The firm has begun touting the novelty as a salon killer. The application lets you alter nail hue, selecting from a palette of 400 shades. Favorite tones can be added to favorites. False nails are impervious to water and mechanical forces, the maker assures. But what about the cost?
In the USA, they devised false nails that can change color via a phone application. This way, a manicure can be changed without visiting a salon. The innovation was presented by the iPolish company at the world’s largest consumer electronics fair—CES 2026. The new creation has already been nicknamed a salon killer. Is this true?
Changed your mood or outfit—switch your nail color. Under this slogan, the American company iPolish unveiled a manicure kit that allows the owner to toggle the palette right on one’s hands. The set includes acrylic plates and a compact device controlled via a mobile application. Lance Littell, Senior Vice President of Business Development at iPolish, states:
“Now you control the color of your nails. Instead of being bound to a single polish shade, you gain access to 400 colors that you can change anytime and anywhere. In the morning, you prepare for work and put on a beige suit—change your nail color to beige. In the evening, you go on a date in a red dress—and your nails turn red. You can do this thousands of times, on demand, whenever you wish. All you need for this is our nails and the application on your iPhone.”
The application permits saving preferred combinations and switching between them in a single click. The maker promises that the coating holds up as reliably as standard acrylic tips. Pre-orders have begun: the basic kit costs $95 (approximately 7.5 thousand rubles), replacement plates for reuse will run $6.5—that’s about 500 rubles per pack.
The company positions the development as an ecological substitute for traditional polishes. The composition lacks phthalates, chemical solvents, and preservatives that frequently cause allergies. One kit is designed for multiple uses. The creators emphasize that the gadget is suitable for daily wear. The plates withstand contact with water, do not scratch during ordinary household chores, and do not require special upkeep. The device’s charge lasts for approximately 30 palette changes. Will this see widespread demand and does the new development pose a threat to salons?
Olesya Filipenko, owner of the “Atmosfera” beauty salon, offers her view:
“This is probably for people who have absolutely no time for anything. But again, it will look, in my opinion, somewhat unaesthetic when you place these nails over unprocessed nails. This seems like a one-off promotion to me. Well, maybe you’ll use this for a month, but it will get tiresome. It is better to visit once more and have the color redone at the salon. That will look more aesthetically pleasing.”
“Is it likely to hinder the business somehow?”
“We got through COVID, what do some polishes matter to us? No, even if some percentage leaves, it will be very minor; I would even venture to guess it won’t be 5%. It will be a very small amount. Writing ‘some alternative’ is correct, but ‘salon killer’—well, definitely not; salons will remain as they are, people will continue to visit as they did.”
Rosa, a manicurist at the “Kolibri” salon, also believes the American novelty is unlikely to replace a salon visit:
“There are nail defects. I think glued-on nails will not resolve this issue. Plus, live interaction is not canceled. Then, the manicure itself, cuticle removal—that is still aesthetics. I think this will not pose any competition for salons. Yes, length is fashionable among the youth now, but they mostly favor extensions for such lengths.”
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