Fashion is always on the hunt for the next big thing – the newest, most original trend – and it looks like gel nail polish company Bio Sculpture has found it in the real snakeskin manicure. This latest trend to sweep America (and now, it seems, Abu Dhabi) is one of those that could have gone either way. But whether you look at a set of freshly scaled nails with disgust or admiration (our office is currently split) you have to admit the idea is a genius one, and with snakeskin one of the hottest looks of the season, it’s a subtle way to get in on the act without looking like an extra from The Jungle Book.
The process
The process is fairly straightforward, if a little long. A full set will take around three hours, but, having neither the time nor the patience for such a time-consuming manicure, I opt to have just two on each hand done. The manicurist asks me to choose a complementary gel colour for the remaining nails, and I go for a vibrant orange. She starts by filing and buffing my nails, and trimming the cuticles. Then she opens a cellophane packet of snakeskin – and cuts a piece for each nail from what looks like the back of the snake, measuring the size carefully. The plain nails are seen to first, with the orange coats applied, dried, applied again, dried and applied once more, and a base coat of browny-pink for the soon-to-be scaled nails is also applied and dried. After that, my nails are painted with a layer of clear gel and pieces of snakeskin are firmly pasted on. They are topped by another coat of clear gel and dried once more. Once dried, they are buffed, moisturised and glossed once more. The whole process takes a little under an hour and a half. I am unable to find out what kind of snake my nails are now wearing – for all I know it could be a venomous cobra or a man-crushing anaconda. I suspect from the size, however, that it is something small and relatively harmless that shed its skin for my beauty benefit.
The pros
It is a brand new treatment – Sisters Lounge is, at present, the only salon in Abu Dhabi to offer it. As such, I am now walking around with a set of the most cutting edge nails in the capital. And I have to admit they look pretty good. The finish is smooth and the base colour chosen by the manicurist complements the colour of the scales perfectly. They also last for three weeks – and almost a week later there is not a chip in sight.
The cons
All the coats mean your hands get pretty dry from the heating, and your nails are a good deal thicker than when you started. Those who wear acrylic nails will be used to this, but others might find it feels a little odd. If you want them removed, it means a return visit to the salon – those bad boys are practically welded on.
The verdict
This is a very new process, and it’s hard to tell whether it will have any staying power once the novelty’s worn off. For now, though, if you want a set of talons to make you the envy of your most fashionable friends, give it a try. Ophidiophobiacs need not apply.
Dhs900 for the full set, or Dhs90 per nail. Sisters Lounge, Khalifa Bin Shakhbout Street (02 222 2502).
