Valentine's Nail Art Challenge

Please join me for In Love and Lacquer's Valentines Nail Art Challenge this week!!

I am pretty excited about this Challenge.  I love doing nail art and I love seeing other peoples work. And I love Valentines Day.

*When customers come in and have a little something on their nails they did at home they always apologize and put their work down. That kills me. Usually it's pretty cute and I love that they are trying it for themselves. Some times it gives me inspiration. I love it. I want to be inspired by you and hopefully inspire you a little too, In Love and Lacquer's Nail Art Challenges.

**For my nail art challenges I will give a theme, and through the week post my interpretations of the theme in nail art designs. The Challenge is for you, my lovely readers, to use the theme yourselves to create your own nail art designs on your hands or a friends, take a quick picture of the nails and message it to me on Facebook or email it to me at shihlove@gmail.com. I will post all the art on our Facebook page in an Album for our Challenges. I will then pick my 3 favorites and a Facebook follower favorite(chosen my our fans) and feature them in a blog post and on Facebook.
Please email or message me your pictues by Thursday Feb 13th before midnight.

Without further ado, Our Second In Love and Lacquer Nail Art Challenge Theme is............................

To Heart or not to Heart! 

This Week The Challenge is to make two different Valentines Manicures, One with Heart, and One with heart on it at all.
Please send pictures of both manicures at the same time. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

Who gets nail art done, really?- Nail ART 101 For clients

Nail ART 101-For clients

Every so often I have a client in the chair that asks me, "Do people really get nail art done?".  My first thought to that is, "Are all my clients hermits??".  I look over at my coworker and wonder if she knows hers are all gloving up as they leave.....

I know that's not the case but I think when I ask people if they want nail art, they immediately think of the long bright nails on our salon magazine covers with 3D bows and dangling Navy anchors or pearl strands.  For example:

January 2014 Nailpro Cover by Max Estrada

 

That's a lot to take in, and it's not even one the more out there designs we see on our industries magazines and even shows.  But that's not all nail art is.

 

Nail art runs that gamete from crazy sculpted creations like Max Estrada's design on this month's cover of Nailpro Magazine to the simple pink and white French manicure that your sweet Mimi has worn since your mom was little.   Most people think of the Frenchie as less done then polish but it is in fact nail art. Some of my favorite nail art manicures are different French designs.

 

  Web Image search of 'Nail Art' produced these and hundreds more.*

 

There is so much and so little you can do to spice of your nails a bit.  They don't have to be all over the place and catching your clothing.  They can be! And I'd LOVE to plan something out with someone! =))

If you are interested in the bolder stuff but hesitant to do your whole hand, find as wild an design as you could wear and do it on one finger or two and match a solid color polish to the other nails.  A bold design on the index and ring fingers only is my current favorite format.

If you want something simple start with a single swirl or stripe on all 10 nails.  Really simple on 1 nails seems like a safe idea, but usually look like you thought about it and quit.

While writing this I decided I should do a quick little project of my own for the post, on my winter wrecked nails.  What do you think? Simple and I loved it because it was quickly done while I was finding images and writing this post.

 

If your curious at all about having some nail art done, ask you nail tech to show you her designs.  If you like her skills, ask her to try a couple ideas, you two come up with, and have them on swatch for you to see next time you come in.  I'd be glad to plan ahead so much, so my client leaves in love with her nails and I am sure your girl would too.

*None of these nail art images are from my clients or myself. You will find them in the top 100 images on bing images if you search Nail Art, January 9th 2014.