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More often than we would care to admit, weekly nail salon appointments get put off when life (deadlines, dinners, laundry, guests) gets in the way. Then when an important event rolls around, we often find ourselves panic-stricken trying to find a way to make our nails look decent in a hot second (which often doesn't happen). Now thanks to Ciaté London, you’ll be able to use the ultimate nail tool to assist you when time runs out and life takes over. The European brand has created the Mani Marker, an easy-to-carry nail polish pen for when standing salon appointments aren't an option.
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Before giving this a try, I had my doubts. A manicure on the go sounded too good to be true, and the thought of using a marker to get anything close to a salon-manicure look seemed unrealistic. I put the product up against the ultimate test: fixing my nails on my way to work. Once I was comfortably situated on the train (away from other passengers, of course), I pulled out the travel-friendly marker and got to work.
A few things: To start, you need to press down the stiff, angled tip—reminiscent of how you'd use a Tide to Go Stain Remover Pen—on the nail for 45-60 seconds to help the polish flow downwards. The entire time you're applying the polish via the pen tip, you have to keep pressing down to ensure the polish applies evenly. The fun part is that you have a lot of control, meaning you don't have to worry about messy cuticles or edges, and if you're a grown-up who loves the challenge of adult coloring books, using this little pen hits the same meditative beat. Even the best application looks more like a stain than a thick, opaque glaze, and it's a bit streaky. You can minimize that once you add a layer of clear top coat.
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The collection comes in five bright hues: Thrill Seeker (a teal blue), Role Model (a deep indigo), Beauty Queen (a hot pink), Lady Luck (a cherry red), and Vintage Vamp (a rich Bordeaux). And they're all available now on Ciaté's website. Is it a replacement for the best salon manicure you've ever had? Absolutely not. Is it an above-average option when you can't get to the salon but want to look like you're at least slightly pulled-together? One hundred percent.
Now learn how to get a flawless manicure at home with these lazy girl hacks
