The Best Nail Salons in Kigali

After living in Kigali for a few months now, I thought I would share my favorite nail salons in Kigali. There are so many great, affordable options around town. Since I live in Kimihurura, I mostly venture out to salons in my area and have visited a few of them enough times to give a solid review.

For me, what makes a good nail salon in Kigali is quick removal of nail polish, solid filing, and good-quality polish that doesn’t chip. I use gel polish because my nails break easily, and I like the extra strengthening effect. I typically get a drill removal and a basic gel polish. I’ve occasionally used a rubber base to make my nails stronger, but I don’t love how it sometimes causes my nails to stick up. A big bonus is a hand massage as well.

I haven’t found a perfect salon yet… but that’s what keeps me looking.

Luna

Kimihurura

Manicure: 20k

The salon with the most nail color variety (which, in my opinion, is the most important) is Luna. You can book via WhatsApp. Although the phone says it opens at 10:00, the nail tech is usually not there until around 11:00, so I definitely suggest making an appointment in advance.

I love their color selection and display. At other salons, they need to get out all the different polishes, and I usually have to test the color on my hands before deciding.

So far, Luna always had the shades I wanted. I get my previous gel drilled off, which doesn’t take too long, then my hands are soaked, cuticles cut, and nails filed. The entire process usually takes about an hour. I’ve been able to keep this polish on for about three weeks before it starts to chip or peel. For some reason, I don’t have a picture of my nails from here, so next time… It’s one of my favorite nail salons in Kigali.

Glitz Beauty

Kimihurura

Manicure: 10k

Reservation via WhatsApp +250 782 975 950

I really like going to Glitz, especially for nail polish removal, because they’re so quick and there’s almost always someone available. I’ve never made an appointment and have always been seen within 10 minutes. When my mom and sister visited, we all got manicures and pedicures there, too!

I like the color variety at Glitz, but I’ve noticed that sometimes my polish chips within a week unless I have them cure it under the UV light for a long time. That said, their customer service is great. If a nail chips, I just go back and they fix it. For the price, it’s a good deal. Try adding a base first to keep the color on for longer.

I have just gotten a little flower put on my nail, but they also excel in nail art from what I’ve seen online.

I also love their manicure and pedicure services. The pedicure is one of the best I’ve had: it includes a really nice massage and proper scrubbing, so my feet always feel super soft after.

Everyone there is friendly and welcoming, and a must-do at Glitz is the back massage. It is amazing and my favorite in town, as the masseuse, Roy, actually listens to you if you have any back pain. It’s just 20k for a 30-minute back massage. It’s more of a practical massage than a spa experince but if you have knots in your back, Roy will get them out; just speak out about where they are and what you want to focus on.

Pure Beauty

Kimihurura

Manicure: 20k

I recently went to Pure Beauty because I saw it advertised a lot on Living Well in Kigali. The salon is nice, and I made an appointment via WhatsApp. My nails were soaked off instead of drilled, which took longer than I’m used to, but I didn’t clarify my preference.

Once it came time for polish, the application only took about 20 minutes, and after a week, the polish still hasn’t chipped at all!

Maka & Yura

Nyarutarama

Manicure: 20k

I’ve also been to Maka & Yura for manicures. The service was friendly and straightforward.

I didn’t find a huge variety of colors, but they have all the basics. I ended up going for a bright blue. My polish lasted a solid 3 weeks of sun and vacation adventuring before starting to peel off a bit.

I’ve also gone for a facial at Maka & Yura, and it’s great. They use Clarins products, and my face feels so clean afterwards. I highly recommend it.

Isaiah Nail Bar

Glitz Beauty

Kisimenti

Manicure: 25k

Reservation via website

I went to Isaiah Nail Bar as it’s one of the top nail salons. Although I liked the people and the general service, I don’t like how my nails turned out. I got nipped a few times with the cuticle scissor and they seem to spend as much time cleaning up the nail polish as they do putting it on. I prefer a salon with more technique to keep the edges around the nail clean. However, people who want nail art may love the place. And, a big credit to them, they have a lot of different colors.

I loved the green color tho!

The first time I asked for cat nails and thought they looked okay but after a day, I really disliked the silver polish for the cat eye (it’s either silver or glitter). That’s not their fault but when I asked their opinion, they said it looked good and I can’t see how it does haha. But that’s on me. I had a small bubble on one of my nails and when I mentioned it, they didn’t redo the nail, just said that probably happened because I hit the UV light (okay, I really don’t think I did but still usually these are then fixed?).