NOTD Ciate Chalkboard Manicure - Review

While I was in France I popped into a great shop called Sephora, I was literally like a kid in a sweetshop. It was packed full of perfume, make up and cosmetics with loads of great brands such as Benefit, Urban decay, Lancome, Ciate, Nails Inc and their own Sephora brand. I uttered the words 'I won't be long' to Adi as he and Alfie waited outside.......I may have spent a bit longer inside than I'd intended to but I was very restrained (go me!) and only came out with the Ciate chalkboard manicure set.

The chalkboard manicure has been created by Ciate's Creative Director Charlotte Knight, she was inspired by the nostalgia of drawing on a chalk board and this particular manicure set is unique to Ciate. I really do love the packaging it comes in, it's got that child like quality but yet it's slick at the same time. I love the concept, it's fun and a playful take on a manicure. 

Included in the set is 1 pot of chalkboard nail paint, 4 different coloured chalk pens and a pot of mattnificent top coat. 

Also included in the pack is a little instruction book and a doodle gallery so you can get some inspiration for your designs. 

It's very simple to use, I think the fact that there is an instruction guide could make it seem more complicated than what it actually is! There is also a guide on the back of the box should you lose the booklet. 

So what do you do? (It's super simple, promise!) 

Firstly, prepare the nails as you would do for a normal manicure and apply 2 coats of the black chalkboard paint. 

Wait about 15  minutes to ensure that the paint is fully dry (I didn't quite wait enough time on my first attempt and the chalk pens dragged in the polish, whoops!). Once fully dry you can let your inner artist out and start doodling away, so much fun!

You get the choice of four colours of chalk pen (jump rope is pink, recess is yellow, teachers pet is blue and satchel is white).  Before you use them on the nail you need to shake the pen gently and press the nib down to release the colour, it does take a few goes to get the colour to come down which is worth noting. When you apply the chalk pens they do have that pastel, muted chalk effect on the nails and it feels almost like you're drawing on a chalkboard! It takes a few goes to get the hang of the pens but once you do they're quite easy to use.

I know..... I need more practice!

I have to admit I had loads of fun playing around and doodling but it takes some practice, the best thing is though if you're not entirely happy with your design you can just remove the design with some warm water on a cotton pad and start over, brilliant! Once you've released your inner child and had loads of fun doodling you simply seal your design in using the mattnificent matte top coat!

So there you have it, the Ciate chalkboard manicure. 

Do I like it? Well yes I do but I don't think it's worth the money, it's alot of fun designing and doodling and it did make me quite nostalgic, I can't wait to experiment some more with different patterns :-), I don't think I'd do it that regularly however as it takes a while to complete and be fully happy with the desgins. It's a unique manicure and it defnintley instills my love in Ciate and that they are keeping ahead in a very competitive market.

You can purchase the Ciate chalkboard manicure from Ciate directly for £25.00 or from BT2 for 29 Euros. You can also visit the chalkboard doodle gallery for inspiration and tips. 

Has anyone used the chalkboard manicure? What do you think, did it make you a little nostalgic?