By Simone Limbu
Make-up is not just for faces anymore. People can now customise the lengths, design and shapes of their nails, and there are numerous nail art possibilities. Acrylic is a preferred material because it is less damaging to nails.
Reya Brown, 25, sales assistant in Zara, started having nail extensions in 2016 when she started university. She said: “My natural nails are very weak and won’t grow beyond a certain length, so I get extensions to achieve the length I want, and a nice set of nails just makes everything look put together.”
Brown’s go-to nail extensions are coloured tips with almond shapes that change depending on the mood and occasion, and the complexity of nail arts reflects on the price. She said: “The price does depend on the nail art. The more detail the art is the more expensive the set will be or if extra items are used such as gold foil or gemstones.”
Dan Tran, a nail technician, said it is an outlet for him to design and a way for him to express his creativity. “I try to incorporate a mix of Asian and western spice into my designs,” said Tran. “Nail art designs and trends come and go, but simple oval/square French nails are timeless.”
According to policy bee, the UK had 3,517 nail salons in 2019, a 56% increase over the previous five years.
When nail salons were closed during lockdown, people opted for at-home gel nail arts. Such was the case for Selina Rai, a receptionist who went to the nail salon every three weeks.
Rai said: “I ordered an at-home gel nail kit from Amazon and began experimenting with different colours and designs. It was a form of therapy for me.” She said she saves a lot of money and time by doing it from the comfort of her own home. Rai now only visits nail salons when she has a special occasion.
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