+1 571 662 8717 info.zerothots@gmail.com 10370 Festival Ln, Suite 109, Manassas, VA 20109

Erothots Nail ServicesART

Nail Art By Erothots, Hand Painted Designs And Chrome

Painted by hand with a brush, not applied from a sheet of stickers. Sealed underneath the top coat so it lasts as long as the set does. And priced per nail, so one accent finger costs five dollars rather than forcing you into a full set.

Book Nail Art See Prices

Hand painted nail art at the Erothots beauty salon

From $5Per Nail

From $25Full Set

Hand PaintedNo Stickers

SealedUnder Top Coat

Send The Screenshot When You Book, Not When You Arrive

Nail art is the one service where the appointment length depends entirely on what you want. A single painted line takes three minutes. Freehand florals across ten nails takes forty. If we find out at the chair, either the design gets rushed or everybody after you runs late.

Send us the reference photograph when you enquire and we will tell you honestly what it costs, how long it needs, and whether it will actually work at your current nail length. That last part matters more than people expect.

On This Page

What It Is Techniques How Pricing Works Choosing A Design Your Appointment Prices Aftercare Questions

Detail being hand painted with a fine brush before the top coat

Painted Under The Top Coat, Never Over It

The Craft

Hand Painted, And Sealed Underneath

There are two ways a salon can put a design on your nail. One is to paint it with a brush and cure it, then seal the whole thing under a clear top coat. The other is to stick a pre printed decal or wrap on the surface.

The difference shows up in about four days. A design sealed under top coat is inside the finish, so it wears exactly as slowly as the color underneath it. A decal sits on top with a visible edge, and that edge catches on everything until it lifts at a corner and starts peeling.

Everything here is painted by hand with a brush, then cured and capped. It takes longer, it costs more than a sticker, and it is still on your nails in week three, which is the only measure that actually counts.

01A free design consultation. Send a reference and we will tell you the cost, the time and whether it works at your length before you commit to anything.
02Painted with a brush, not stuck on. Fine liner brushes, dotting tools and detail brushes. No decals, no wraps, no press on tips.
03Cured between layers. Detail work is built up in stages with a cure between each, which is why lines stay crisp instead of bleeding into the layer below.
04Sealed under the top coat. Art goes on before the final clear layer and is capped at the free edge with it, so nothing has an exposed edge to catch.
05Priced per nail. One accent finger is five dollars. You are never pushed into a full set price because you wanted detail on two nails.
06Honest advice about scale. If a design has too much detail to read at arm's length on your nail size, we will say so and suggest a version that works.

The one technical rule. Art belongs under the top coat. Anything painted on top of a finished set has no protection and starts wearing off within days. If a previous set lost its design in a week, that is almost certainly what happened.

Section 01TWELVE TECHNIQUES

The Techniques We Work In

Twelve techniques, from a single painted line to full freehand work. Most can be combined, and all of them are available on a gel manicure or over builder gel.

SIMPLE$5

Lines And Dots

Fine liner work, negative space stripes, dot placements and minimal geometric detail. Quick, clean, and the most requested thing on the whole list by a distance.

SIMPLE$10

French Variations

Micro French, colored tips, double lines, diagonal and reverse French. Hand painted rather than guided with stickers, which is why the curve follows your actual smile line.

FINISH$10

Chrome And Mirror

Fine pigment burnished into a cured no wipe top coat until it turns metallic. Over a dark base it reads as a mirror, over a pale base as a soft pearl.

FINISH$10

Cat Eye Magnetic

Magnetic particles pulled into a shifting band of light with a magnet while the gel is still wet. Every nail comes out slightly different, which is the entire appeal.

BLEND$15

Ombre And Fade

Two or more shades blended into each other with a sponge, built in layers. Includes the soft cuticle to tip fade that most people mean when they ask for a baby boomer.

BLEND$20

Aura And Glow

A soft halo of color airbrushed or sponged into the center of the nail, fading out to the edges. Subtle in person and unexpectedly striking in photographs.

DETAIL$20

Marble And Ink

Veined stone effects and blooming ink patterns, worked wet into wet so the edges stay soft. No two nails will ever match exactly, and they are not meant to.

DETAIL$15

Foil And Flakes

Transfer foil, shattered glass flakes and abalone. Applied in fragments rather than whole sheets, then fully encapsulated so nothing has a raised edge.

DETAIL$20

Encapsulated Glazed

Pigment or fine flake sealed between layers of clear gel so it sits inside the nail rather than on it. The finish is completely smooth and it is the most durable art we do.

FREEHAND$40

Florals And Botanicals

Painted petal by petal with a detail brush. Works best across two or three nails with the rest kept plain, because ten detailed nails read as noise from a few feet away.

FREEHAND$60

Full Freehand Sets

Original artwork across all ten nails. Bring a reference or a color palette and we will design something for your length and shape. Book this one with time in hand.

3D$3

Gems And Charms

Flat back crystals and charms set into a bed of gel and cured, never stuck on with nail glue. Priced per gem, and worth knowing they do catch on knitwear.

Prices shown are for a full set of ten unless marked per gem. Every technique here is also available on a single accent nail from five dollars, which is how most people actually book art.

Section 02HOW PRICING WORKS

Three Tiers, And You Choose How Many Nails

Art pricing confuses people because most salons will not publish it. Here is the whole system. Designs fall into three tiers by how long they take, and you pay for the nails you actually want decorated.

$25

Full Set, Or $5 Per Nail

Tier One, Simple

Anything achievable in under a minute per nail. Clean, graphic and often the most wearable option, particularly for work.

Lines, stripes and dots
Negative space shapes
Single accent nails
Simple color blocking
Adds 10 minutes

$40

Full Set, Or $8 Per Nail

Tier Two, Intermediate

Blending, layering and effects that need building in stages with a cure between each. Most of what people bring us screenshots of sits here.

Marble and ink effects
Ombre and aura fades
Foil and encapsulation
Multi step French designs
Adds 25 minutes

$60

Full Set, Or $12 Per Nail

Tier Three, Freehand

Original detail work painted with a fine brush. Florals, characters, portraits and anything drawn rather than assembled from effects.

Hand painted florals
Characters and lettering
Original commissioned designs
Fine line detail work
Adds 40 minutes

The tier is confirmed before we start, never after. Send your reference when you book and we will tell you which tier it falls into and what it will cost. If a design turns out to be simpler than expected once we see your nails, you pay the lower tier.

Send A Reference Photo See Gel Manicure

Section 03HONEST ADVICE

Choosing A Design That Works On Your Nails

Six things that decide whether a saved screenshot will look as good on your hands as it did on your phone. We will raise all of them at the consultation rather than after you have paid.

Detail Needs A Canvas

A design photographed at full screen size looks very different across half an inch of nail. On shorter nails we simplify rather than shrink, because shrunk detail reads as a smudge from a few feet away.

Contrast Beats Complexity

Two strong colors with a clean shape will be noticed. Six soft shades of detail will not, however long it took. This is the single most useful thing to know about designing for nails.

Two Or Three Nails, Not Ten

Detailed art on a few nails with the rest kept plain reads as deliberate. The same detail on all ten reads as busy. It also costs considerably less.

Your Hands Have A Job

Gems catch on knitwear and hair. Raised 3D work snags. If you type all day or work with your hands, encapsulated and flat designs will survive and applied ones will not.

Shape Changes The Design

A design built for long almond nails will not translate onto short squoval, because the proportions are different. We adapt the layout rather than cropping it.

Photographs Lie A Little

Chrome and aura finishes photograph more dramatically than they read in person. Matte finishes do the opposite. Worth knowing which effect you are actually chasing.

If your nails are too short for what you want. Builder gel at $65 will get you the length in a few weeks by stopping the breaks, and the design will be worth the wait. We would rather tell you that than paint something at a size where it cannot work.

Section 04ON THE DAY

How Your Appointment Works

Six stages on top of the standard manicure. Stage five is the one that decides whether your art is still there in week three.

Design Confirmed

Reference reviewed against your actual nail length and shape, tier and price confirmed, and any adaptation agreed before a brush is picked up.

The Manicure First

Full prep, shaping, cuticle work and base coat. Art painted over rushed prep will lift with everything else, however good the painting is.

Base Color, Cured

The background shade goes down in thin coats and is fully cured before any detail work begins, so the art has a solid surface to sit on.

Detail Built In Layers

Painted with liner and detail brushes, cured between stages. Curing between layers is what keeps lines crisp rather than bleeding into wet gel underneath.

Sealed And Capped

A clear top coat over the whole design, capped across the free edge. This is what puts the art inside the finish rather than on the surface of it.

Photographed And Oiled

We will take a photo for our own reference if you are happy for us to, then cuticle oil and aftercare. You leave completely set with nothing to smudge.

Section 05WHY IT WORKS

Benefits And Advantages

What separates art that survives three weeks from art that is gone by the weekend.

Sealed, Not Surface Applied

Under the top coat and capped at the edge, so it wears at exactly the same rate as the color beneath. Nothing has an exposed edge to catch and peel.

Painted, Not Stuck On

No decals, wraps or press ons. Brush work follows the curve of your nail instead of sitting flat on it, which is why hand painted French curves look right.

You Pay For The Nails You Want

Five dollars for one accent finger. No salon should charge you a full set price because you wanted detail on your ring fingers.

The Price Is Agreed First

Tier confirmed at booking from your reference photo. If it turns out simpler than expected on the day, you pay the lower tier rather than the quoted one.

Time Booked Properly

Freehand work gets a forty minute allowance rather than being squeezed into a standard slot. Rushed detail work is visible and it cannot be fixed afterwards.

Honest Design Advice

If a design will not read at your nail size, we say so and offer a version that will. Painting something we know will disappoint is not doing you a favor.

Often Booked Together

Gel Manicure Spa Pedicure All Nail Services Makeup Services

Section 06COMMON COMPLAINTS

What Usually Goes Wrong Elsewhere

Six things clients describe about nail art done somewhere else. Four are technique and two are about how they were charged.

Painted On Top Of The Top Coat

Faster, because the set is already finished. The design has no protection at all and starts wearing off within days, usually from the tips inward.

Here InsteadArt always goes under the top coat and is capped at the free edge with it.

Stickers Sold As Art

Pre printed decals applied to the surface. They have a visible raised edge, they catch on fabric, and they peel from a corner within the first week.

Here InsteadEverything painted by hand. Foil and flakes are used, but always fully encapsulated so nothing sits proud.

The Design Shrunk, Not Adapted

A reference photo reproduced at nail size with all its detail intact. At arm's length it reads as a smudge, and the client cannot work out why it looks wrong.

Here InsteadDesigns are simplified and relaid out for your nail size and shape, not photocopied smaller.

Gems Stuck On With Nail Glue

Quick and it holds for about two days. Crystals set properly need a bed of gel cured around the base, which is what actually keeps them on for three weeks.

Here InsteadEvery gem set into gel and cured, never glued to a finished surface.

Charged Per Set For One Nail

You wanted detail on two fingers and were charged as though all ten were decorated, because the salon had no per nail price.

Here InsteadPriced per nail from five dollars. Two accent nails cost the price of two accent nails.

Price Revealed At The Desk

No quote beforehand, then a number at the till that is considerably higher than expected. Art is the service this happens with most.

Here InsteadTier and price confirmed from your reference photo at booking, before you sit down.

Section 07HONEST TRADE OFFS

Things To Consider Before You Book

It Adds Real Time

Ten minutes for simple work, forty for freehand, on top of the manicure itself. Do not book something with a hard stop immediately afterwards.

Heavy Art Slows Removal

Glitter, foil and encapsulated work take considerably longer to soak off next time. Worth knowing so the following appointment is booked long enough.

Gems Snag

They are set properly and they still catch on knitwear, hair and pockets. If that will drive you mad, encapsulated flat designs give a similar effect without the catching.

Freehand Is Never Identical

Hand painted means each nail is painted individually, so there will be small variations between them. That is the nature of the craft rather than a flaw.

Section 08PRICE GUIDE

Nail Art Prices

Art prices are on top of your manicure. The tier is confirmed from your reference photo when you book, so there are no surprises at the desk.

Nail Art Price Guide
Service	From	Adds	Notes
Design Consultation	Free	By message	Send a reference photo
Gems And Charms, Per Gem	$3	2 minutes each	Set in gel, not glued
Tier One, Per Nail	$5	3 minutes	Lines, dots, negative space
Tier Two, Per Nail	$8	5 minutes	Marble, ombre, foil
Chrome Or Cat Eye Finish	$10	15 minutes	Full set
Tier Three, Per Nail	$12	8 minutes	Freehand detail work
Tier One, Full Set	$25	10 minutes	Ten nails
Tier Two, Full Set	$40	25 minutes	Ten nails
Tier Three, Full Set	$60	40 minutes	Ten nails
Gel Manicure With Tier One Art	$70	60 minutes	Manicure plus art

Art is always in addition to a manicure. It has to be painted onto a properly prepared nail and sealed under a top coat, so it cannot be booked on its own. A gel manicure at $45 plus tier one art at $25 is $70 for the appointment.

Book Nail Art All Nail Services

Section 09BEFORE AND AFTER

Preparation And Aftercare

The preparation is mostly about the booking rather than your nails. The aftercare is the same as any gel set, with two additions for art.

Before

Send the reference when you enquire. Not when you arrive. It sets the tier, the price and the length of your slot, and it is the difference between a design done properly and one done in a hurry.
Say if you are arriving with gel on. Removal takes fifteen minutes and it has to fit inside the appointment along with the art.
Think about how many nails. Two accent nails is usually the better look and always the cheaper one. You can decide at the chair, but it helps to have thought about it.
Skip hand cream that morning. Oil on the nail plate causes lifting, and lifting takes your art with it regardless of how well it was painted.
Mention the occasion. If it is for a wedding or a shoot, we will steer you toward designs that photograph well rather than ones that only read up close.

Afterwards

Cuticle oil twice a day. The same rule as any gel set. Oiled nails flex instead of snapping, and a snapped nail takes the design with it.
Do not pick at gems. Set properly they will not come off easily, and forcing one takes a patch of gel and nail plate with it. If one goes, come in and we will replace it.
Gloves for cleaning and dishes. Hot water and detergent break the seal at the free edge, and once water is under the top coat the art starts lifting.
Book removal, do not peel. Heavy art takes longer to soak off, so leave the time for it. Removal is free when you rebook a manicure with us.
Tell us if you loved it. We keep a photo record with your permission, so a design you liked can be repeated or built on next time.

Section 10THE TEAM

Who Will Paint Your Nails

All freehand work is done by Joslyn. If she is unavailable on your date we will tell you rather than putting your design in front of someone else.

Nail Technician And Artist

Joslyn Reyes

Joslyn does all the freehand work here. She is genuinely good at the honest conversation, which in nail art means telling you when a saved screenshot has more detail than a nail can carry and offering a version that will actually read across a room. She will also tell you when two accent nails would look better than ten, which costs her money and is usually right.

Freehand
Chrome
Encapsulation
Gems

Founder And CEO

Tia McNamara

Tia founded Erothots seven years ago and is fully qualified and insured. She does not paint nails herself, but she set the rules on this page: everything hand painted, art sealed under the top coat, gems set in gel rather than glued, and prices agreed from a reference photo before anyone sits down. If something is not right, she wants to hear it directly.

7 Years In Business
Fully Qualified
Fully Insured

Section 11COMMON QUESTIONS

Nail Art Questions

How Much Does Nail Art Cost

From $5 per nail or $25 for a full set of simple work. Intermediate designs like marble and ombre are $8 per nail or $40 a set, and freehand detail is $12 per nail or $60 a set. Gems are $3 each. Art is added to a manicure, so a gel manicure with simple art comes to $70.

Do You Charge Per Nail Or Per Set

Either, and you choose. One accent finger costs $5 rather than a full set price, which is how most people actually book art. Two or three decorated nails with the rest kept plain is usually the better look as well as the cheaper one.

How Long Does Nail Art Last

As long as the set underneath it, which is two to three weeks on a gel manicure. That is because the art is painted under the top coat and capped at the free edge, so it wears at the same rate as the color. Art applied on top of a finished set wears off within days, and that is what most people have experienced elsewhere.

Can I Bring A Picture

Please do, and send it when you enquire rather than showing us at the chair. It lets us confirm the tier, the price and the length of your appointment in advance. We will also tell you honestly whether it works at your current nail length or needs adapting.

Do You Use Stickers Or Hand Paint

Hand painted with brushes. No decals, wraps or press on tips. We do use foil and flakes for certain effects, but they are always fully encapsulated under clear gel so nothing has a raised edge that can catch and peel.

How Long Do My Nails Need To Be

Simple art works at any length, including nails bitten short. Detailed freehand work needs a few millimeters of nail to read properly. If your nails are shorter than the design needs, builder gel at $65 will get you there in a few weeks by stopping the breaks.

Can I Have Art Without Gel

On regular polish, only very simple work, and it will last a few days at most because regular polish has no durable top coat to seal it under. For anything you want to keep, gel is the honest recommendation. It is also why art is priced as an addition to a manicure rather than on its own.

What Is Chrome Nail Art

A very fine pigment burnished into a cured no wipe top coat with an applicator until the surface turns metallic. Over a dark base it reads as a mirror finish, and over a pale base as a soft pearl. It needs a specific top coat to hold, which is why it is the effect most often done badly.

Will Gems Fall Off

Not if they are set properly. Each crystal goes into a small bed of gel that is cured around its base, which holds for the life of the set. Gems stuck onto a finished surface with nail glue fall off within days, and that is what has usually happened when people tell us theirs did.

How Long Does The Appointment Take

The manicure is fifty minutes, and art adds ten minutes for simple work, twenty five for intermediate and forty for freehand. So a gel manicure with freehand art across ten nails is around ninety minutes. Do not book something with a hard stop straight afterwards.

Can I Have Nail Art On My Toes

Yes, and it is priced the same, at $5 per toe. It also lasts considerably longer, because toenails grow at roughly half the rate of fingernails and your feet do far less to them. Booked with gel toes on a spa pedicure it will outlast a two week holiday.

How Far Ahead Should I Book For A Wedding

Book a trial a month ahead if the design is detailed, so we can adjust the scale and you can see it on your own hands. Then have the real set two to three days before the day so it is completely fresh with no regrowth showing at the base.

Get In Touch

Book Your Nail Art

Send us the reference photograph with your enquiry. We will confirm the tier, the price and how long the appointment needs before you commit to anything.

Request An Appointment Call +1 571 662 8717

Salon10370 Festival Ln, Suite 109, Manassas, VA 20109
Phone+1 571 662 8717
Emailinfo.zerothots@gmail.com

Monday9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
TuesdayClosed
WednesdayClosed
Thursday9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Friday8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturday7:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Sunday1:30 PM to 6:00 PM

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