Sona’s nailed it

Pic/Sameer Markande

Actor Sonakshi Sinha seems to have used her at-home pandemic time productively, having launched House of Creativity, an artist platform with her siblings last year, and now it's time for beauty. Earlier this week, fans of Bollywood had a meltdown of sorts when Sinha posted a photo of herself with a massive diamond ring on her left hand on Instagram. Turns out, Sinha was just flaunting her nails and had effectively created viral buzz around her new press-on nails brand, Soezi. Sinha opens up to us about her entrepreneurial journey.

Congratulations on Soezi, is there any truth to the wedding rumours?
Nothing at the moment! I was very clear I was flashing my nails [laughs]. Everybody wants me to get married real soon. I am just stepping into the world of entrepreneurship, and being a businesswoman is most exciting for me now.

What planted the seed for a nail brand?
Srishti Raai came up with this idea and wanted me to try on nails and think about it. She has great business sense, and I am such a creative person, we balance each other. I have never done something like this before and it's exciting for me too. It's been a little over a year, and I have been trying and testing them out myself. We worked on it together from scratch. I have taken holidays; gone to work, and even went diving with these nails! I have tried and tested them in every situation myself. I am so excited about it because it has made my life so easy. I am a very lazy girl, and that was the biggest reason to launch the line. I don't like to go to the salon and spend hours doing my nails, and then go again to get them removed, or fill them. This is the most convenient thing as well, as a person and as an actor. Post the initial expected hiccups of trials; I was confident to share it with every woman. Also, it's an untapped market; nobody has a mainstream press-on nails brand in India. So I want to make great nails accessible for all.

How important are nails for your looks?
You are all dressed up and ready to go out, but feel incomplete without your nails done. We use our hands so much; it's a big part of our personality. So I feel a simple DIY can elevate your look and make it complete when you step out.

What else interests you in this space?
I have always been interested in beauty as it is such a big part of my profession. I like quick things though, so we went the DIY route. Whatever I launch next, will be about making beauty accessible and easy to do on your own, and not depend on anyone else. It will be in the lazy girl zone.

Your signature style?
People believe my eyes are my best feature so I like to play with them. An eyeliner would be my signature.

What is your off-duty style?
At home, I am always in shorts and a T-shirt.

Your favourite nail style?
I am a matte person; occasionally, I wear glossy or chrome. I like to match my nails with my outfit. I prefer long ovals the most, but I also try coffin and stiletto nails sometimes. All shapes don't look good on you; you need to choose a shape that will help elongate your fingers. Personally, I am not a fan of square nails as I feel they make my nails look shorter.

Your tips for young entrepreneurs?
Be aware of your drawbacks, be aware of what you are good at and not, and ask for help. That is what makes it more enjoyable and doable when you know that you are not taking more on your plate than you can manage. It all begins with a dream and the will to do something. The first step is the most important and challenging, but have confidence and go for it.

LOG ON TO soezi.in

Review: Taking a seven-day wear test

The writer tries on the nails set

We have spent enough hours looking at nail tutorials and following the #summernails hashtag on Instagram to be excited about Soezi. What interests us is that it offers the option to skip a salon session and opt for DIY nails. For someone like us who has a lot of typing to do, coffin or stiletto nails don't make sense to spend on, as they don't work on a daily basis. With these, we can put longer nails on just before a holiday or an event and take them off at home too.

We love the nail choices of the brand. Take it from a nail junkie, there's something for everyone, even short stick-ons. You have the option to buy the whole application kit for R1,699; this includes a nail buffer and filer, adhesive tabs, cuticle pusher, glue, many nail sizes and a remover. You can buy the ready-to-wear kit with glue tacks that lasted us a day of less action (for Rs 999, pieces are on discount now). These nails work if you have a short event or shoot. The glue is a win for us - it's non-messy, and we are done with the application in 15 minutes. We do our usual chores, shampooing the hair and travelling around, but the nails stay put for a week. There is no chipping, the colours don't lose their brightness, and we feel it might match the 12-day promise, too. The best part is that they are reusable, and that's what makes them value-for-money.