A teenage volleyball player's frustration with having to remove her manicures before matches has led to an unlikely beauty business partnership with Lashify founder Sahara Lotti. The entrepreneur has teamed up with Hannah Bruno, now 20, who invented a click-on press-on nail system after struggling to find a way to keep her manicures while playing the sport.
The result is Nibl, a beauty brand launching on 10 November 2026, with a $50 (£38) starter kit designed to let customers apply and change their artificial nails with a simple click. What began as an invention conceived when Bruno was in eighth grade has now become a joint business venture, combining her original idea with Lotti's experience building a beauty company.
From Volleyball Frustration To Viral Invention
Bruno first came up with the concept while playing volleyball in eighth grade, when she grew tired of having to remove and reapply her nails before matches to avoid injury. Rather than give up on having manicures, she began thinking about a system that would allow her to take artificial nails off and put them back on whenever necessary.
Years later, while attending high school, she bought a 3D printer using money saved from her job as a barista. She initially used it to make nail charms before developing the mechanism that would eventually become the foundation of Nibl.
Bruno began sharing her creations on TikTok, where her videos attracted millions of views. One demonstration of the nail invention had already surpassed 15 million views by the time Lotti discovered it during a late-night scroll in June 2025.
The Lashify founder was impressed by the concept but concerned that Bruno had publicly shared too much of her invention. Lotti reached out to offer guidance and an opportunity to develop the idea commercially.
'I need to help this girl because she's giving away way too much information, and I know exactly how this story goes', Lotti told The Business of Beauty. The initial contact eventually led to Bruno travelling to Los Angeles for several weeks in summer 2025 to work with Lotti on developing the product. What began as an offer of advice became a business partnership, with Lotti providing financial investment and infrastructure while Bruno contributed her invention, time and ideas.
The arrangement was not immediately understood by everyone around Bruno, with some of her friends questioning whether the established entrepreneur might simply take the idea for herself. However, the pair confirmed that Nibl is a joint venture, although they did not disclose the precise ownership structure.
Inside the $50 Nibl Nail System
Nibl's first offering is a kit containing patent-pending press-on nails, mounting components and adhesive, priced at $50 (£38). Its key innovation is a mounting mechanism that allows artificial nails to snap into place and be removed, making it easier for customers to switch between designs.
The initial collection features an almond-shaped design called 'Petal', with additional shapes planned for future releases. These include oval, square and stiletto styles, alongside potential customisations such as decorative charms, piercings and personalised designs.
For Lotti, Nibl represents an expansion of the beauty innovation philosophy behind Lashify, the DIY false-eyelash business she founded in 2016. The brand developed an at-home lash extension system, and she now hopes to apply the same problem-solving approach to other areas of beauty.
Lotti described Lashify as a beauty think tank focused on identifying and solving problems for consumers, explaining that the company had already addressed the needs of the false-eyelash market.
The two entrepreneurs are already looking towards the next stage of Nibl's development, including additional product launches and securing a retail partner. For Bruno, an idea born from the practical demands of playing volleyball has now become her first major business venture, with an established beauty entrepreneur helping bring it to market.
