Why I Wanted Equestrian Nails
Been seeing those fancy curved nails everywhere on social media lately. They look like little horse hooves – kinda weird but cool? Figured I’d try it myself since my regular salon doesn’t do these. Got shocked when some places quoted crazy prices. Decided to test cheap options against pro salons myself.
First Try: The Drugstore Disaster
Went straight to the discount beauty aisle. Grabbed:
- Press-on nails pack ($4.99)
- Super glue ($1.25 bargain bin special)
- Emery board (stole it from my roommate)
Took the press-ons and filed them sideways for that curved shape. Looked okay… until the glue attack. Got super glue everywhere – on my skin, table, even stuck two fingers together. Peeling them off felt like ripping duct tape from hairy legs. Nails started popping off next day when opening soda cans. Total mess!
Salon Visit: Shocked My Wallet
Made appointment at fancy equestrian-specialty salon downtown. Almost fainted when they handed the menu:
- Basic set: $110
- “Luxury” set w/ gel polish: $180
- Extra shaping: +$25
Nearly walked out but curiosity won. The tech spent two freaking hours shaping each nail like Michelangelo sculpting marble. Used five different files! They felt indestructible after – opened beer bottles without cracking. Still felt robbed paying that much though.
What Actually Works
After burning cash everywhere, here’s the real deal:
Cheap wins if: You just want selfies for one night. Use press-ons + nail glue not super glue. File before gluing. Costs under $15 max.
Salon wins if: You need durable nails that last weeks. But avoid places charging over $150. Found decent spots doing them for $85 after digging through Yelp reviews.
My final move? Learned to shape them myself with regular gel manicure. Tech charges $20 extra to curve standard gel nails. Looks 90% as good, costs half of “equestrian specialty” places. Sometimes hype just ain’t worth the cash.
