By Linda Dayan
One of my roommates, Atara Seff (SSSB ‘25), runs a nail business in our room 19c in Brookdale. From when she first told me about this, I figured that it would mean someone new in the room occasionally, perhaps once a day for about an hour. I was delighted to discover that I could not have been more wrong. Atara is absolutely fantastic, and so obviously word of her business quickly spread through the school. This means that most days Atara takes two girls a day, and the last thing anyone could accuse her of doing is rushing through a manicure. Despite being a student with an intense workload, Atara takes so much care with every detail in the design she’s doing. As can be seen on her Instagram, nailz.atara, most of the things people ask for are not simple manicures, and the more you scroll through her page the more impressive it gets.
Though her skill and care for whoever’s nails she’s doing is definitely one of the main reasons she is constantly booked, I would say the main reason people stick with Atara is Atara herself. Obviously, I am a little biased since I’m lucky enough to be both her friend and her roommate, but whoever comes to sit in the chair for however long they need always ends up having a great conversation. Anytime someone new comes over the conversation never stops. Girls who were once strangers become quick friends. I never would have thought of how much fun it would be for me during the hours when Atara is doing someone’s nails. The conversation flows effortlessly no matter who it is in Atara’s chair. For anyone looking for a fantastic in-dorm manicure, Atara is the best.
My first time getting a manicure with Atara I told her to choose the design from my Pinterest, because I didn’t want to choose something too intense. I remember she used to complain she did not feel comfortable doing a French manicure and yet that day she chose the most complicated French manicure I had saved, and obviously, it turned out amazing. Today, you’ll find that almost every other post on her page incorporates some sort of French design.
Atara is not only the best option for nails on the Beren campus, but most likely also the cheapest. Something that would cost around $80 at Lexi only costs about $30, and that is putting aside the incredible customer experience that comes with the manicure. I love to challenge her with some more difficult designs, and she loves to be challenged. Atara’s skill, care, and genuine interest in her work is amazing to watch and I’m so happy I’m lucky enough to have her as a roommate! And I highly recommend to whoever has not already, to pay Atara a visit in Brookdale room 19c for the best manicure in all of YU!
To reach Atara Seff for an appointment, you can contact her at 917-758-5588 and visit her Instagram page @nailz.atara.