About This Treatment
Nailist in charge: Nami. Menu: Magnet (magnetic gel). The gel was applied straight onto the natural nails, with no removal or rebalance needed beforehand. Guest: a visitor from the United States, travelling from Chicago.
Design Highlights
Magnetic gel holds fine metallic particles inside the gel itself. While the gel is still soft, a magnet is held close to the surface, and the particles gather along the magnet’s pull. That gathering line is what creates the bright band of light running through the nail.
Nami set the band as a soft curve rather than a straight stripe, so the light sits slightly differently on each finger. The effect is not printed on top of the nail — it lives inside the layer, which is why it keeps moving as the hand turns. Under indoor lighting it reads as a quiet depth; in daylight, the line sharpens.
Because the base was bare natural nails, the gel went on thin and close to the nail surface, keeping the shape of the guest’s own nails visible.
Story from the Visit
Our guest came in from Chicago with her wife — the two of them visited together, and both were clearly enjoying their time in Tokyo.
The conversation moved to queer culture in Chicago and how it compares with what they had seen in Tokyo so far, and it carried on through most of the appointment. Nami has worked with plenty of visitors who want to talk about their city, and this one turned into a proper exchange rather than small talk.
She looked delighted when the magnet lines came up on her nails at the end.
Care and Style Notes
A few practical points about magnetic gel in general:
- Wear time. Gel applied on natural nails typically holds around three to four weeks. What usually ends the set is regrowth at the base, not the magnetic effect — the metallic particles are locked inside the cured gel, so the shine does not dull with wear.
- Daily care. Cuticle oil once a day keeps the base area flexible and reduces lifting at the edges. Gloves for dishwashing and cleaning help too, since repeated hot water is the main cause of early separation.
- Photographing it. Magnetic finishes look flat under a direct flash. Tilt the hand slowly under a window or a shop light instead, and the line appears.
- Who it suits. Travellers who want something with visible movement but a short chair time, and anyone who prefers a finish that reads as one colour from a distance and reveals more up close. It also works well on shorter natural nails, since the light line adds length visually.
Nailist’s Comment — Nami
Timing is the whole job with magnet work. Hold the magnet too early and the particles drift back; too late and they barely shift at all. I work nail by nail, curing each one as soon as the line sits where I want it.
I also change the magnet angle per finger. The thumb and index catch light differently from the ring and little finger, so matching all ten exactly would actually make the hand look flatter.
Talking with her and her wife about Chicago while I worked made the appointment fly by. Come back and tell me what else you found in Tokyo.
Book Your Visit to lull.
Reservations can be made online.— we are an English-speaking salon in Harajuku, and walk-through of the menu in English is no problem. Recent finished sets are posted on Instagram (@nail_lull.tokyo) and TikTok (@nail_lull.tokyo).
