US celebrity nail artist to appear on UK TV in reality show

A celebrity nail artist from the USA is starring in a reality television show, Unpolished, which will air in the UK on TLC and its associated channels on 14 January.

Lexi in front of an advert for Unpolished

Lexi Martone, 27, and her business partner sister, Bria, opened Salon Martone on Long Island, New York  in 2016 and offer services in nails, hair and make-up. Unpolished will focus on the duo’s relationship and day-to-day working life, and feature other members of Martone’s family including her salon manager mother and stylist grandmother.

Martone’s celebrity clients include Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez and Jada Pinkett Smith, the latter of which had her nails done specially by Martone for her character on TV show, Gotham. She also created nails for the front cover of Scratch in December 2015.

“There’s really no other salon on Long Island that’s like us,” Martone said in a short teaser for the show. “Everything is over the top. Nothing is subtle. Extra is our middle name.”

Find out how to watch Unpolished in the UK by clicking here.

Scratch quizzed Lexi about her career story & what it’s like to film a reality TV show with her family…

“Four years ago, my sister and I were both working out of our house. I had a nail salon, she had a hair salon and there were tanning beds in the basement. Our clientele was growing and we couldn’t keep working from home anymore, and while we had always joked about opening a salon, we decided to just go for it. We found a location and it took over a year to build Salon Martone.

“We are unlike any other salon in the area as no-one does the type of nail art that I do nearby so that alone is one of our major selling points. Salon Martone is a family run business so we make all of clients feel like part of the family as well. Most of our clients tell us that it is their favourite place to hang out, even if they’re not getting services that day. It’s always a party at Salon Martone!”

How did Unpolished come about?

“I was originally on Food Networks ‘Baker vs Fakers’ and ‘Christmas Cookie Challenge’ shows and from there, I started working with Buddy Valastro and Cakehouse Media on a YouTube series called Cupcake Witch. They met my crazy family and from there, the series turned into a TV show.

“I’ve always said that my family would be on TV. I’ve been following them around with cameras for years and editing videos of them. Eventually, I started posting the videos on social media and everyone would keep saying that we needed a show. Well, here we are, we have a show!

“We’re all so used to cameras being around and me every move so it didn’t really phase any of us to start filming. It was a lot of fun and is a great advertisement for the salon, which is one of the main reasons for doing it. We hope to have more seasons to show off our talent and keep making everyone laugh!”

What has the TV show meant for your family & your business?

“The salon has benefitted more than we could possibly imagine. The phones are ringing off the hook, people show up all day to take pictures with us or just say hello. Our clientele has grown immensely and we have people flying in from all over the world to get services here.

“Filming the show was definitely a lot of fun but A LOT of work. I would be working on sets of nails all night long. Most days I would leave the salon at 2/3am and need to be back at 9am the next day to start filming again. Thankfully, we had an amazing crew who became part of our family and we all kept each other entertained… and sane… for the most part. There was also prosecco – lots of prosecco!”

Nails by Lexi Martone

What nail techniques & designs will you showcase on Unpolished?

“All kinds of things; from hand painting to rhinestones, 3D acrylic sculpting, spinning, smoking and lights. Basically, whatever technique you could possibly use on a nail, you’ll see on the show.”

What has response been like in the US?

“Everyone is loving it so far! Obviously there’s always people who aren’t going to like it, and they’ll let you know, but for every one person that says something negative, there are 100 more who have something positive to say. I hope the UK loves it as well!”

For more information about Lexi, visit www.leximartone.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.