There are people who can “do” nails and people who simply can’t. I fall into the latter category; the very height of my nail-painting capabilities is applying a bright colour without going over the edges. I can just about do that now – first time – without having to spend ten minutes fixing my mistakes with a remover-soaked cotton bud! But a whole Nail Artistry set? With gems and stickers and complicated patterns? I’ll leave that to the girls who know what they’re doing – with steady hands and the patience of a saint. This week I asked Martha from @NailTechMartha to create something beautiful with Dior’s Nail Artistry box. Here’s the lovely Martha:
There’s a link to Martha’s Instagram below – her page is a colourful scrapbook of the different nail designs that she creates for clients, from the most natural French mani to the more outrageous, hot-pink pointy extensions! It was no wonder that the Nail Artistry Box got her pulse racing – the set included stencils, gems, tweezers and two polishes; a chrome effect one and a gel top coat. Like a dressing-up box, but for your nails. I would have absolutely no idea what to do with that lot, but it seems that Martha had a bit of a field day! Chromed nails, sparkly nails, little glittery stars…
I particularly like the diagonal pink-and-chrome nail and the fully-gemmed accent nail. Perfectly done. Martha is a pro nail technician, but she said “the stencils are fun and easy enough for anyone to apply, though patience is key when you’re waiting to peel the sticker off”, and she was also impressed with the chrome polish – “quick to apply and dried fast”. Martha loved the gel top coat – “very shiny, and again, quick drying. It sealed in the manicure beautifully” and was surprised that it gave such a professional gel finish without the need for any UV light. The only really tricky part was the gem application, Martha said that the gems are quite difficult to handle. (I suppose that’s where the “patience of a saint” part comes in handy!)
This set would make a great gift for nail enthusiasts; I like the fact that Martha has been able to create so many different looks and that they all look chic and sophisticated rather than the usual glitz that I associate with nail artistry. I’ll definitely be investing in a bottle of the gel top coat – you can buy it individually here, it’s £19 – and I might even be tempted by an accent nail or two! You can find the Nail Artistry box at Selfridges here – it’s £46. The pink that Martha has used in the shots is not included, but I love it – it’s shade 547, Bouquet. You can find that online at FeelUnique. I’ll be setting Martha another nail task soon, in the meantime make sure you’re following her on Instagram.
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