Interview with Nail Thoughts founder Katie Masters on the Celebration Collection, surpassing 100 shades, packaging updates, and full swatches.
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.
Kokoist Terra Magnet Gel Collection (Fall 2025)
This post contains gifted product and/or affiliate commission codes/links . Disclosure statement linked in bio and also available here https://rachelmessick.com/disclosure
It’s undeniable that magnet gels are having a moment. With so many ways to manipulate the velvety fine pigments and particles, how could we not love them?
How do magnet gels work? Are they magic? While the effects are magical, magnet gels are simply iron particles suspended in transparent gel. While the iron particles may appear frosty at first swipe, they “stand up” when manipulated with a magnet and once cured, they stay in place.
Kokoist USA was kind enough to send me their upcoming Terra Magnet collection and after swatching all twelve nature-inspired shades I am SO excited to get these on my clients.
Use code RACHEL10 when you shop at KokoistUSA.com and save a lil’ somethin’ on your Kokoist faves✨
Without further ado, let’s get on to the SWATCHES….
TM-47 Lavender Haze
TM-48 Stone Mist
TM-49 Bengala Red
TM-50 Pink Horizon
TM-51 Mushroom Stone
TM-52 Sahara Dust
TM-53 Deep Forest
TM-54 Aqua Glow
TM-55 Mossy Stone
TM-56 Terra Blue
TM-57 Foggy Turquoise
TM-58 Navy Earth
Dapper French
As much as I wish I had a super quick french manicure hack, the truth is, it’s a little different for every nail shape and length. I find, for me, the best way is to sketch out the smile line, fill in and then perfect with a tapered clean up brush.
The real show stopper here is the Ultra Diamond No-Wipe Top Coat, it’s such an easy way tp add a nice even layer of glitz for the holidays.
You can save 10% off your Kokoist USA goodies when you shop using code RACHEL10. This is an affiliate link, disclosure statement here.
Nuance Tortoise Shell Tutorial
In my studio, we go gaga for tortoise shell designs of all kinds. You want a punchy traditional amber tortoise? say no more. You want a blonde tortoise? I got you. The one type of tortoise that was missing from my arsenal was a melty, caramel swishy tortoise. The kind of tortoise that would adorn a vintage compact or music box.
VIntage Tortoise Shell Box for Inspiration
This technique utilizes wet layers, meaning we’re going to me smushing and swirling a a bit before the hand ever goes in to the lamp for a cure. The trick with wet layers, is that you want to give them a moment to settle in and disperse before you cure.
Let those wet layers swirl and twirl, don’t overwork them.
Variegated Monstera Nail Art Tutorial
If you have found yourself on Plant TikTok or Plant Instagram lately, you’ve for SURE seen these rare and coveted mutant monstera plants. I too have spent a bit too much time on Etsy cruising for affordable clippings (FYI the cheapest I’ve found are upwards of $300)- so don’t worry, you’re not alone.
So, instead of spending an inordinate amount on clippings, let’s create some nail art. Because it’s 2021, we really can have it all. Also, I am fully obsessed with the From the Nail Cereal Glitter gel, it creates the perfect speckled ceramic vibe. I also opted for an easy to draw stylized monstera, that I promise, you’ll be able to recreate with a little bit of practice.
