Nail bars are a common sight on every high street in the UK and indeed many other countries.  However, it is important to find a salon that has a reputation and qualified staff, as many women are experiencing horrific sessions that leave them distressed and in some cases feeling quite ill.  The surge in popularity was born from the demand for nail art and manicures but the reluctance to pay top salon prices’ Let’s look at what is happening, and what the alternatives are.

Obviously, there are some awesome nail bars out there, and we are not dissing them at all. However, there has been a surge in more dubious establishments.  What happens is that Vietnamese woman are being forced to work, having arrived as an illegal immigrant, desperately seeking a better life.  Sadly, they do not find anything they have been dreaming about but are instead forced to work in production like salons, with poor treatment and even worse pay. 

I recall stumbling upon one by accident once.  I had run out of time to sort my nails and needed a first-rate look for that evening.  Initially, I was just delighted that they could find me in.  However, as I sat and waited for my technician to be ready, I started to notice things that filled me with dread.  It was eerily quiet in the room.  There were six stations set up, and all were occupied by a white-coated young lady and a client.  No chatty conversations about the weather, or holidays, just minimal interaction as the customer pointed to the nail art of choice and the blanket of silence resumed.  I watched bemused, and after I left, I started to dig around on the internet.  What I found confirmed my fears, these hardworking ‘slaves’ for want of a better word, did not speak English.

It also turns out that most are not qualified but know just enough to provide an adequate nail job, as I found out when my turn arrived.  What was that awful smell? The glue had an appalling stench that I now know means it was likely to be pretty toxic stuff, scary for me as a client but I knew instantly I wasn't going back.  How awful for the technician to be working with it all day every day - they are likely to be getting quite sick as it turns out it isn’t safe for use with nails. 

Applying the wrong Glue is extremely dangerous, most budget salons use a substance called methyl methacrylate in their glue, it is cheap and makes the glue so strong it can be used to hold up concrete. This glue can not only cause permanent nail damage but has also been known to cause allergic reactions.

Work is being done to ensure that such unrepeatable places are shut down, but Bling Art offers a range of amazing nail art products that mean you can create the salon look at home. Such is their quality we will be working with a range of professional well-run salons so that they can offer a more affordable experience with the most amazing looks.  Bling Art owner Sophia has this to say about her awesome brand

“There must be more women like me, who loved nail art but didn't have the time to maintain nails that would look glamorous with nail varnish and were not prepared to pay budget prices in salon booths. Instead, I took the view would prefer to do my own nails and if only I could make designs that were not only amazing and appealing but could be perfectly reproduced so women like me could sit at home, enjoy "me" time and not worry about safety and quality, instead focus on adding the nails and recapturing the childhood girly innocence of enjoying the nail art experience"

To see the range of products we have on sale have a look at the website www.blingart.com