This is one of the posters for Nail'd It, a nail art competition reality show on Oxygen.
And I was invited to be a "client" on this reality show.
Nail'd It is very similar to Project Runway or Top Chef — a group of nail artists are given challenges that push their craft to extreme realities. There's a wonderful host, in this case Adrienne Bailon (who you may remember from The Cheetah Girls), celebrity nail judges (meaning celebs in the nail world, and just pretty people everywhere else), and elimination-style judging.
Nail art, for those who aren't familiar, is a huge deal, not just on Pinterest, but there's also a massive nail art community and even competitions for artists to showcase their work. The contestants on Nail'd It are seriously talented and I, as a client, got to spend a day getting my nails done by one of them. Here's what I found out about nail art, and being on a reality show.
1. Whatever you say on a reality show is fair game, and it might just end up in one of the show's trailers.
Here's the full trailer, just so you can experience it in all its glory.
2. I had to get a manicure BEFORE the actual nail art.
In order to make the competition fair, everyone had to get a basic manicure to ensure their nail beds were healthy. All's fair in gels and glitter.
3. And after the manicure, I was given fake nails.
Like the kind you get in the drugstore that have a sticky adhesive on the back. Except mine were filed and re-filed and buffed to perfection.
4. In total, you will spend about an hour going through hair and makeup (likely at the same time).
5. You will immediately regret all of the potential outfits you brought to wear.
6. Once your fake nails are on, you aren't allowed to touch ANYTHING.
There was even a handler who followed all of us around to make sure we weren't touching anything.
7. Except there are TOTALLY ways to get around the no touching thing, and everyone did it.
8. Filming a 30-minute scene takes HOURS, and you will be on set all day.
9. You will raid the craft service table and eat so many of the things.
10. The actual filming is incredibly awkward.
11. And if you're not an actress, you will absolutely humiliate yourself.
12. A camera will roughly be two feet from your face at all times.
13. And there's something really weird about KNOWING that you're being filmed. Suddenly you say things you normally never would.
My nail artist's face is just like, "What the actual fuck is going on here?"
14. It took an hour and a half to get my nails done, and it was exhausting.
For an hour and a half the cameras are pinned to your side, and you feel obligated to fill every minute of it with small talk.