Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection (Spring 2026)

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It appears the #MagnetMoment continues to be strong as ever in the nail art space and I continue to be here for every second of it. Magnetic gels are a great way to create high-impact looks with tons of personality and depth.

It’s impossible to bring up personality and nail art without thinking of my friend, Katie Masters (aka Nail Thoughts). Katie has always had a gift for creating the most crowd-pleasing, un-fussy nail art. I discovered her instagram around the time I started getting serious about switching from my career in make-up to pursuing nails professionally and she’s one of the reasons I fell in love with Kokoist as a brand. I highly suspect that she may be personally responsible for every Peanut Butter Toffee E-173S color gel purchase in the years 2018-2019. It’s been a treat to watch her grow from her little salon suite in Santa Monica to her namesake brand with gel color and tinted base collection with Kokoist. Her collection now boasts 96 bottled gel colors, 52 tinted bases as well as a slough of speciality and foundation gels and we’re all BIG proud of her.

Come Wednesday, January 28th, 2026 the nail-art stork is about to deliver some new magnet gel-babies to the Nail Thoughts collection: The Zodiac Collection.

I had a chance to chat with Katie about the collection and here’s what she had to say:

Rachel: What inspired the new collection?

Katie: I knew I wanted to add more magnet to the NT collection,  but, also try to make something different from what’s already out there. Usually flash glitter is silver, so, we decided to spice it up by adding different holographic and colored flash glitters to each one! We got some samples and Koko added some holographic and different colored flash glitters… it was a done deal we were obsessed. For example, Pisces (my sign) has blue and almost green mermaid toned glitter inside, while Capricorn has more orangey warm toned glowy flash glitter inside.

Rachel: When most people associate Zodiac signs and colors, they go with birthstones. It seems like you took a different approach, what what your process there.

Katie: For the longest time I’ve been dying to do some sort of zodiac themed collection because I am such a sucker for that. [This] collection was legit PERFECT for the theme! The colors of each month was just done with a little research on personality traits of each color and what color I thought would fit the vibe the most.

Rachel: As a November Scorpio, I was stoked to see the that my color leaned more into the dark, mysterious spooky side of the sign. As a fellow water-sign sister, what surprised you most about creating a shade for your Pisces people?

Katie: I alwayyyyys complain about how companies make Pisces blue because I always hated it, yet here I am continuing the Pisces blue cycle. I was looking at myself in the mirror like “am I a part of the problem??” But, I couldn’t help it.  I saw this blue with mermaid glowy vibes and all the depth of color and glitter and I thought, maybe I can be the first Pisces blue I approve of.

Now that we have some insight into the collection, let’s take a look at the SWATCHES and as always, use code RACHEL10 when you shop at KokoistUSA.com to save on your order and support the blog.

Leo (NTM-13) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a rusty cranberry flash magnet gel color. In direct light, the pearly magnetic effect tones down the depth and brings the magnetic shine to the forefront, for me, the magic happens when you’re just on the edge of direct light when hints of the magenta sparkle peek through.

Aries (NTM-14) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a deep red flash magnet gel color. In direct light, the sparkly effect from red flash glitter and the muted silver magnetic particles looks like rich glittery velvet. Honestly, perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Libra (NTM-15) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is an earthy brownish, plum-burgundy flash magnet gel with flashy champagne magnet particles and sheer holographic fine glitter. If magnetic gel had existed in the year 1996, this is absolutely what I’m wearing with my Doc Martens and overalls with only one shoulder buckled.

Taurus (NTM-16) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a jelly deep gold flash magnet gel. When I say gold, I don't mean gilded royal palace, think more like the one of those luxe couches in a boozy 70’s bachelor pad. The jelly gold base is paired with gold magnet particles and pink flash glitter that pops through in just the right light.

Cancer (NTM-17) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a stoney, grayish taupe flash magnet gel with holographic flash glitter and a pearly white magnetic effect. There’s just something about taking (what I like to call) the prison of beige/taupe clean-girl nails and throwing in something unexpected like a holographic flash glitter that feels so subversive in the best possible way.

Virgo (NTM-18) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a true neutral gold flash magnet gel. If Taurus is the 70’s velvet couch kind of gold, Virgo is her more neutral and fancy sister. With a base color that’s more of an opaque sparkle and a nice bold white magnetic effect and fine holographic flash glitter she’ll have you agreeing that more, is most definitely more.

Pisces (NTM-19) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a jelly blue flash magnet gel with pearly magnetic particles and a mermaid blue fine flash glitter. She’s the watery blue, all of the other watery blues wish they were and will definitely come in clutch for summer nail art.

Aquarius (NTM-20) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a snowy Amethyst purple flash magnet gel that is softened with an intense pearl magnet effect and a lavender flash glitter. Hot take: we don’t talk about purple nails enough, because they are so very pretty and basically look good on everybody.

Sagittarius (NTM-21) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a bright navy flash magnet gel with find cobalt blue flash glitter and high-frost champagne pearl magnetic particles. If Pisces is an easy-breezy-mermaid- blue, Sagittarius is the deep blue sea that’s just dark enough, but not so dark that you’ll have to lock her up until fall.

Gemini (NTM-22) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a grape soda purple flash magnet gel with pink and pearl magnetic particles and fine holographic flash sparkles. She is bright, she’s fun, she’s got youthful energy and she’s perfect for celebrating the warmer seasons ahead.

Capricorn (NTM-23) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a neutral jelly cool brown flash magnet gel with the most gorgeous find pink and holographic flash glitter and a champagne magnetic pearl. I know we aren’t supposed to pick favorites, but she’s my favorite. She’s my diamond of the season, to quote Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton.

Scorpio (NTM-24) from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection is a dark blue/black magnetic with flash glitter and holographic sparkle that is giving the best Milky Way vibes. Perfect for my fellow broody-Judy, spooky Scorpio Sisters that are frankly, tired of everything for scorpios being Topaz orange.

Check out my YouTube Channel for videos of the Zodiac Collection in action.

Heart On Your Sleeve, Red On Your Fingers

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“Red, for valentines day, revol-uuuuu-tionary.” Listen ya’ll, we aren’t reinventing the wheel here; reds and pinks are forever favorites ANY season of the year. But today, TAH-DAY, we’re talking about my favorite hues for the month of love.

Whether you’re in it to win it with a class bold red or ready for something a little different with holographic pink glitter- I got you covered.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Nail Color in ASAP Apple ($4.50) - This one isn’t going to last the longest on your nails, but it’s a one and done- quick dry, gorgeous proper balanced red.

Dazzle Dry Nail Lacquer in Perfectly Plaid ($18) - This red is a little on the deeper side but you won’t find a longer lasting lacquer system on the market. It’s part of a system, so in order to get the long wear you’ll have to use the base and top coat as well but it’s definitely worth it.

Dazzle Dry Nail Lacquer in Soft Caress ($18) - A sweet lavender-toned cool pink, kind of reminds me of conversation hearts. This one is also part of the Dazzle Dry system as mentioned above.

Cirque Colors Nail Lacquer in Madder ($14) - Who doesn’t love a show-stopping HOLOGRAPHIC red. Yes, you heard right- it’s a red polish infused with super fine holographic flakes and trust me, when it catches the light it’s mesmerizing.

CND Vinylux Weekly Nail Polish in Pink Bikini ($14.50) - Literally, this is the perfect creamy pink. Bright, but not obnoxious and looks great on every skintone.

Essie Gel Couture in Rue De La Ruby ($11.50) - A perfect raspberry red for those that prefer a cooler tone to their reds. This collection as a whole is really impressive and I love the brush.

OPI Nail Lacquer in Big Apple Red ($9) - A true original favorite and probably the most perfect red to have ever have red. It’s fairly balanced, but leans a TOUCH to the warmer side of the color spectrum. This ones been in my bathroom vanity for at least a decade and you’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands if you want to take it from me.

Triple O Polish in Sirius A ($11) - Glitter polish is easily my favorite- it dries fast, is super duper forgiving and chips are hardly noticeable. This is the perfect pink sparkle to get you into the season.

Taking a (Gel) Break

Taking a gel break is a pretty common occurrence- but not for the reasons that most people would attribute. While there are many reasons you may choose to take a “gel break.” This year alone has forced a lot of us to do so. Do I think it’s the “death of the manicure?” Absolutely not. Let’s start with the elephant firmly planted firmly in the middle of the room: your nails don’t breathe and don’t require a break. Nails get all of their oxygen from your blood stream. Assuming you are using high quality and regulated nail products and are not currently experiencing an allergic reaction- you’re good as gold to continue to glam those phalanges to your hearts content. 

 Some of the reasons you may decide to take a gel break: 

 Salons are closed: This one hit A LOT of us this year. None of us thought a mandated salon closure would ever happen, let alone happen on and off all year. Many of us got stuck glued to YouTube trying to figure out how to take off our nails. 

 You’re unable to keep a maintenance schedule: Maybe you’re going backpacking through Europe for months. Maybe funds are tight, and nails aren’t an expense you can justify. Maybe you just had a baby and the idea of leaving your kid alone for a couple hours is stressing you TF out. Your reasons are your own, and that’s okay- we’ll be glad to see you when you’re ready to come back. 

Your nail plate is seriously damaged: I’m not talking about a few scratches here and there, I’m talking filed into oblivion or you literally slammed your nails into a car door. Maybe you’re on a new medication that’s throwing your hormones out of whack or seriously affecting prosuct adhesion. Depending on the type of damage, taking a break may be a requirement rather than a choice.

You had an allergic reaction: If your nails are itchy, red, blistered, peeling and/or tender. Go see a doctor ASAP. While it’s not our place as beauty professionals to diagnose, if something doesn’t feel right- it likely isn’t and you should get it checked out by a doctor. You will likely need to take a break and figure out exactly what ingredients are causing a reaction. I can’t stress this enough, you do NOT want to lollygag when it comes to allergic reactions- if you’re a manicurist contact allergies can end your career and if you’re a client you could eventually find yourself allergic to many ingredients if you let allergic reactions go uninvestigated and untreated.  

 Personally, I decided to take a gel break for the month of December. I had a full schedule (also lol because we ended up getting shut down AGAIN in California) and just didn’t want to have to baby my nails or deal with gel maintenance on myself. When I am off duty  I want to be OFF DUTY- not sitting at my nail desk after hours fixing a nail or rebalancing an overlay on myself. God bless my nail friends that can go 6 weeks between manicures, but, I’m a solid 2-weeker, maybe 3 weeks MAX and that’s pushing it. As a side note, I also do not recommend filing off your gel over your kitchen trashcan after a few glasses of wine at like 9pm on a Sunday. Seriously, there’s a reason I don’t do my gels at home- I’m way too impatient. Anyhow, I DIGRESS….

So you’ve decided it’s time for a gel break- what now? 

Gentle Product Removal: If you are unable to see your manicurist for a full removal. Plan on spending some time (it can take hours) to gently remove your gel the right way. You’ll want to file the surface of the gel with a gritty file, try to get through as much color as possible until you see the base coat. Once you get to the base coat, saturate a cotton ball in acetone and wrap it firmly in foil (or plastic removal clippies) and just wait. Don’t even check your nails before the 10 minute mark. Check your nails, see what product is ready to let go (don’t force it) and gently push the gel downwards with a orangewood stick or cuticle pusher. You can file a little more down and then wrap it again and soak again. Repeat until the product had released. 

Cut it down: Unless you are one of those freaks of nature who can grow out their natural nails without any problem or breakage- you’re going to need to take them shorter. Remember, you can always shorten length but you can’t add length if you cut too short. Trim your nails with clippers and they using a medium/fine grit file (180 or 240) working from the outside in a single direction (don’t saw your natural nails) gently shape your nails. 

 Push back your cuticles: Pushing back cuticles a few times a week (with a gentle cuticle pusher) will help keep excess cuticle growth at bay. Since most of us don’t want to sit with our hands in cereal bowls filled with warm soapy water, I recommend pushing them back after you get out of the bath or a shower. Easy Peasy. 

Cuticle oil is your new religion: Repeat after me, in cuticle oil we trust. Twice a day, but in reality, you can’t do it too much. If you’re having trouble sticking to a schedule- apply it alongside your skincare routine. Personally, I just have it in various common areas around my house, in my purse and in my car. I’ve been known to apply cuticle oil at stoplights, no judgement. Amen. 

Avoid excessive treatments: Nail strengtheners are an interesting product, but truthfully very few people actually need them and they tend to do more harm than good and can actually cause your nails to be more brittle over time. Truthfully, eating nutritious foods, drinking water and using cuticle oil is the perfect recipe for healthy nails. If you want more I recommend the OPI Gel Break System- it’s pretty gentle and looks natural. Personally, I just opt for regular-schmegular nail polish when I’m taking a break- it kinda brings back that spark-of-joy I felt when I was a teenager and discovered glitter polish

Whether your gel break was intentional or unintentional- I’ll be on the sidelines cheering you on and when you’re ready to get back into the salon, don’t worry- we’re not going anywhere. #longlivethemani