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Rachel Messick

manicurist

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Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection (Spring 2026)

This post contains gifted product and affiliate commission codes/links. Click here for disclosure statement.

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.

Manicured hand displaying magnetic nail art from the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection.

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.

Close-up image of manicured hand with magnetic nail art featuring the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection

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.

Close-up of hand with short almond nails and sparkly nail art featuring the Nail Thoughts Zodiac Collection

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.

Close-up of hand with gold glittery nails.

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.

Hand with magnetic cat-eye gel polish on almond nails

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.

Close up of sparkly nails on blurred background.

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.

Close up of hand with blue sparkly nails

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.

Hand with purple cat-eye nails

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.

Close-up view of hand with blue glittery nails

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.

Hand with glittery purple cat-eye nails.

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.

Close up of hand with glittery iridescent nails

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.

tags: kokoist, swatches, nail thoughts, magnetic gel, diy
categories: swatch, Product Review
Tuesday 01.27.26
Posted by Rachel Messick
 

Streamline Series: Swatch It Like It's Hot

This post contains affiliate links, see my disclosure statement here.

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My studio was a swatch-free zone for a long time- I always hated the impersonal experience of going to the salon and pilfering through the basket of swatches or staring at a wall of polishes like the Sherwin Williams display at Home Depot. Without fail, I would just end up stressed out and say “uhhhh do you have Big Apple Red? From OPI?” and cross my fingers that the manicurist or front desk person knew what I was talking about. Suffice it to say, it was not the kind of high-end guided artistic collaboration I wanted to have with my clients.  

I always had an immense amount of pride in “knowing my collection” so if a client wanted a red, I wouldn’t show them EVERY red- I’d show them a few and then pare down from there or figure out what direction we wanted to go in without being overwhelmed by choice.

During the first round of closures out here in California, I had the epiphany- I didn’t have to choose one or the other, I can do both in a way that works for me and my artistic process.

Most importantly, it gave me something to do while my studio was closed. Swatching my gels gave me new perspective on my collection- it helped me realize what colors I was buying too often and what colors/finishes were lacking. I also found these amazing swatch palettes at my local nail supply (so if you’re in Orange County, you can grab them at Skylark- if you’re not, here’s an Amazon link) that were wayyyyy less cumbersome than traditional swatch sticks.  

With the new COVID safety guidelines (although, not all that different from how I already ran my studio) came out- streamlining my appointment timing became paramount. Then the epiphany happened:  I should put these online. By putting my swatches online, my clients won’t feel the swatch stress in my studio, and neither of us will have to pour over which pink is the “right pink” for twenty minutes of an hour appointment. Which, TBH, will still happen from time to time (you know who you are).

So it’s a new year, a new opportunity to streamline and work smarter. What steps are you taking in the new year to streamline your service experience?

Here are some links to products that have helped me streamline my swatch process:

36 Color Swatch Palette

Dymo LabelManager Label Maker

1/4 Inch Black on Clear Label Tape

Ball-Chain Connector Clasp

Ageha Non-Wipe Top Gel for Sample Tip

BioSeaweed No Tipe Top Coat

IBD Powerbond Gel Bonder

tags: swatches, gel, client service
categories: Pro Tutorial, Musings, Salon
Monday 01.18.21
Posted by Rachel Messick
 

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