Why Gilt

Why Gilt - Our Story

There are nail products, and then there's Ugly Duckling.

Like many nail technicians, I tried countless brands before I finally found the one that changed everything. The moment I started using  Ugly Duckling I knew it was different - the quality, the results, the way it simply worked. I fell completely in love with it.

At the time , nobody in New Zealand was selling it. I was ordering from a supplier in Australia, paying international shipping and waiting weeks for delivery. When that supplier closed down I faced a choice - find something else, or go after the brand I truly believed in.

I chose Ugly Duckling.

I reached out to the team directly and asked if I could bring their products to New Zealand. Thankfully, they said yes - and Gilt Nail Supplies was born.

Since then I've travelled to Canada twice to visit the Ugly Duckling team in person, most recently in 2025. Reconnecting with the people behind the brand, learning new skills and seeing their passion first hand on deepened my belief in what we were doing here.

Today I run a beautiful little salon in Christchurch called Studio Nails with two talented nail technicians - both whom love Ugly Duckling just as much as I do. Gilt Nail supplies grew out of  that salon, out of a genuine love for the craft and a desire to make world class professional  nail products accessible to every nail technician in New Zealand.

That's why Gilt exists. For you, the nail tech who deserves the best.

               

-Sue, Founder of Gilt Nail Supplies