The manicure featured above is a red Ruffian, which was shown at the Dior spring 2010 runway show. It comes from a recent Vogue Italy article on nail trends, which declares, “The rule: less square and never too long.” I’m not big on dos and don’ts, but I have to say I’ve left behind square shapes…for now anyway.
One of our favorite nail artists, Lacquerized, slays us once again with her latest Ruffian mani, which features Man Glaze “Matt is Murder” overlayed with a top coat. The image of the mani also is accompanied by a tutorial on how to lay down a Ruffian manicure. Not for nothing, but Ms. Lacquerized is way too humble because even if I “practice, practice, practice” as she recommends, she clearly possesses a gift that doesn’t translate to us mere mortals so easily.
Everytime I visit 2BD, there’s also something that stops me in my tracks, but this manicure [UPDATE: As a couple of our readers--thanks guys--have pointed out, this is Miu-Miu-inspired, not Prada] they featured was a jaw-dropper. Watching the way nail art has evolved and grown over the past couple of years has been pretty amazing and definitely more dynamic/fun than other aspects of fashion.
You may not know this but when it comes to nail art, Holland is a bit of an epicenter for the current movment and there’s something of a mafia of blogs related to love of nail polish and manicures. One of the best of the bunch is Lacquerized, authored by a woman whose manicures and images are so perfect they are borderline unreal. In this image, she tries out Eyeko’s newest shades and her fave is the one featured here, called Vampira. It is a beautiful shade, seasonally appropriate or not because sometimes even in the summer you need your nails to match your mood.
After the flip, a gorgeous black-on-black leopard matt mani and a matt black and silver Ruffian mani.
U.K.-based nail artist (and student) Flyndia has a YouTube channel featuring a series of absolutely charming and enchanting videos, which teach various nail art effects. The one featured here was recently uploaded and tutors on creating a marble look. Even if you wouldn’t attempt nail art on your own if your life depended on it, you can’t help but enjoy watching her do her thing. And I couldn’t agree more with her profile quote: “Life is way too short for boring nails so have fun and embrace nail art! ”
From manicure expert AllLaqueredUp, we discovered that Katy Perry tweeted pictures of the manicure we wrote about a few days ago. Manicurist to the stars, Kimmie Kyes, is the one responsible for the design, which featured customized tips using Milani Hi-Res polish.
Even though Kelis says “Acapella” is the opposite of fashion-oriented, we very much liked what we saw and thought it was styled beautifully. Above is one of about five looks featured in the video.
After the flip are as many as we could capture, plus a close-up her manicure.
Here is Kelis’s newest video called “Acapella,” currently No. 1 on Billboard dance charts. The styling is super-tribal and some elements harken back to the recent appearance she made, which caused much of the internet to lose its marbles. Seeing this video, that outfit all makes a lot more sense, doesn’t it? When you’re watching, check out her super-tight mani, bigger-looking boobs, and is that her lil’ baby boy we get a peak of at the end?? [Yes, in answer to my question, it is. His name is Knight Jones and apparently the song is inspired by him.]
“It’s not fashion-oriented at all. Actually, it’s the complete opposite. I think everything is over-fashioned up that it just becomes uninteresting, and when every artist has access to every designer and vice versa, it’s no longer exciting or fun.”
I get what she’s saying. There was a time when you had to actually work to put your look together and it took creativity, too. Nowadays if you’re hooked up with the right stylist and you have a big enough budget, you snap your fingers and you’re a style icon. That being said, gotta wonder if there wasn’t a little bit of shade being thrown there at a certain singer who Kelis has (wrongly) been accused of biting style ideas from.
Forever and a day I’ve wanted to visit Valley Spa, located in SoHo. Manicures and well done nail art are a very big deal to me and I had a feeling stepping into Valley compared to all the Brooklyn salons I normally visit would feel like a homecoming. And it did. For downtownistas who have gone form salon to salon like a nomad in search of nail technicians whose aesthetic and product sensibilities are in line with theirs, Valley will hit the spot. Not only are their colors and processes in step with fashion, they hold the same oath as doctors, ”do no harm.” So no acrylic nails or any other product that damages the nails or the nail bed. I tried out a glitter gold, gradiated Cal-Gel process and nine days later I swear to you it is still as perfect as the day I got it. Can you imagine, a manicure lasting so long that you actually grow tired of it?? I can’t (and btw, I’m still not tired of it).
Before, during and after getting my nails done, co-owner Julia Werman (her sister, Nina, is her partner) and I chatted about how business is going, plus hot nails trends and whether or not matte nails are on they’re way in or at. Flip to the next page to read more and see more images, too.
There’s an official obsession with matte nail beginning to brew here. It’s to the point that looking at super glossy nails is a little bit of a turn off, which is crazy because there was nothing that I used to love more than a the shine of a fresh mani. And even still, I think a straight matte nail is a bit much. And that’s why I love this design. You get the mystery of the matte with a little added pop from the sparkle to bring it out. This image and the mani were created by MarianNaoust. Follow the link and you can find details on the polish she used.
