Having an absolute Riot
Not many people know that I used to paint nails for a living. Yep, after leaving university, moving back to London and trying to get into magazines I paid my bills by working as a nail technician at the most popular nail bar in London; WAH Nails.
Day in day out I would paint all sorts of designs on to the fingertips of London’s coolest girls (and of course some boys). It taught me a lot, not least how to paint tiny pictures onto a nail surface, (one girl once wanted a portrait of her 2 pug dogs on her pinky) but more importantly how to get one with just about anyone. For hours I would sit intimately close to someone, literally holding their hand, so I became adept at making small talk, as well as becoming a counselor / therapist / sounding board for every client I had. I met some great people, but the best ones? The girls I worked with.
All with their own stories, vastly different personalities and incredible talent, the shop floor was always full of love, laughter and of course, incredible nails.
Tinu was the mum of the group, calm, collected and quietly in charge. When I left WAH she was one of the people I missed the most. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw an announcement on instagram that Tinu had started her very own nail empire; Colour Riot Nails.
I had to check it out.
Colour Riot Nails started in 2012 in a small shop space in Fitzrovia, I went to get my nails done there by the lady herself. The space was small, intimate, but full of life with their burst of colour accessories and constant chat that comes naturally in a nail salon. At the time I was still biting my nails, so Tinu added gel extensions and painted a pink and purple design that took inspiration from the numerous screenshots I had on my phone.
My second time visiting was a whole different experience, Colour Riot Nails had moved into their new and permanent home just off Brick Lane. The salon was a burst of colour, with yellow, pink and green walls, orange tables and multicoloured chairs. It's the kind of interior that makes you want to have matching rainbow talons and the idea of leaving with less than 4 colors on your nails feels like a sin.
After drooling over their instagram for days, I had decided it would only be right to do a rainbow fade, including as many colours as possible. My nails were still short, and very weak so it was necessary to create the design in gel… not an easy feat.
My nail technician was Emmi, a gorgeous girl, with the artistic ability of a modern day Leonardo da Vinci. I settled into a comfy pink chair and began catching up with Tinu, chatting to the other customers and checking out their choice of colour. An hour and a half later my nails had gone from small stubs of nothingness to an explosion of colour; a magical rainbow that I could wear with pride for the next two weeks.
The atmosphere was one of old-school salons, where everyone knows everyone's business, even if you're a stranger. Girls talked about everything and nothing at the same time, covering subjects ranging from politics, relationships, sex, work and family. It’s the kind of salon you could spend all day in, and as they serve tea, coffee and cocktails, there's actually no reason to leave.
The girls at Colour Riot Nails are nothing short of artistic geniuses, just check out their instagram if you don’t believe me. Abstract patterns, subtle ombre fades, incandescent glitter and gold leaf, studs, gems, and tiny paintings of everything from emojis to flowers, to crashing waves. Not to mention the bright neon stripes, the multicoloured animal print and the rainbows, oh the rainbows! If you can think it up, these girls can do it. With prices for a basic manicure starting at £15, and nail art starting at £25 too, there’s no excuse not to wear a colour riot on your finger tips at all times.