Vanity Projects: Bowery, Manhattan

Dali’s Hot Summer

Technician: @tropical.nail
Design by:
Price: $$$

Studios are rated in a 1-3 star system. To learn more see our studio list.

Overall:★★★

Coolest Thing: They post last minute appointment openings and visiting artists on their Instagram.

Vanity Projects is a great example of balance between a good interior and good work. If you are looking book your first nail art appointment, this would be a great place to start. We recommend using their online booking and scheduling your appointment at least one month in advance.

The total for this design was $200 with tip.

STUDIO: ★★★

Let it be known that one of these stars is for the amazingly hilarious video from the popular life simulation video game “The Sims” that was being projected on the walls of Vanity Projects throughout my entire appointment. It was about a three minute clip that lopped continuously. First a sim with short red hair would paint. Then she would sleep. Then she would start a fire pit that would go out of control, which she would freak out over for another solid minute. For what reason? Who knows. Was the video at all related to the music? No. My tech didn’t even know why it was happening. I think that part of my experience will remain a mystery.

Though I was thoroughly entertained while I was waiting, I did have to wait 15 min for my appointment. I arrived 15 min late, at 5:15, and even so I wasn’t seated until about 5:30. They offer you water, still or sparkling, and if you don’t have a preference I would recommend the sparking since it’s Perrier, while the still is just tap. The studio is very clean and well designed, but smells strongly of acrylics. I don’t usually go to studios that use acrylics, so I’m not used to the smell and would have liked it if they have better ventilation.

NAIL CARE: ★★

Removal of my previous gel went smoothly. She cleaned up my cuticles and they remain healthy. My nails are growing out fast, as you can see in the feature picture, another good sign of health. Afterwards she asked me about the shape, so I showed her my inspiration photo and told her I wanted coffin. Looking at the shape now I don’t think they are totally consistent, some of them look more square than coffin.

ART: ★★★

My inspiration design (above left) looks super similar to the design my tech did for me (above right). I was very impressed with the way she was able to paint and replicate the flames. When I looked around me, it was clear that it was a hand painted focused salon. When it came to choosing the stone for my ring finger, there was not a lot to choose from, so if you are thinking of going here with a stone forward design I would recommend looking elsewhere. However, if you are just looking for skilled hand painting, they always name the stylist in the cation of their posts on Instagram, so you can find the person that specializes in the style you are looking for.

My tech used acrylic to attach the gems which is something I have not experienced before. Based on my sister’s experience with acrylic, I look forward to being able to run a bus over my nail and still have the gems attached. With this technique she did not have to coat the gems with any gel, allowing optimal sparkle and convincing me that this is a method more salons might want to consider.

LONGEVITY: ★★

There are certain people that like thin gel polish. I am not one of those people. Always ask for a hard gel top coat. Always get it. However, even though my tech applied a hard gel top coat, one of my pointer finger nails cracked about a week later. I might have my next salon glue my nail together, but I was disappointed with this manicure’s durability.