MANILA, Philippines--My idea of nail art is painting all my fingernails black.

I?m not a big fan of getting diamantes stuck on my nails, I skip the flowers and hearts and I tried acrylic nails only once?and only because I had to write an article about the experience. (My verdict? Porn star nails aren?t for everyone.) High-maintenance nails won?t work on me?not with my clumsiness and constant typing.

But one day my friend Michelle flashed her hands in front of me, showing off her baby?s pictures on her fingernails. When she told me the nail place she went to used a real printer to print images on her nails, I knew I had to give it a go.

Days later, we found ourselves at Sumthin? Nails in Parañaque, sifting through page after page of digital art nail designs. Michelle wasn?t kidding about the printers?they were there, ready to give our nails a dose of digital art.

Something else

Owner Trixie Go opened Sumthin? Nails just a couple of months ago. ?It?s a play on the words ?something else.? My son, who was sort of speaking ?slang? at the time, thought of it.?

She says she discovered the concept of digital nail art online. ?I?ve been teaching for almost 10 years and wanted something new. Digital nail art is a new and fun business.?

She isn?t kidding about fun. And the first part of the fun is choosing from over a thousand designs. You can also bring your own photos and designs or customize your nail design right there on their computers. ?This technology has a lot to offer. We have thousands of designs and they are endlessly customizable,? Trixie says.

The process is easy. Step one is choosing your design. Step two, they apply white nail polish on your nails? this will be the base coat. (They do not offer full manicures at Sumthin? Nails so it?s a good idea to have your nails cleaned before you go there.) Step three, luminous gloss will be applied to your nails to ensure that the design will dry quickly. Step four, you will be asked to place your hand in the printer so they can begin printing on your nails. Step five, the excess ink will be cleaned and removed. Step six, the design will be sealed with a clear coat. The whole experience takes about 40 minutes.

The hardest part is trying to stay still while your nails are being printed. But it helps that your fingers will be held down by magnets.

The best part? The service is very affordable?P30 for one, P125 for five and P180 for all 10 nails. If you choose to have your photo taken or use an image from your flash drive, you just have to add P50.

Tips

The design usually lasts one to two weeks?depending on how you take care of your nails. Sumthin? Nails offers tips for making your digital nail art last longer. Do not wet your hands for at least an hour after printing. Apply a layer of clear polish after two days. Do not use your nails as tools and, most importantly, don?t bite your nails.

Trixie says anyone who wants eye-catching nails will like what Sumthin? Nails has to offer. Trixie?s clients love their funky nails. ?They like to post pics of their nails on Facebook. We get a lot of repeat clients and referrals. Masyado daw pansinin ang mga kuko nila when they go out. Many have invited us for their parties and we?ve gotten offers to franchise the store.?

During the few hours we spent at Sumthin? Nails, people kept going to the store. Some were curious and wanted to watch, others wanted to check the designs and others had their nails printed.

Wide range

Sumthin? Nails has a wide range of designs available?from flowers and hearts to colorful patterns and animé?but the most popular ones are still the personal images. ?Our most popular requests are having your photo or your special someone?s photo done on your nails. Our clients ask us to put pictures of couples on their nails for anniversaries and pictures of their pets, too.?

Trixie is a big fan of their funky colorful abstract designs, pictures of pets, vintage celebrities and animé.

Sumthin? Nails is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Walk-ins are welcome but Trixie suggests that people call or text for appointments so they can avoid waiting.

Trixie is looking forward to opening more branches. ?We?re still looking at the South area for expansion.? They might also make the service available during corporate and private events.

I found an image of two rubber ducks online and had them printed on my nails. They were cute, sure, but when we saw that a Korean girl had chosen Andy Warhol?s Marilyn Monroe art, we started to covet that design. I?m having that printed next.

So what if she chose it first? All?s fair in love and nail art.

Sumthin? Nails is at Unit 203C, 2/F, Pergola Mall, BF Homes, Parañaque; tel. 0917-8077617.