The Best Nail Artist in Seattle Peka "Impekable" Grayson @ImpekableNails

Professional. Personable. Prompt. Perfectionist. Oozing creativity and technique!!! Those are a few words that come to mind when I think of my nail artist, the BEST nail artist in Seattle, Peka "Impekable" Grayson.

Peka is not just a nail technician, but truly an artist and someone who is more than happy to collaborate with you on a design, or let her imagination run wild. She doesn't just lace Seattle nails with the dopest manis on the west coast, she also cares about nail health and takes her time with each mani. I've been rocking gel manis from Peka since last summer and my nails are the healthiest they've been since I opted for gel manicures.

Before finding Peka, I was someone who would visit my local nail shop of choice (Myano on 3rd downtown Seattle), but always wanted to find a true nail artist. I remember finding Peka on Instagram after doing a few hashtag searches and was instantly thinking, "how in the world is this talented chick in Seattle?" lol... I still have moments of shock and awe that Seattle is home to such talented creators -- but fast forward MONTHS later and Peka has done so many manicures for me.. it's turned into my monthly treat! I get excited coming up with designs and collaborating with her on what I'd like.

She works out of a solo studio space in West Seattle and is appointment only. Due to the intimate nature of her studio, no walk-ins are accepted and guests are encouraged to come alone. There is not space to bring the entire crew or kids, so go into your appointment with the expectation that this will be your solo time to treat yourself.

Oh yeah, also please do NOT be intimidated by the amount of nail extensions on her page. She is fully capable of slaying natural lines (like my manicures below) or giving you the dopest sculpted manicure you can think of. As someone who opts to rock their natural nails, I wasn't sure if she'd think my nails were boring lol... but she is such a beautiful spirit and dope chick -- she's down to transform anyone's basic nails into something they're ready to show off.

Some of the designs she's done for me:

Some of my favorite Impekable designs on other people:

To check out her work, visit her IG page, but be warned... you'll find yourself DEEP in her timeline ogling over all the bomb designs.

To book an appointment visit her GenBook Page.


FAQs:
1. Deposits are required when booking an appointment

2. She does not currently offer pedicure services

3. When booking your appointment online, adding nail art is a separate "a la carte" add-on. You will need to secure your regularl gel/sculpted nails appointment first (requires deposit) then go back and add-on your nail art service (does not require an additional deposit). This is a quirk with the GenBook platform and something Peka is trying to update to make booking both appointments easier.

4. Nail art is charged based on the level of intricacy of the designs and length of time. Her website has full details.

5. Clients who arrive late will be charged a late fee! Peka does a wonderful job spacing out her appointments and making sure enough time is allotted. She won't have you in there all day, so respect her time and your appointment... otherwise, you'll cough up some additional coins. Most people know I am NOT prompt, yet I'm always at least 5-10 mins early for my appointments and always finish on time.

6. Peka LOVES to collaborate! You can feel free to send her some ideas you have in  mind and give her time ahead of your appointment to put her creative spin on it.


Images via SixTwentySeven IG & ImpekableNails IG

Nail Art: Gel Obsession

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With my vacation quickly approaching I've been racking my brain for creative, yet cute ways to make my manicure last. I've debated experimenting with Gel Nails and seeing if they can stand the test against the elements - - heat, pools, scuba diving, jungle adventures... so the above design I found on Gabi Fresh is definitely in the running. I have a soft spot for anything gold, so I'm thinking I'd do a white base and add gold glitter on the tips. Has anyone tried Gel Nails and had a great experience? Any recommendations for where to go in Chicago?

Nail Art: LBD for your Nails

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Glamour.com has been featuring 31 Days of Nail Polish Ideas on their daily beauty blog, Girls in the Beauty Department.

This black with gold studs design seems relatively simple, but is actually the perfect way to treat your nails to a holiday style "LBD." My favorite colors are black and gold and I think this manicure is the perfect way to keep it simple, yet add some edge to your nails. I'll for sure be giving this a try.

What's your go-to holiday nail look?

Nail Art: DIY Louboutin Nails

Every girl loves Louboutins, but most of us don't have it in the budget to buy them. The next best thing is rocking your nails out and treating them to the oh so envied red bottoms. Give your nails a designer touch with this DIY Louboutin nail design I spotted on 2BD.

I'm a fan of a nude nail because it's a clean look that works for any profession. The pop of red underneath your nail is a way to add life to your mani and make it fun for after hours.

To create this look 2BD used: Sally Hansen's "Cafe Au Lait" and Essie's "Really Red" - - both available at Walgreens or Ulta.

N♥il Art: Fun with Crackle

The other day I came across a nail art design Lala Vasquez was rocking and decided to give it a try.
 

 

It's rather simple: 2 colors of polish topped with crackle.

 I used E.L.F.'s Lilac and Blue Mist as my base coats, topped with China Glaze Crackle, and used Essie "Good to Go" as my top coat.

This is a super quick design to rock, but I probably won't have it on for more than a few days. My nails are growing like weeds and at this length it's nearly impossible to have a manicure last.

N♥il Art: Essie hits Walgreens

I'm not sure how late (or early) I am on this one, but while in Walgreens a few days ago I stumbled upon a whole setup of Essie polish! Previously only available at major retailers like Ulta, I was excited to find them in a store like Walgreens. Before you rush out to stock up on this uber cute polish, I wanted to share a few tidbits:

1) They don't offer the full range of colors, but do seem to have the most popular ones. I wasn't blown away by the stock, but I was definitely pleased with the options they had.

2) Walgreens is selling them for $7.99 each so the price isn't cheaper than if you were to go to Ulta. I would still prefer to go to Ulta if they were running one of their "Buy 2 get 1" sales... Otherwise, I'll save myself a 25 min trip and hit Walgreens.

3) Every Walgreens doesn't have them so you may want to call before dropping into your local store.

4) The packaging is slightly different. Mainly you have a white "Essie" label on the side of the bottle along with the name of the shade on the top (instead of the bottom).

5) The overall presentation in the store I went to was kinda the pits. I mean, this is my favorite polish and nothing beats going into Ulta and seeing the organized display. I had to pop a squat and work my way through the semi clusterf*ck of colors, but I was so happy to find them at the store I didn't mind too much. I'm glad I don't have to drive a million miles to get this polish, but I do prefer the visual presentation at Ulta.

If you're a polish fiend like myself I'm sure you'll be happy about this merger. I'm looking forward to seeing what other brands make their way into Walgreens - - I know Shea Moisture is headed there next... so that's 2 products I love!

N♥il Art: China Glaze "Shatter"

Much to my surprise (and delight) China Glaze recently launched their "Crackle" line of polishes - - the perfect dupe for the OPI "Shatter" line. They are currently offering their "Crackle" polish in 6 shades so the color combos you can experiment with are endless and they're available for $4.99 @ Sally's and Ulta locations!

I fought the urge to buy every shade and just got "Black Mesh". I had never tried a shatter/crackle type of polish before and didn't want to be stuck with a bunch of shades that I potentially didn't like.

Using Orly's "Luxe" as a base coat, I applied 1 coat of China Glaze "Black Mesh" to achieve the crackled look. Please note that when using these colors your base coat must dry completely before you add the crackle. Also, the crackle effect works better with a lighter coat. Heavier application does not yield good results so be sure to stick to 1 coat of the polish.

Tip: These shades dry matte so it's recommended to use a top coat to finish your look. I applied Essie's "Good to Go".

*Please note that my nails weren't "cleaned up" in the pics below... I was just eager to share the results with everyone lol

If you've been going nuts looking for the OPI version head to your nearest Sally's and grab this quick. I've just started seeing folks talk about this so I'm assuming that come this weekend everyone would have found out and they'll be sold out. This is definitely a fun way to change up your nails, and with 6 shades to choose from you can really let your creative juices flow.

Has anyone else bought this yet? I'm tempted to go back and pick up a few more shades...

N♥il Art: Neutral Love (update)

** Update - - wanted to add some pics of myself rocking the color!! see below**

While watching a YouTuber I like (lipstickloveaffair), I saw her rocking a great shade of polish in her latest video. I had to know what the color was and she told me it was none other than Essis's Mink Muffs. I'm a huge fan of Essie Polishes (they're probably my favorite brand), but due to Ulta being in BFE driving there to pick up the shade wasn't an option. Also, most of you know about my hate/hate relationship with the SC Postal System so I try to not order things online.

To my surprise I found a similar shade in Target at half the price. Sonia Kashuk's "Tauped" nail color is a dead ringer for Essie's Mink Muffs and is making my day a bit brighter (though not literally because the shade is dark lol). I was impressed with the quality of her polish and at $4.99 it's a great price. I think I even like Sonia's polish better as it has more gray in it which is what I prefer.

(obviously those aren't my hands in the pics lol... found them online)

N♥il Art: Sally Hansen Nail Effects (update)

Sally Hansen Nail Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

Update - - I should've added a picture of the results for those that didn't want to watch the video. I've had the nails on for 4 days now and I'm pretty pleased with them. It's nail art for $10 which can't be beat. They're supposed to last up to 10 days and can be removed with nail polish remover since the strips are made from real nail polish. I'll let everyone know if they last the entire time, but if you'd like to find out more info feel free to watch my video.

N♥il Art Inspiration

When I'm on the hunt for nail art inspiration I look no further than London based design shop WAH Nails. They are the epitome of innovative nail design and never cease to amaze me with their creativity. Until they get a location in the states feel free to drool over their designs! My holiday treat to you...

*all photos property of WAH Nails





















If you're feeling ambitious this holiday season you can try some of these out for yourself. I have my eyes on a few...