The Salon Offering Nail Art for Grown Ups

Confession: I think nail art is silly. Smiley faces or bows or flowers on nails after high school just seemed, well, wrong to me. But, truth be told, sometimes when I look down as I’m typing, I get a little bored by my basic, nude nails.

When my friend told me about Paintbox Nail Studio, I’ll admit I was a bit suspect.Another nail salon in NYC? Is that really what this city needs? But this nail salon, she explained, was going to be the real deal—the brainchild of former beauty editor  Eleanor Langston who had spent years collecting intel on the best and worst of the nail industry.

“When I was exploring the idea [of opening Paintbox], I was thinking about nails. It’s an experience that usually only women have, and if you ask why they paint their nails, you usually get a very emotional response. For such a unique experience, why does it have to be so clinical? I wanted to reinvent the process from start to finish,” Langston told me over the phone.

Photo: Paintbox Nail Studio

And reinvent the process she did. When you walk into Paintbox you feel more like you’ve entered a spa than a nail salon. You’re given a look book filled with photographs of sophisticated nail art options (no one yells at you to pick a color!), offered coffee or champagne, and even handed a stylus so you can text while you’re getting your nails painted. Genius.

“I used to dread getting my nails before," Langston said. "But it’s just like getting your hair done. It should be an experience that’s celebrated.” 

Related: Now You Can Turn Your Instagrams Into Nail Art

Langston’s big on the idea of grown-art nail art. I was hesitant to try it. She admitted to me that she, too, finds over the top talons to be “cool” but a bit “cheesy.” “We’re the hybrid,” she explained of their 25 adult friendly options. “I felt sophistication was really the direction that nail art was going. Lighter touches that still set you apart and give you an edge, a confidence."

Photo: Paintbox Nail Studio

I opted for the “Hot Tips” manicure and selected a nude base with a black tip (her, you gotta start somewhere). My manicurist told me it was “très Chanel,” so I felt validated.

“I love Paintball. It’s a classic. Cheery red with a light turquoise bead,” Langston told me when I asked her what she was loving from the menu these days. “It’s a new take on color blocking.” Who knew color blocking and manicures could be used in the same sentence?

Painbox Studio is located in Manhattan at 17 Crosby Street. To book your appointment, visit Paint-box.com.