Viktoria Jean

Swarovski Crystal Pixie nail art is the manicure industry’s best kept secret. It’s still popular in Japan and the States, but strangely this style is quite rare in Singapore. I have seen some gorgeous pictures on Instagram so I was really excited when Vanitee matched me up with a lovely manicurist, Janelle from Nailbuddies, who gave me a very rare Swarovski Crystal Pixie gel manicure!

You may be wondering – what on earth are Swarovski Crystal Pixies? They are tiny round crystals mixed with other bullions, and serve as little pretty gems to adorn your nail art. So you may choose to highlight one finger, or bling out all 10 of them (thumbs included). I swear, they are much shinier, lighter and sturdier than your average plastic nail gems. After my experience, I decided to write this piece about 3 ways to wear the Swarovski Crystal Pixie Nail Art!

Janelle has 2 types of this: the dark and light crystals. I chose to use the light ones this time, but it really depends on what base colour you choose, and which crystal will complement it best.

Anyway, more about Nailbuddies! Janelle offers a convenient home-based service, so you may select from her range of available dates. If you’re an Eastie, her home in Tampines Street 84 (psst…please see the app for her full address) is just 3 bus-stops always from the interchange. If you’re lost, just give Janelle a direct ping in the Vanitee chat and she will give you directions!

I arrived at Janelle’s place for the first time, and was invited into her spacious, private manicure haven. Her manicure workspace is so comfortable and I felt right at home. Plus Janelle is so chatty and friendly, I felt at ease being in a stranger’s room! Right away, I could feel her passion and expertise with the number of tools and gel bottles in her room.
Choosing from her stash of gel colours is really not easy – her collection is amazing!! This is just some of it:

I picked the dark, starry midnight steel blue (which already naturally bling because I love glittery nails!), and Janelle got right to work. First she patiently removed my DIY-ed gelish nails, then trimmed my nails into nice round shapes, before buffing and taming my messy cuticles. I applaud her skills! She really saved my ugly nails.

See? She’s giving my nails some TLC (won’t show you her face, till she gives me full permission!)

Following the TLC, she gave my nails 2 layers of base colour. Then she takes out some very delicate skinny tools to begin glueing the Swarovski Crystal Pixies. So fascinating!

I cannot emphasis how carefully she placed the crystals on my fingernails, and arranges them artistically. It’s like a surgery going on in here!

She actually pours the crystals onto the fingernails that require more crystals, as this gives a more even effect.

In the span of 2.5 hours, my nails were done! Revealing the full pictures in 3…2….1…

So for your next nail adventure, why don’t you try these 3 amazing ways to wear the Swarovski Crystal Pixies?

1. Forming Shapes with the crystals

With a silver sticker strip, a triangle was first shaped, before filling it up with crystals. This is my personal favourite because of the endless possibilities! Yes shape anything you want. You will never get bored.

2. Crystal Clusters

Spot the crystal clusters! Yes these are on my index finger (top hand), and middle finger (bottom hand). Love how the crystal are clustered near my cuticles to give variety to the texture.  These subtle differences lets your nails stand out from everyone else’s boring old matte patterns. (But no offence, I have days when I just want matte black nails)

3. Pairing Crystals with Bigger Gems

If you’re looking to go over-the-top, Swarovski Crystal Pixies will be able to help. When paired with chunkier gems, the effect is crazy – I swear it’s the first thing people see when I wave to them, in the dark, 5 feet away.

See how the bling-bling gems stand out in this full-manicure shot?

Swarovski Crystal Pixies really helped to add a gorgeous shiny glow, and an interesting bumpy 3D effect. Sometimes I wash my hair, and I can feel the crystals on my head – it’s like a scalp massage! (Not kidding) Or maybe I’m biased because I’m loving it so much.

Really enjoyed my manicure session with Janelle from Nailbuddies. Learnt from her many tips and tricks that she willingly shares, which include: a manicure must always end with capping the outer edges with a layer of finish! Also, if topping up your manicure with Swarovski Crystal Pixies, you don’t actually need a top coat. Her skills with the crystals are amazing and if you have never tried the Swarovski Crystal Pixies, I strongly encourage you to. She’s available at @nailbuddies on Instagram and Vanitee app!

It’s super easy to book a session from Vanitee! There are beauty offers from nails, hair, brow and lash, makeup and hairstyling and facial treatments uploaded daily from over 1,700 beauty salons! It’s truly Singapore’s #1 app for booking beauty services. And conveniently, you can also see customer reviews and view the artists’ portfolios on the app itself, by simply clicking on their profiles! And as I mentioned, you get to chat direct with the artist, so you can get your requests way in advance. Like for my session, Janelle checked with me way in advance the type of design I wanted. Sounds good right? On top of that, you can earn rewards from booking on the app too! Sign up with my link <<viktol1>> and get $15 OFF any beauty services! Download the Vanitee app now from www.vanitee.com!
Anyway, here are some screenshots of the app to illustrate. When you search for “Nailbuddies”, this page should surface:

When you click “Portfolio”, you get to view photos of the work that she has done for her past clients. That’s right – she does Tsum Tsum nail art!

Under reviews, you can also view what others have said about your artist. I gave Janelle an honest review, with some pictures for reference. You can view it on her page!

Looking forward to my next manicure session, and to try new patterns using the Swarovski Crystal Pixies. Have already booked my next session with Nailbuddies!

If you have pictures after your Swarovski Crystal Pixie sessions, do share! 🙂

Xoxo,
Viktoria Jean
P.S. Sharing a bonus picture I took with Janelle’s pup!! He’s totally adorable, and is usually kept away when strangers or customers come. Special case only that he is let out to play with me 🙂

• Blogpost as seen on Vanitee Blog