Everyone is talking nails on lockdown. As we’re all doing our bit and staying at home, understandably many of us are concerned that our digits aren’t looking as well maintained and pristine as we would want them to. My Instagram homepage is flooded with lives of beauty gurus helpfully providing tutorials on how to remove gel manicures without going to a salon. Influencers are convincing their followers to buy LED nail lamps from Amazon to literally take matters into their own hands. Beauty enthusiasts are fervently discussing whether you should invest in clips or make do with kitchen foil.

I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s all too much effort for me. I prefer leaving it to the professionals. My nail lady has already received several texts, telling her how much I miss her and how I’m already fantasising about my next visit to restore my nails back to their former glory. In the interim, it’s fair to say that my nails could do with some TLC and what I am prepared to get on board with are hand and nail products. Enter Uka nail oil.

I’m a sucker for oils and no stranger to them; facial oils are a regular part of my skincare regime and I love a body oil applied to damp skin after a warm shower. Going through my handbag the other day, I happened to stumble on this 7:15 Uka nail oil, which was gifted to me by a dear friend from Korea. For those looking to elevate their hand and nail care game, look no further than this Japanese cult product, rumoured to be in the handbags of all It girls and A-listers there.What initially appeared as pure hedonistic indulgence has now transitioned to being a staple for me

Let’s face it, applying hand and nail creams can be somewhat of a boring affair. In a quest to inspire her swanky clients to invest more time in caring for their hands and nails, top Japanese manicurist and nail artist, Kiho Watanabe crafted this innovative and utterly stunning product to turn this step into an uncomplicated, playful and yet indulgent ritual. Uka Nail oils are a blend of Sweet Almond, Argan (famed for its healing properties) as well as Wheatgerm oils at base. This highly nutritive and nourishing blend is housed in an elegant, dainty and totally exquisite glass rollerball vial. This makes it effortless to travel with, minus the worries of spillage. Watch your friends gush (and maybe turn a little green with envy, true story) as you nonchalantly pull this beauty out of your bag and casually apply the scented oil to your nails on your next brunch date (whenever that will be).

Watanabe spared no expenses when it came to developing her oil and enlisted the help of Gilles Berthoumieux, a French agricultural engineer specialist in tropical farming and precious essential oils utilising organically grown ingredients. Uka nail oils come in 5 different scents. Each of them have meticulously and artfully blended with cherry picked essential oils to be used at different times of the day and are named according to those times. For mornings, the 7:15 blend is recommended  with its uplifting hints of Hinoki wood (a type of Japanese cedar which is deliciously herbaceous); turn to 13:00 for an energising and stimulating boost of Peppermint and wind down with relaxing and highly feminine Rose- Geranium magic in 18:30. Should you need a scent to lull you into a deep slumber, 24:45 is for you with its soothing Lavender and Vanilla blend.  There is even a minimally scented oil called Basic for those not keen on essential oils. With that luxurious packaging, organically sourced oils and delicate Vanilla scent, it’s anything but basic.

I find the 7:15 Uka nail oil to be an incredible aromatherapy treat to use on mornings and it’s a scent that immediately transports me to a happy place. I’m delighted to revel in this ambrosial scent all day if I’m being honest and not just in the morning. The fragrance lasts about an hour and nothing makes me smile more than catching a faint whiff of this scent as I go about my day. With consistent use, I’ve noticed perfectly moisturised and nourished cuticles as well as strong nails. I’m also convinced that my nails are growing faster. The rollerball ensures that just the right amount of product is dispensed, hence you will never accidentally waste a drop of the precious oil. With this convenient feature, I fully expect this fairly pricey product (£26 for 5ml) to last me a very long time even though I’m fanatical with reapplications throughout the day. The multi-functionality of this oil is highly appealing to me and I use this pale elixir in a myriad of ways. It doubles up as a beautiful perfume, applied to my collarbone or wrists, as a quick pick me during the day and even as a lip oil. If I’m feeling particularly extravagant, I sometimes use it as a massage oil for my shoulders. As it happens, great things really do come in small packages. This Uka Nail oil is an exquisite product brought to life by one person’s passion, made with wonderful organic nutritive ingredients and has clearly stolen my heart.

I have to say, I think my friend nailed it, these Uka nail oils do really make a splendid gift. If you’re thinking of gifting this to a friend, I hope my review of Uka nail oils will positively sway you and you can buy these from online retailer Alyaka right here. Or just get one for yourself. Trust me, it’s a little bit of luxury you’re guaranteed to enjoy.