo’ nails did. From 98RMB; nail art from 408RMB.

Best for a quick fix

Lily Nails

This golden oldie has built up a name for itself over the years, delivering speedy and professional service at a low price point. For 100RMB, technicians crack open a freshly sterilised tool kit to scrape and file away all the dead skin, transforming even the toughest of trotters into silky smooth tootsies before swiftly applying a fresh lick of OPI nail varnish. Add an extra 10RMB for the drying accelerator. Gel pedicures from 260RMB. 

Pop Color

With a standard soak-off gel polish pedicure in the middle of the CBD for 128RMB, this hot-pink haven is a rare find. After a quick dip in a tub of lukewarm water, unflinching artists swiftly get to work. You’ll be in and out in 15 minutes with perfectly pedicured toes that last around two weeks without a chip. It’s not fancy, but it’ll do the job. Upgrade to OPI varnish for 198RMB. 

Zig Zag

This homely nail joint will have your feet open-air ready in a matter of minutes. For a quick colourful fix, the standard OPI pedi (98RMB) takes under half an hour and lasts around a week. For feet fresh out of hibernation, the pedicure and exfoliation (198RMB) helps to tackle even the most out of-order feet. Just watch out for the occasional over-zealous snip. Gel pedicures from 328RMB. 

Best for a bit of luxury

Sense, Rosewood Beijing

A pedicure at Rosewood Beijing’s Sense spa might follow the familiar steps, but boy, we’ve never seen ’em done like this before. As you’re led into your private nail suite and sink into a plush leather chair, your feet are put to soak in a naturally exfoliating bath packed with freshly sliced grapefruit and lemon, mixed with soothing chamomile. No biggie. Weary feet are then treated with a hydrating mask and nails are carefully shaped and painted (choose from OPI or Cuccio) while you sit back with your complimentary goji berry tea, superfood snack bowl and your pick of Women’s Health or Men’s Health magazines. Availability is limited, so book in advance.

Dragonfly

With its spa-like setting, ever-attentive staff and reasonable price point, Dragonfly sits comfortably on the crossroads of luxury and good value. The basic pedicure (180RMB) promises the full works, with a rose-scented foot bath, a full-on rubdown and any OPI colour of your choosing. And because pedicures aren’t just for women, Dragonfly has a customised male pedicure (165RMB) that tames even the toughest of cuticles.

Best for at-home treatments

Helijia

This one-stop beauty shop app brings the salon to your office, living room or wherever you damn well please. A basic trim, file, buff and moisturise will set you back 128RMB, with colours from 70RMB – a fair price to pay for convenience. Technicians are on-call seven days week, and while it’s recommended you book a couple of days in advance, same-day appointments are often available. Pair up with a friend for buy-one-get-one-half-price pedis. 

For full details on all locations, hit '阅读原文'.

More from Time Out Beijing