The first time I got my nails done in the United States, I was in and out of the salon in forty minutes. I sat in the car afterwards looking at my hands and thinking: that’s it? In Colombia, a manicure is never just a manicure — and it is never just forty minutes.

It starts with care, not color

In Colombia, the polish is the last thing that happens. A manicure begins with a soak, then careful, unhurried cuticle work — softened, pushed back, trimmed with real attention. Then comes shaping: not “square or round?” but a conversation about your hands, your fingers, what will actually look good on you. Nobody photographs this part, and that’s exactly why it matters. It’s the difference between nails that look nice for three days and nails that look intentional for three weeks.

Everything is painted by hand

The designs you see on Colombian nails — the fine lines, the tiny flowers, the little strokes of gold — are painted with a brush, one nail at a time. Not stickers. Not stamps. Ten tiny paintings, done freehand, by someone whose hands do not shake. That level of detail takes time because it is actual craft. When someone spends twenty minutes painting micro-flowers on your ring finger, you understand you’re not paying for polish. You’re paying for skill.

The salon is a social place

Here’s the part that surprises my American friends the most: in Colombia, going to the salon is a plan. You know your manicurist by name. She knows about your job, your family, your last vacation. There’s conversation, there’s coffee, sometimes there’s neighborhood gossip that’s better than television. Nobody is trying to turn the chair over in half an hour — and honestly, nobody wants them to.

So how long does it take?

A proper Colombian manicure with hand-painted art usually takes two to three hours. Here’s the design I’m wearing right now, as an example:

Inspiration

The bougainvillea in my mom’s garden

Technique

Hand-painted line work and micro-florals

Colors used

Soft rose, ivory, a touch of mango gold

Shape & length

Almond, medium

Time required

About 2½ hours

Artist

Done at home, Colombian style

Is it worth it?

I think the question is backwards. Once you understand what goes into those hours — the prep, the brushwork, the care — you stop asking why a Colombian manicure takes so long, and you start asking why everywhere else it takes so little.

I’ll be sharing designs, techniques, and salon stories here and on Instagram and TikTok. This is just the first coat.