Anjali Bagwe has been on the Kanti platform for three years and has completed more than 1,800 appointments. Her speciality: freehand fine-line gel art — flowers, portraits, tiny landscapes — packed onto nails that are barely two centimetres long.
We met her between appointments at her Bandra studio to talk about how she started, how she works, and what she wishes clients knew before they sit in her chair.
How did you start in nail art?
I was studying commerce and doing my own nails at home with a kit I bought online. Friends started asking me to do theirs, and within a year I had more bookings from my living room than I could handle after college. I took a formal certification in gel application and structure, and then it became my full-time work. The certificate mattered, honestly — it is the difference between art and safe art.
What does your process look like now?
Every appointment starts with a consultation, not with polish. I look at the natural nail, the cuticle health, the client's hand shape and how they use their hands daily. A lawyer who types ten hours a day gets a shorter, sturdier structure than a bride who wants almond length for one weekend. The art comes after the structure is right — always.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Textiles, mostly. Bandhani, Chikankari, Kalamkari borders, old block-print patterns. I photograph fabric I see in markets and translate the motifs into 1mm strokes. Clients often bring an outfit and ask me to match it. That is my favourite kind of brief.
Products you keep coming back to?
A high-viscosity builder gel for structure, two fine Kolinsky brushes (a 000 and a 00) that are only used for detail work, and a good lamp — a cheap lamp is the reason most gel sets fail early. For colour, I keep a warm nude range and a few deep jewel tones; most requests fall between those two.
What do you wish clients knew before the appointment?
- Bring the outfit or a photo of it. It changes every decision I make.
- Do not book a big set an hour before an event. Fresh gel needs a little settling time.
- Tell me about any picking or biting habit openly — I can build for it.
- Save inspo in one album instead of ten screenshots.
Your advice for artists just starting out?
Practice on tips before you ever practise on a paying client. Learn nail anatomy and hygiene properly. And photograph everything — a clean portfolio of your own work will build your business faster than any advertisement.
Anyone can copy a design. What clients pay for is a nail that still feels and looks right on day twenty.
You can find Anjali and other verified artists in your city through the Nail Finder.
