Since we moved to Abu Dhabi we have had more manicures in a month than we ever had in a year in our home country

As a result our nails look great, but we are getting a little bored of our usual colour choice, which is why we decided to try nail art.

We investigate the impressive selection of diamantes and patterns on offer at The Nail House. A design display includes animal print, bows, flowers, shoelace effect, music notes, designer logos Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and a lot more besides. We wonder should we opt for a hand drawn design or nail-stickers? Spots or stripes? Are diamantes a bit OTT?

In the end we choose fuchsia nail varnish and ask our therapist Sarah to work her magic. We sit back and relax as she tends to our cuticles, shapes our nails and applies a treatment.

Sarah places our hand in a basin of warm water and adds a ball of Me! Bath Ice-Cream treatment. The green-tea fizz ball dissolves and bubbles in the water releasing detoxifying minerals and aromatic oils.

Next Sherbet Scrub is applied, this product contains Vitamin E and organic Jojoba oil to exfoliate, cleanse and moisturise. After the treatment our skin feels silky smooth.

Our therapist goes to work decorating our digits. She applies hot-pink varnish before carefully positioning flower stickers onto some of our nails. She uses a tool that resembles a toothpick, to meticulously arrange diamantes on four nails.

As we examine our diamante clad nails, we wonder do they look tacky or tasteful? Undoubtedly tasteful we decide and we can’t wait to show off our nail bling back at the office.

Green Metallic Poles Apart polish is applied to our toenails. This varnish has been developed with metallic particles to create a pattern on the nail using magnetic forces. Our therapist holds a magnet briefly over each nail and the iron powder in the varnish moves toward the magnet forming an unusual wave pattern.

Diamonds, magnets and ice-cream fizz… The Nail House certainly has plenty to offer customers and that’s why it’s a big hit with us. Our only concern is what nail art pattern should we go for next?

Catriona Doherty

What? Nail art
Where? The Nail Bar, behind the Red Crescent, Muroor Road
Cost: AED 100 for a manicure and pedicure, plus AED 10 per nail for nail art or AED 5 per nail for diamantes
and crystals. AED 120 for Me! Bath hand-treatment.
We say: Add some sparkle to your life!
Contact: 02 491 3141