Rashika never formally trained as a nail artist. Her journey started with something much simpler: getting her nails done every month and becoming curious about how the designs were created.

She eventually started experimenting on her own nails. For around three years, she taught herself through practice, trying different designs and techniques without taking a formal course.

Then one of her teachers saw potential in her work and encouraged her to turn it into a brand.

That became Atrangi Tips.

The brand's tagline, “Normal was never the brief,” reflects the direction Rashika has taken. Rather than building around conventional press-on designs, she wants Atrangi Tips to sit closer to fashion and self-expression.

Rashika's background in fashion styling influences how she approaches nail art. She experiments with colours, textures and layers in much the same way she would while putting together an outfit.

“I approach nails the same way I approach clothes,” she says.

For Rashika, nails aren't simply about having a polished or traditionally feminine look. She sees them as a statement accessory and an extension of someone's personality.

That idea is reflected in how Atrangi Tips presents its products. The brand organises its designs around different moods and aesthetics, including Summer Whimsy, After Hours, Experimental and Casual.

The sets are made to order and customised to the customer's individual nail sizes, with a sizing guide available on the website.

One of Atrangi Tips' more distinctive offerings is its Mystery Set.

The idea came from Rashika's own creative process. She says she would often begin with one idea and end up making something completely different after taking inspiration from different places online.

The same approach became part of the customer experience.

Customers can share a mood board, colour palette, reference or simply describe a vibe, and Rashika interprets it through her own creative style.

Some customers even tell her not to recreate their references exactly. Instead, they want her creativity to come through in the final design.

The Mystery Set currently starts at ₹1,899 on the website, subject to confirmation before publication.

For Rashika, that trust between the customer and the artist is an important part of what makes the experience different.

Rashika's first-ever set was made for a friend who trusted her vision before anyone else did.

That order made the idea feel real for the first time.

Another customer later gave her a different kind of challenge. They ordered creative sets that Rashika wasn't sure she knew how to make.

As a self-taught artist, she had to figure out the techniques herself. While working on the order, she discovered that she could create things she hadn't previously thought possible.

The experience also made her look at the wider nail market.

Rashika believes many brands in India focus on minimal designs because those are easier to sell, while more experimental work remains less common.

Her own approach is deliberately different.

“I'm not building this to follow what sells,” she says.

Atrangi Tips is still an early-stage business, and Rashika currently handles almost every part of it.

She describes herself as the artist, creative director, product stylist, photographer, social media manager, content creator, accountant, sales manager, website builder, chat support and cashier.

All of this is happening alongside college.

The hardest part, she says, is managing the mental stress that comes with handling so many responsibilities at once. Still, she sees the work she is doing now as part of building something much bigger.

Her involvement across the business also creates an important question for Atrangi Tips as it grows. The founder is currently closely involved in both the creative and operational sides of the brand, including the making of the products themselves.

Rashika's ambition for Atrangi Tips goes beyond selling press-on nails.

She wants to build the brand around the idea of wearable art, where nails become an extension of a person's personality and a genuine part of fashion and self-expression.

That belief became more significant after she received a message from another nail page that wanted to create something similar but believed customers wouldn't buy it because “people don't buy that.”

The comment stayed with her.

Rashika also wants people to understand the amount of creative work involved in nail art. She compares it with other creative services, where customers are generally more accustomed to paying for the skill and time involved.

For her, every set represents more than the finished product. It involves time, effort and creativity, particularly when the design is created specifically for one customer.

The strongest part of Atrangi Tips is also where its biggest business question lies.

The brand's proposition depends heavily on Rashika's creative input and her ability to create customised products while managing the rest of the business.

As demand grows, the question will be how Atrangi Tips can increase its capacity without losing the customisation and creative quality that make the brand different.

That is TEP's read on the business, rather than a plan Rashika has announced.

For now, the brand remains closely connected to its founder, with Rashika continuing to work across design, production and operations.

Rashika has taken a skill she taught herself over three years and turned it into a business shaped by her fashion background and creative perspective.

Atrangi Tips is still early, but its positioning is clear. The brand is treating press-on nails less like a conventional beauty product and more like a canvas for personal expression.

The next chapter will be about whether that creative proposition can translate into a larger business while retaining what made it distinctive in the first place.

For now, Rashika is building around an idea that has stayed consistent from the beginning: normal was never the brief.