Nail Confidence exists to close one gap: the distance between the manicure you
saved and the one you walk out with. Almost every disappointment traces back to something the
photograph never told you, and every guide here is written to put that missing information in
front of you before you book.
Who writes this
Everything on this site is written and edited by Elise Navarro.
One person, one standard, one voice. There is no rotating pool of freelancers and no syndicated
copy bought in from elsewhere.
How a guide gets made
Every design on this site is judged on a single test before it earns a place: whether a nail
tech can look at the photograph and recreate it inside a normal appointment slot. That rules out a
great deal of what circulates online. Three-hour hand-painted sets photograph beautifully and will
not survive contact with a Saturday booking.
- The shape and length are stated plainly, because a set two centimetres longer
than your natural nail behaves differently and costs more. - The finish names the technique. Chrome needs a lamp. Cat eye needs a magnet.
Velvet needs a specific powder. If you cannot name it at the desk, you will not get it. - The upkeep is given before the picture, not after. How long a set lasts and
what it takes to maintain decides more than the design does. - Nothing is included because it was trending. A look that cannot be worn to work
or kept for a fortnight does not go on the list.
What we do not do
Nothing on this site is sold, and nothing is an affiliate link. No brand pays to appear, and no
post is sponsored. When a polish, lamp or kit is named, it is named because it is the thing being
described, not because there is a commission attached.
We also do not run personalised advertising, build profiles of readers, or sell data. The site
is funded independently of what it recommends, which is the only arrangement under which a
recommendation means anything.
Corrections
Pages are dated, and the date shown on an article is the date it was last reviewed rather than
the date it was first published. If something here is wrong, out of date, or has stopped being
true, tell us and it gets corrected on the page rather than quietly
deleted.
Who this is for
Anyone who has handed over a screenshot and received something else. You do not need to know the
vocabulary before you arrive, but you will have it by the time you leave.