Angels Nails offers unique salon experience

After six years, Kingston business continues to grow 

By ALAN K. STOUT

Westside Bulletin Correspondent

Kim Le has always had an artistic side.  She’s always enjoyed drawing and artwork and she knows the importance of attention to detail. And that - combined with her ambition and a fine sense for business - has resulted in the success of Angels Nails, a nail salon that she owns and operates in Kingston.

Le, 37, has operated the business, which is located near Kingston Corners, for the past six years. She had previously owned a nail salon in Houston, Texas.  A native of South Vietnam, she has lived in the United States for the past 15 years.  She says that while in Vietnam, she went to college to become a school teacher, and following graduation, she also opened her own computer repair shop.  She was inspired by her parents, who were both hard workers, to go into business for herself, and eventually, nails became her career choice. 

Kim Le works with a client at Angels Nails

“It seems that so many people that live in the States, and are from Vietnam, do nails,” says Le with a laugh. “When I came to the  United States, I had a lot of problems with my accent, and I didn’t think I could go back to the school. I had just finished school in Vietnam, so that wasn’t something I thought I could do.  So I started working at a nail shop. I cleaned and painted nails for the little kids.”

Le says she soon found that creating artwork on hands came easily to her.

“It was just natural,” she says. “When I was younger, I loved to draw.  My favorite cartoon was ‘Snow White,’ and I painted my whole wall in my room like that.  And I just kept drawing. If anyone shows me a picture, I can draw it, exactly.”

The interior of Angels Nails

Le says that she enjoyed working at the salon and decided, over the course of a year, to get an official license for doing nails. She then opened her own shop.

“I like the job,” she says. “Some people have nothing, and I do their nails, and it makes them feel beautiful. I’m happy. And they’re happy.” 

In addition to painting nails, Angles Nails also offers pedicures, manicures, waxing, eyelash extensions and eyebrow microblading. While getting a pedicure, clients can also relax in one of the salon’s four massage chairs.  Le says that though operating such salons is competitive business, she does well and has been successful partly because of her ability to create specific designs.

Holiday nails by Kim Le

“I’m lucky,” she says. “If they bring a photo in, or see something in a magazine, I can do it exactly like that. And a lot of other shops can’t do that.  We’re good for that.”

Angels Nails is located at 253 Wyoming Avenue in Kingston. In addition to Le, it has a staff of three employees. It is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. One of Le’s best assets for her business, besides her talent, is her word-of-mouth reputation. She has a sizable following on Facebook and clients that come from not only all throughout Luzerne County, but also its surrounding counties. Some even come from out of state.

Angel Nails, located on Wyoming Avenue in Kingston

“I have people that drive two hours,” she says. “They come from New York and New Jersey, often for the eyebrow microblading, because of our pricing. And we have a lot that come 30 minutes or more, because they want a certain design. Other places don’t do designs.

“We take care of all of that.”

(For more information about Angels Nails, call (570) 283-9090. 

                                       This article originally appeared in The Westside Bulletin