French Connection

Designer Nainika Karan is sharp as nails on manicure but that8217;s if you have the time

They are not called the 8220;satin sisters8221; for nothing. Gauri and Nainika Karan, the fashion designer duo about town, make it to page three for being perfectly turned out for all occasions as much as for their clothing label.

So when we asked Nainika if she would help out clients in a Delhi beauty parlour with their grooming, we were surprised she said that she8217;s pretty hopeless with much of the beauty regime. She claimed she8217;d never got herself a French manicure 8212; the 8220;natural8221; white-tipped varnish that It girls from Paris Hilton to Posh Spice favour 8212; but sportingly agreed to do other people8217;s nails.

The venue was The Bubble Lounge in Delhi8217;s Vasant Vihar, a trendy meeting point for much of the posh-end of south Delhi8217;s lunching ladies. It8217;s the sort of hoity-toity place where Nainika8217;s offer, 8220;do you want a manicure8221;, is met with stony silence.

Undeterred, Nainika finds her first client 10 minutes into the coaxing. Veena Chopra, a businesswoman, agrees to play guinea pig but is not sure she wants her nails in the hands of a novice. 8220;Don8217;t worry auntie,8221; Nainika tells her. 8220;I sketch, so I have a pretty steady hand. I promise I won8217;t spoil it.8221; Veena isn8217;t so sure but Nainika is gentle as she removes the old nail varnish and starts to file the nails. Turns out she is a bit too gentle8230; and8230;er, slow. Veena8217;s running out of time: 8220;It8217;s not hurting, you can do it a little faster.8221;

As she files and clips, Nainika makes small-talk, telling her 8220;client8221;, who she takes for a model 8212; so much for the reach of page three 8212; about her brand, Magnetic Rag.

The next hitch comes when after the filing and application of cream. Nainika tells Veena to soak her hands in the warm, soapy water for a few minutes and suddenly rushes out to the reception. Apparently, the volunteer French manicurist is 8220;not sure what to do next8221;. An assistant tells Nainika to gently push back the cuticles using a cuticle stick.

Time then to paint the nails. Nainika applies a clear base nail polish, waits for it to dry, and then paints a straight white line across the tips of all the fingernails, topping it with a coat of translucent nail polish. 8220;Are you happy with the result?8221; Nainika turns to her client. 8220;Yes, I like it a lot,8221; says Veena, adding, 8220;although you took very long.8221;

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Next, Nainika asks a 50-something lady with long, bubblegum-pink nails if she would like to get a French manicure. Auntie doesn8217;t want boring white lines though. 8220;Why don8217;t you paint my nails orange instead,8221; she suggests.

Soon there is Sunita Malik, mother of three who has never got a French manicure. 8220;You have very pretty fingers,8221; Nainika compliments her. 8220;I will shape your nails square instead of round, that will suit you better,8221; she tells Sunita. Nainika finishes in 45 minutes flat. An improvement on the one-and-a-half hours she took on the previous client.

Finally, it8217;s time to wrap up but Nainika is unruffled. 8220;It8217;s not that I8217;ve never done anything of this sort. I have given haircuts to all my girl friends. I also do my sister Gauri8217;s waxing and threading.8221; We8217;ll leave that for another day.