Sponsorships are every blogger’s dream but blogging truthfully about the product or service is not what every blogger does. Hence, I took 9 days to figure out what I must share about my 3D Nail Art manicure. And now, I think it’s time to tell you if such manicures are worth the time and money spent.
My manicurist, Junying, has a home-based nail salon called Thistlebelle Nail Boutique. She’s 23, studied Real Estate Management but realised working for others meant she was often too tired to pursue her passions, such as dancing. Hence, she has become an entrepreneur, has control over her time, and also indulges in her love of nail art too!
I knew she’s a talented young lady from viewing some of her past nail art creations so I threw her a challenge by telling her what I wanted only when we met and frankly, she nailed the job (pun fully intended).
First, allow me to introduce you to the 2 goldfish on my thumbs:
When I attended the Meet The Entrepreneurs Charity Concert on Monday, one Facebook friend came up to me and said she could not recognize me from my Facebook profile photo but she recognized the 2 goldfish! LOL!
And the rest of the nail art on my fingers:
On the middle finger is a silver sticker with “年年有余” and on my pinky is “福”. Very auspicious, no?
Honestly, I would have preferred to have goldfish on all 10 fingernails but that would have taken up too much time. The acrylic extensions plus the 2 goldfish and some bling took a total of 3 hours already, and Junying’s next client was already on her way over.
And speaking of acrylic nails, it was my first time getting them!
My nails were trimmed and acrylic powder was used to make the extensions:
Then, with some colored powders and the photo of a goldfish keychain, Junying made the goldfish right before my eyes:
If you’re wondering whether the goldfish were created separately and then glued onto my nails, the answer’s no. They were created right before my eyes from scratch – moulded on my nail, shaped and colored. 
As far as I know, I’m the ONLY one in Singapore (or the whole world, for that matter) with these pink and red goldfish nails. This gives me lots of bragging rights. Ha! *update: Junying later gave another client gold-colored goldfish nails. I still maintain that my pink and red ones are cuter. XD*
Junying told me the nail art would last 3 weeks to a month. I could have bet that the crystals would have fallen out by the 3rd day at least, but surprise surprise, they are all still firmly stuck to my nails! 
One drawback, I suppose, is that I have difficulty removing my retainers every morning (if you have worn braces before, you’ll know what those are).
Tips for acrylic nail extensions and 3D nail art:
1) I learnt this from a celebrity manicurist, Lisa Logan (she does Beyonce’s nails) -> Apply sunblock onto your hands to protect them before sticking them into the UV light machine used to solidify the extensions and 3D artwork.
2) If you’re someone who usually keeps your nails short, grow them out for 2 weeks or more before you get your extensions. This is to ensure you are used to the nail length and don’t get into accidents (like stabbing yourself in the eye when removing contact lenses) if your nails suddenly become extra long.
3) Ask Junying for tips on how to remove contact lenses with these super long nails. 
She has a method of squeezing the eyelids to get the lenses out, but I didn’t bother to learn ‘cos I have perfect eyesight after Lasik!
Lastly, be prepared to get lots of compliments and answer questions like “Is it difficult to work with these nails on?”, “Can I touch the goldfish?” and the ultimate “You don’t do any housework, do you?” *chuckles*
Do your homework before meeting Junying. You can check out her artwork at http://thistlebellenail.blogspot.com. I sure did my own homework on the way to her home-based nail salon, and here are some of my favs from her blog:
1) Hello Kitty nails!
2) Ribbon nails:
3) Special request Holland-theme nails:
See? I am not kidding you when I say this girl is REALLY talented. Go on and throw her a challenge. I believe you’ll be amazed, just as I was. And getting compliments from strangers every day has led me to the conclusion that getting beautiful nails is definitely worth the time and money!
Junying’s appointment slots are fully booked for CNY but there’s Valentines’ Day coming up, so book early to avoid disappointment. (Psst, she’s really good at bridal nails too!) SMS Junying at 90261583 and check out Thistlebelle Nail’s Facebook page here.
*For all pricing mattes: leave Junying a comment on Facebook or SMS her.
Thanks to Junying, I’m celebrating CNY in style! Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!~
