"My career came to an abrupt halt".

Life in quarantine means that non-essential services have been forced to close temporarily and it's a difficult time for small businesses across the country, including beauty salons. Many women get their nails done regularly and are now wondering what to do with three-week old gel polish that refuses to budge. To avoid damaging your nails, the polish needs to be removed correctly and so, a Dublin-based nail technician has come up with a clever solution to help her regular customers. Lara Ryan, of The Nail Boutique in Swords, has been delivering gel polish removal packs to her regular clients, dropping them off at their doorsteps to adhere to social distancing guidelines. They include 100 percent acetone, lint free cotton discs, pre-cut foils, an orange wood stick, a file, a buffer and a regular top and base coat for DIY manicures. Lara also offers an add-on option of nail strengthener and cuticle oil with the gel polish removal packs proving immensely popular thus far. The 'Basic Kit' (acteone, pads, foils, file, buffer, a top and base coat) is priced at €20 while the Full Kit (acetone, pads, foils, buffer, file, top coat, base coat, nail strengthener and cuticle oil) is yours for €30. As a self-employed nail technician for the past eight years, Lara's business was forced to shut up shop due to Covid-19 government restrictions.

"My career came to an abrupt halt. In my line of work, social distancing is not possible. My first thoughts were how do I keep my business going and what about the nails! I had to do something to create an income for myself, and to retain my client base in hope of salvaging my business".

Lara also says that she has built up a close bond with her clients and she wanted to look after them, even when she can't physically be there.

"My clients have become my friends, I care about each and every one of them and didn't want them to worry about how they were going to remove their nails at home. I'm a BIG believer in natural nail care so a professional removal is very important."

Since starting the drop-off gel service, Lara has been kept busy and was doing deliveries for a three-hour period yesterday, earning herself the nickname "The Nail Santa" from one delighted customer. Chatting about the inspiration for her idea, Lara says

"Firstly, I'm hoping that it keeps my clients happy, that their nails will be happy! And keeps my business ticking over in these tough times".