Animal print has always been a fashion trend for the ladies. As of late last year, sneaker brands like Nike and Adidas have applied the trend to several of their releases.
I think Nike did an excellent job with this pair of Nike Air Max 1. The leopard print and bright coral perfectly accent the black suede on this classic model.
For this nail design, I used Essie Camera for the bright coral. I used Wet n Wild French White Creme underneath to make the coral really pop. As for the leopard print, I started off with Nails Inc. Hampstead Gardens, and then used a dotting tool with black polish to create the splotches resembling leopard print.
If any of you ladies are interested in the mustard yellow color I used, it’s actually on sale at Sephora right now! I purchased mine in store, but you can also find it online on Rstyle. I thought it seemed like a hideous color at first, but it’s actually the perfect base for leopard print, and the formula is top notch.
Who else is a fan of animal print? Would you rock these tips?
If you’re into nail art then you’ve probably heard about the documentary film NAILgasm that is releasing today. Brass, a documentary filmmaker, decided to delve deep into the nail art subculture to find out about its roots and the main players in the industry. I had the pleasure of meeting Brass when she interviewed Liz and me for NAILgasm. She was a great interviewer and I could tell that she was exploring nail art not as an outsider, but as someone who had a true passion for it. I decided to turn the table on Brass and ask her a few questions about what makes her tick and on her new film NAILgasm.
What woman, besides your mom or grandmother, do you find inspirational?
Madonna
How did you get your start as a documentary filmmaker?
First I fell in love with documentary photography back in 2009. Then I quickly realized no one really makes money doing that so the next logical step was making documentary films where I get to combine my love of photography and exploring the lives of other more fully.
When did you first discover nail art?
Nail Art has been apart of urban culture for as long as I can remember so it’s not new to me. However, I first started seeing it go “mainstream” aka outside of the hood back in 2008.
Why did you decide to make a documentary about nail art? What is it about nail art that inspires you?
The things these women and men are able to put on their nails is AMAZING! It’s like miniature paintings on your nails. What really inspires me about nail art are the people that take it seriously and are making a career out of it even though it’s not the most respected profession in the world, yet.
What’s the most interesting thing you learned about nail art while making Nailgasm?
All of the technology that goes into nails. There’s so much chemistry involved. It’s almost like rocket science in terms of how these products are made and applied.
Favorite manicure and shape that you like to rock?
Super impractical, but stiletto (sharp pointy nails) were my favorite to rock.
What’s your favorite film that you’ve worked on?
NAILgasm. I definitely got to live my dream in a lot of ways with this project.
Who do you want to work with?
HBO, PBS, MTV and any other company that supports the making of rad documentaries, hint hint
What part of documentary film making is the most challenging and do you dislike the most?
Editing. OMG, this took MONTHS to edit, literally.
Any advice for ladies who are just starting out in a career path similar to yours?
Ladies, you are unstoppable. Once you fully grasp and accept your power the world better look out!
You can watch NAILgasm now NAILgasmDoc.com. It’s not to be missed!
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of meeting up with PattyCAKE$ to get my nails did. For those of you who don’t know, she’s a local nail artist in the LA area whose nail game is on point! I originally discovered her through Twitter and instantly fell in love with her nail art, so I couldn’t be more excited to meet her and let her work on my nails for the very first time. I thought I’d share my experience for those of you who are looking for a nail artist that can do more than your average.
Initially, I had a hard time finding her salon because it’s on the side of the street. I’d recommend anyone making a visit to keep an eye out for Bank of America, and to park in the lot behind the bank if you don’t want to deal with street parking.
I had a really good vibe when I first walked into the salon. The decor made it seem like a very high-end salon, and I was instantly greeted and taken to Patty’s station. The salon is also located in a nice looking area, which is always a plus for ladies stopping by after work to get their nails done.
To be honest, I had no idea what I wanted going into our nail sesh. Despite my indecisive nature, PattyCAKE$ was really easy going and came up with something that perfectly caters to my liking. She has her nail art album and several sample sets at her station, so there is plenty of inspiration to draw from.
PattyCAKE$ uses a superior quality line of Nubar products, which are known to be a healthier alternative for nails since they are free of toxins.
Overall, PattyCAKE$ did a great job on my nails, and I’m stoked by how they turned out! She is so crazy talented and down-to-earth, and I loved getting my nails done by her. She offers reasonable pricing depending on the intricacy of the design, so don’t hesitate to hit her up if you need your nails done for holiday parties, or any occasion at all! You can set up an appointment by emailing her at [email protected].
In addition to doing nail art, she carries a line of accessories as well! She has troll necklaces and keychains, and dinosaur necklaces and earrings that would make excellent stocking stuffers. I personally picked up a couple of the troll necklaces myself!
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to follow her amazing work on @Cakes_Nails Twitter!
The world of nail art has come a long way from your traditional red lacquer or french tip to now having the movement documented and sported on other parts of your body aside from your nails. This year has been particularly all about nail art and so we made a round up of the must haves just in time for the holidays.
NAILgasm DVD: Earlier this year, we talked about the making of a nail art documentary raising funds on Kickstarter. Fast forward to present time and this baby is about to air in about a week. The DVD includes interviews from top nail artists and nail enthusiasts from around world. To purchase, visit nailgasm.bigcartel.com.
Tipsy Zine Issue 1: Chicago based artist Astrowifey and nail blogger Isis Nicole partnered up to create an indie-lifestyle nail art magazine. We’re talking features of the hottest nail artists, quizzes, shopper’s guide, and a personalized mixtape to jam to while flipping through the pages. This is like an upgraded version of those teeny-bopper magazines we used to rip pages out of and post on our walls as teenagers.
Nail Jerks x Cubannie Links Metal File necklace: Created by California based nail artist Lila Robles and jewelry brand Cubannie Links, the metal nail file necklace is a functional take on accessories. Their collection includes a metal emery board charm necklace and pair of earrings.
Go Hard in the Nail Paint tee is also a product of artist Astrowifey, creator of Tipsyzine. Clawmoney‘s Printed Paw tee available in white and gray. And Nail Tite a Philly-based nail art service also caters to the fashion forward with their Ombre Chambray Hands button up and Tribe hat.
And for the ladies who just want to dress up their nails, you can never go wrong with the latest shades and wraps from our favorites brands. Pictured are OPI The Man With the Golden Gun (an 18kt gold leaf nail polish off the Skyfall collection), Sephora X The Toppers in Chaotic (give a graffiti splatter effect in black and white confetti), NCLA Glitz Holiday Gift Set (glitter polish set of rose gold, purple, and silver multi-color flakes), Ritz Holiday Gift Set (metallic polish set of slate gray, midnight blue, and pink metallic sparkles), and their nail wraps in I Am Your Muse and Room Service.
Since Hellz Bellz is one of my favorite streetwear lines, I thought it’d be fun to recreate one of their designs on my nails. As such, this week’s mani is inspired by the tribal print on one of my Hellz hoodies.
The hoodie happens to be one of my all time favorite pieces from the Hellz Bellz 2009 “Culture Clash” collection!
For this look, I started off with a blank canvas by painting my nails white. Then I used a nail art brush to paint on the details and color them in.
