It wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
An Indiana nail technician left claws-metic lovers in shock after unveiling an ostentatious nail design that’s modeled after a tea set.
A post detailing her creation has amassed over 16 million views on Instagram and flabbergasted viewers, who wondered, among other things, how she wipes her bum.
“The process of creating the teacup nails was quite tedious but simple,” Morgan Gilbertson, 23, told Jam Press of her avant-garde acrylics.
The maven specializes in concocting a host of wild and wacky nail embellishments from snail shells to miniature mushroom kingdoms and even a set made from sweets like a Carmen Miranda of manicures.
The Noblesville native takes between two to four hours creating a set of custom nails, after which she sells them to willing buyers.
Designs cost customers anywhere from $60 for custom press-ons to $400 for her more extreme creations.
“Clients who purchase my more extreme press on sets are typically purchasing them for photo shoots, music videos, festivals or big events!” Gilbertson described.
For her latest claw diorama, the scratcher sculptor decided to make her nails resemble a set of fine china.
Accompanying pics show her ornamental manicure, which is bedazzled with floral designs while each nail is topped with miniature tea cups like an accessory from the Calico Critter panda’s playhouse.
“The tea cup nails were hand-painted,” the cosmetician explained, describing the process. “I bought ceramic doll house tea cups and added gold trimming to give the fine china look.”
She added, “Most of the materials I use are professional grade gel, but if it’s not a professional nail product, I love finding mediums and inspiration at craft stores!”
It’s yet unclear how much the tea set acrylics would cost, however, Gilbertson suggested that they might run buyers up to $3,000.
The ornate nail job drew mixed reactions from viewers with one skeptic scoffing, “This is as stupid as it can get!!!
“What in the Beauty and Beast is this s—t,” said one jokester.
“You break a nail…you buy it!” quipped another.
Others wondered about the practicality of having one’s nails adorned with so many doohickies.
“Who wipes your behind for you?” wondered one realist, while another declared, “I need a tutorial on how to wipe in the bathroom with these on .. I don’t wanna get dingleberries in my tea cups.”
“Just because you charge it doesn’t mean anyone would pay it,” criticized one dissenter. “People with this look can’t even keep good personal hygiene. Also, they can’t work (other than Onlyfans or stripping). What is wrong with women today?”
Engaging in claw tip cosplay might seem like a strange vocation, however, Gilbertson said she was inspired in part by her grandma, a beautician who used to give her manicures as a child.
“She definitely inspired me at a young age to fall in love with the beauty industry and to feel inspired by beauty,” fawned the makeover wizard.
Her major influence? Lady Gaga. “I loved her creativity with the meat dress, CDs… anything she could get her hands on to express herself through fashion!” Gilbertson gushed.
Once limited by materials and skills, now the sky’s the limit for her nail decorations.
“Now, with how advanced nail art has become, there’s not a lot we can’t do,” Gilbertson declared. “I literally have every tool or product I could dream of allowing me to create these unique sets of art!”
She added, “I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff I couldn’t make, but I love a good challenge.”
