Fashion For fingertips

Neha Nadan was barely 10 years old, in 2012, when the world experienced NAILgasm – the term nail art fanatic, Ayla “Brass” Montgomery coined as the title of her documentary film to describe the excitement resulting from the artistic treatment of finger and toe nails.

Though she has never watched that award-winning documentary, Neha’s own obsession with nail art can be understood within its frame and footage.

Painting her family’s and friends’ nails was what Neha did exceptionally well to earn her “pocket money” during high school. Her talents and skills still keep her busy as a trainee beautician at Mist Beauty Studio in Suva. Neha’s knowledge of nail artistry’s techniques – admittedly “all self-learned from the net” – belies her age.

Neha regards nail décor as “digital murals – on finger and toe nails.” On the keratinous surface of those tiny canvases she is challenged regularly to create miniature artistic masterpieces.

Instagram and Pinterest are popular sites where photographs of the creations and creators of nail art are curated, exhibited and traded daily to set, follow and copy the latest fashion trends. The digital universe spawned and sustains an industry thriving on ‘do-it-yourself’ consumerism. Nail art allows wearers both creative scope and space for self-expression of their individuality.

The recent proliferation of professional manicurists, pedicurists and nail care bars, parlours and salons in Fiji and across the globe – whose clientele is no longer confined to women – is also a sign of changing times where the adornment of nail art by male celebrities is making us accept that the ‘man’ in manicure isn’t quite the popular misnomer it once was.

The evolution of nail artistry over the centuries both celebrates and challenges changing ideas and ideals of femininity. Suzanne Shapiro’s book, Nails: The Story of the Modern Manicure (Prestel USA, 2014) provides a fascinating tale of the colourful history behind the sculpted, pierced, studded and stenciled variety of looks currently in vogue.

I’ve been getting my nails done since 2013. There weren’t as many nail technicians around back then in Suva to offer the incredible range of services they do now – in their own parlours or within the caverns of hair and beauty salons. Pampering myself at these spas to emerge out of them looking stylish, trendy and refreshed does leave the occasional dent in my wallet.

If you haven’t already experienced NAILgasm, visit a nail salon to discover what’s trending in nail art. Here are some of my favourite local nail parlours and technicians:

 Nailed It

Managed by Tanisha at Lees Plaza, Laucala Beach, her crew at Nailed It have perfected the art and

craft of living up to their business name. You certainly pay for what you get and get what you pay for at this busy studio. 

Blacksheep Nails Fiji

Housed in a vintage studio along Waimanu Road in the heart of Suva city, Blacksheep Nails is an ambitious new outfit, capitalizing on its radical name and creative designs, to attract a considerable following on social media with their reasonably priced sets.

 Sophia Marafono, Jade Fiji

Stationed at the MHCC branch of Jade Spa, Sophia was motivated by her daughter to complete her training as a beauty therapist and nail technician at Pivot Point. My nails have benefited from her unhurried and skillful attention to detail for over 3 years. Her neat craftsmanship is reflected in Jade Fiji’s charges.

Nail art is now considered an essential element of our daily grooming rituals. While keeping abreast with current trends helps you ensure your nails always look beautiful, you should not overlook the ‘before’ and ‘after’ care aspects of nail health maintenance.

Here are some tips for healthy nails:

 Use gel-based cuticle softener to remove dead skin before applying nail art.

 Mositurize your cuticles well with good oil and cream.

 Avoid acetone-based nail removers to prevent chipping and brittle nails.

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This article is dedicated to a dear friend, the late QC Julian Moti, Publisher of the Fiji Plus Magazine. This particular piece was written in February 2020 for the magazine but due to Covid there was a halt in production. Mr Moti was a mentor and a confident and will be dearly missed. xx