Nailing your at-home manicure is tricky business if you haven’t got the right tools and expertise. Crimson Dunstan and Bridie Alman learned this the hard way during last year’s lockdowns.
“We quickly realised there weren’t any Australian brands creating the [nail art] designs we wanted. Fun nails without the salon price tag or a fine arts degree were hard to find,” Dunstan says.
That eureka moment evolved into Flowerbed Nails, a new Bondi-based nail art company selling cute, playful stickers. All you need is clear nail polish and a decisive mind – there are heaps of designs to choose from.
The first collection is a collaboration with branding and design firm After Hours Studio that features some nostalgic nods to the ’90s, including smiley faces, cherries, lightning bolts, flowers and chillies. “Think Harry Styles meets Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour album cover and goes dancing with A$AP Rocky,” Dunstan tells Broadsheet.
Flowerbed is committed to making nail art for everyone, not just girls and women. “The Australian beauty industry has a long way to go, especially in embracing men and gender-nonconforming people in an authentic way,” says Alman. “We want to be a part of that change by giving everyone the space and opportunity to play with self-expression.”
And it’s much easier than driving to the nail salon and sitting in the chair for half an hour. Just peel off your chosen decal, stick it to a clean, dry nail, push down for five seconds and swipe on a coat of clear nail polish. It’ll last up to two weeks.
Buffing your nails and applying a clear base coat beforehand will also help it last longer, or you can stick it on over two coats of coloured nail polish. There’s no limit to colour combinations and creativity.
All Flowerbed decals are also vegan and cruelty-free.
“Nail art has the ability to be a fun and empowering mode of self-expression, and we wanted to create a brand that puts this at the forefront of everything we do,” Dunstan says. “We’re keeping our customers involved in the process by asking what designs they’re keen to see next.”
