My nail ‘routine’ usually consists of quickly brushing on a pastel Essie nail polish whilst running 5 minutes late meaning that by the time I get of the tube, most of my polish has been smudged so it looks terrible or taken off completely!
So when I was invited to the Nice Nails Baby event last Thursday evening – organised by the brilliant Sassi PR team – I was excited to see what was in store for my deprived nails! I arrived at the event in the 27 degree heat (attempting to hide my lack of hydration from sweating on a hot tube journey) and was greeted by the cool sanctuary of The Big Chill bar near Kings Cross. One of the girls from Sassi greeted me and introduced me to everyone in the PR team, to the Nice Nails girls and also to the lovely founder Michelle. I was then given the very difficult choice of what colour to have on my nails, which REALLY was a hard decision considering the vast amount of shades they had. However, with it being a hot day and therefore an indication that summer is finally making its way towards the UK, I decided to go with this seasons ‘pastel trend’ , choosing Essie’s Rock Candy and China’s Material Girl shades.
I was put in the safe hands of Steph for my manicure, who gave my nails the pampering they longed for, buffering and filing them into shape and putting on a base coat (something my nails haven’t seen for a LONG time!). After applying the Essie polish, she carefully brushed on the Material Girl shade to create small dots which were then outlined by a black nail art pen, creating the leopard print spots! I’m sure it looks far easier than the girls make out, however when interviewing Michelle later she said that anything can be achieved with nail art as long as you “practice, practice, practice!”. It can initially be quite fiddly and tricky, but once you’ve achieved the look a few times – it becomes second nature!
To add the finishing touches on my summery nails, Steph added a heart shaped pearl stick-on, which gave a very glamorous result. Admittedly, once Steph had finished my nails, I couldn’t stop laying my palms on my lap for everyone to see – my nails had never looked so great! I was flattered that other bloggers also stopped to comment on my nails and the Sassi PR team were immediately on hand to tweet Steph’s nail creations!
After sipping cocktails which were served by a shirtless waiter (what better way in the basking heat), we were each given an amazing cupcake made exclusively for the event by Cute As A Cupcake (and I have to say, they were delicious!). I was then fascinated to watch other guests have their nails done, as each ‘nail’ creation came out differently (still very glamorous though) and it was amazing to watch the nail artists at work. I saw a few bows being added to a few nails and one guest even left with a Bassets Liquorice All Sorts manicure! In addition, I couldn’t believe that the treatment I received only would have cost me a mere £12 (amazing!) as personally I’d expect to pay a lot more for a manicure in London – especially one which is so unique. With salons in London Kings Cross and Portland House, it’s an easy ‘go to place’ for any girl who wants to be pampered. They not only specialize in manicures and glamorous nail art, but also offer a range of other treatments from lashes to waxing (all at an affordable budget!).
Overall, I had a fantastic time at the Nice Nails event! It was a great way to relax from a hectic day and I want to thank the Sassi PR team, Steph from Nice Nails and Michelle Duberry for a great evening. I will definitely be paying the salon in Kings Cross a visit soon, as my nails deserve a treat more often!
For more info and full price list of treatments visit www.nicenailsbaby.co.uk
Although the event was packed with bloggers and girls eager to speak to Michelle and have their nails done by the wonderful team, I managed to catch up with the lovely Michelle and ask her a few quick questions about Nice Nails Baby and what inspired her to set it up initially!
Interview with Michelle Duberry – Founder of Nice Nails Baby
Tell me a bit about Nice Nails Baby?
I started NNB about five years ago, as I wanted to set my own personal business, be in control and do the things I wanted to do, in my own way. I realized there was a gap in the market for nails (especially nail art) and so thought I’d give it a go. We have salons based in Victoria and Kings Cross and it’s a great way to compliment a hair treatment. Our salon caters for any girl, with any price range so anyone who comes into our salon can afford to come in once a week to get their nails done! What more could you ask for?
Why do you think nail art has become such a big trend?
Your nails are like an accessory, they allow people to be creative and match it to their own personal style. For example you are wearing a pearl collar [I was at the time!] which the heart shaped add on matches perfectly with. So you are able to express your style in another form – through your nails!
If there are people out there like me who aren’t very good with nail art what advice would you give them?
Easy….practice, practice, practice!
Finally, what advice would you give to someone who wants to enter the beauty industry?
Dont be afraid to take risks and if you make mistakes you will learn from them which will only help you in becoming successful!
