3D nail art. Flip manicures. Duck feet (yes, duck feet). Manicurists are getting really creative with nail art designs nowadays, offering a diversity of options to people who want to glam up their fingers with a unique new look. But there’s one emerging trend in nail art you’ve probably never seen before at your nail salon: cannabis-infused designs. Customers are starting to bring bud to their nail technician so they can stylishly infuse the greenery into an acrylic or gel manicure in lieu of the gold flakes and glitter we’re used to seeing.
The canna-mani, or “weedicure,” gets its name from the incorporation of ground cannabis flower in your nail design. This new trend in nail art is popping up everywhere, although it originated in California. As someone who loves to stay up to date with the latest trends in beauty and fashion, I was naturally intrigued by these cannabis nail designs I saw online and wanted to see for myself how the process worked.
Researching the top nail art salons in Seattle led me to Sènsé Nail Spa, voted best manicure and pedicure in Western Washington. The spa said they would be up for the challenge, so with Rebecca, Leafly’s senior editor, and Julia, our photo editor, in tow, I embarked on a journey to glam up my nails with some ground up bud.
To add length to my natural nails and achieve the look I wanted, Daniella recommended I get a liquid hard gel full set. Ladies usually opt for a full set for aesthetic reasons, or to extend the length of their natural nails.
Daniella then cut my nails to the desired length and filed them into an almond shape.
Next, she applied a nail primer on my nails before applying the liquid hard gel. With the gentlest touch, Daniella gracefully placed her brush in the gel, twirling it around before completely drizzling it over my nail.
As we watched Daniella do her magic, Rebecca couldn’t help herself and had a few burning questions of her own to ask the manicurist:
“Have you ever had to scratch a client’s face for them while their nails dry? What are some of the nastiest nail experiences you’ve had with clients? Any people come in here with Cheeto dust under their nails?”
(Some valid questions — don’t act like you’ve never wondered what really goes down at your nail salon. Somebody’s got to ask, right?)
After I set both hands under the LED light to cure the gel on my nails, Rebecca ground up a bud of the strain Blueberry Cheesecake, leftover from the deliciously infused blueberry cheesecake she made.
Once the bud was broken down, Daniella picked up flecks of cannabis and placed them directly onto the nail of my ring finger.
After my nails with the cannabis design were cured under an LED light, Daniella got to work painting the rest of my nails. With Hempfest, Seattle’s annual cannabis legalization festival, taking place that weekend, I couldn’t help but show my Leafly pride by choosing our signature strain colors. Daniella even painted our tile logo onto a nail on each hand.
Overall, the process took a whopping 2 ½ hours, but we were slowed down a bit by a slew of amusingly stupid questions from Rebecca and Julia and the occasional employee rubbernecking, as they had never seen a cannabis-infused nail design before. Although I did go a little colorful with my nails, I really enjoyed the end result and thought the cannabis design added a subtle but unique touch going into the Hempfest weekend.
Have you gotten a cannabis-infused manicure design before, or would you be willing to try one?
