About SNAILWORKS

We Make Things That Fascinate Us

SNAILWORKS is a small materials lab creating experimental pigments, weird nail polishes, and precision-engineered metal press-on nails.

We make things that glow.

We make things that change colour.

Things that feel like they came out of a laboratory rather than a cosmetics factory.

Our goal is simple:

Create beauty through innovation.


It Started With An Experiment

SNAILWORKS began with an idea shared between Felix and Mark. Both loved wearing nail polish but felt underwhelmed by the effects you could achieve straight from a bottle.

Envious of the incredible nail art they saw others creating, and without the nail art experience to recreate it themselves, they decided to solve the problem the only way they knew how:

through science and engineering.

What started as a few experiments with pigments and powders quickly grew into a fascination with unusual materials, and eventually the founding of SNAILWORKS.


Built Like A Materials Lab

Most beauty brands focus on colours and trends.

We focus on materials.

That means we focus on the little things like:

  • pigment behaviour
  • glow intensity
  • particle size
  • light absorption
  • metal finishes
  • texture and surface effects

Whether we’re developing a glow pigment, formulating a nail polish, or designing metal press-on nails, every product starts with an idea, then a lot of experimentation.

We experiment with pigments, powders, coatings, and metals to see how they behave in the real world.

Some experiments become nail polishes.
Some become unusual powders.
Some become things we’ve never seen before.

Sometimes the results are beautiful.

Sometimes they’re just strange.

And sometimes they fail completely.

All outcomes are interesting.


What We Make

Today SNAILWORKS produces a range of experimental materials including:

  • glow-in-the-dark powders
  • colour-changing materials
  • unique effect nail products
  • precision-engineered metal press-on nails
  • unusual material experiments

Our materials are used by:

  • nail artists
  • painters
  • model makers
  • prop designers
  • photographers
  • curious experimenters
  • backyard scientists
  • mould-breaking DIYers

A Small Independent Workshop

SNAILWORKS is a small independent business based in London, UK.

We design, test, and pack our products ourselves.

Many of our materials are mixed and prepared in small batches so we can maintain quality while continuing to experiment with new ideas.

Running a materials lab means we are constantly testing things.

Sometimes that means a new pigment.

Sometimes it means a strange powder we’ve never seen before.

Sometimes it means an experiment that definitely should not have glowed that brightly.


If You Like Strange Materials

You’ll probably enjoy what we make.

Whether you're an artist, a maker, or someone who simply likes making unusual things — SNAILWORKS exists to give you the materials worth experimenting with. 

Explore the outcomes from our experiments → Products