Doing It In The Park

So one of the many things I love about living in a place like New York City is you can do anything-anytime, anywhere. Even your nails.

The other day, I had a nail date with my friend, photographer, videographer, painter, and just all around creative being Lori  in Madison Square Park using her special technique that she does on her Whimsical Lori sneakers.  It was so much random fun, I had to document.

The work station: An assortment of nail polish, many paint utensils, and some Mike’s Lemonade (not pictured here).     The before: Setting up shop on a table by the Flatiron Building before we got kicked out by the park police lol (Yes, these are my real nails).

The during: My fingers were taped at the cuticle to avoid bleeding and to protect my fingers. Lori used her own technique with plastic straws to splatter the nail polish all over my nails. Trust me, it was not as messy as it looks. 

Borrowed light from the subway for pics right after :). 

The after: So in love with my nail art. I cleaned up the sides with acetone and a cotton swab and put a layer of clear polish on top to seal everything. And that's it! It reminds me of a Jackson Pollack painting. The picture doesn't do the design justice.

 So summer NY.  Love it. If you are interested in getting your nails done with your own design, contact Lori at: loriwhimsical@gmail.com. Tell her I said "Hi!"

SPRINGING FORWARD

"See I'm just forward looking, that's how I really see,
See while you Valentines, I'm thinking Christmas trees."- Lupe Fiasco, "Beamin"

Though it is still very much winter around my parts, as evident by my heavy scarf and thick gloves, I have been anxiously waiting for Spring so I can try out some new looks. Here are just a few: 

Baby-pink makeup palettes (and clothes)

Big bangs

Tribal head scarves interwoven in braids

Orange lipstick+orange nail polish+specs=yes, please (have adored this L'OReal ad for some time by the  by)

My obsession with nail art is sure to continue, only in brighter, bolder designs 

THE ART OF GETTING NAILED

      picture courtesy wah-nails.com London

Get your mind out of the gutter! This is NOT that type of post, however, this year’s increasingly striking nail trends could heighten your chances of getting noticed by a special someone to help you in that department, but I digress.This season’s manicure brings a noticeable departure from single nail shades from years past, evolving into more of a flamboyant form of individualistic, artistic expression.

“No one finger is the same,” said Marchia Stallensworth, a manicurist who specializes in minx manicures from Polish nail lounge in the South Loop and owner of the Mobile Nail Bar. “There is a movement to make more natural nails jazzed up and flashy.”

At the top of the nail style favorites is The Half Moon manicure, also dubbed the “half-naked nail,” where only half the nail is painted, turning your simple shade into a graphic design statement in a blink.“That came from fashion week,” said Stallensworth. “A lot of designers were requesting the half moon style and people have been coming in and requesting that.”
 

    Japanese nail magazine, featuring 3-D design, UV coating, and piercing - Defyingmainstream.com

Cosmetic retailers are dutifully taking heed of the emergent trend, even enlisting the help of celebrities like Katy Perry and The Beib, to bring the looks straight to you via their very own nail polish lines.

Is your head swirling yet with dizzying nail designs, but you think you don’t have the time, cash, or creativity to partake in all the nail mayhem? Sure you do. Try Sally Hansen’s pre-designed nail polish strips, a surprisingly successful attempt to mimic the Minx manicure from last year. I am actually wearing their Hoodstooth design as I type.

And when all else fails, Stallensworth advises shrewdly, “Go to Hobby Lobby, buy some glitter and make your own glitter topcoat and apply it to your tip, (it’s) a cool way to spice it up…at home.”

My own nail creation:

I used:

OPI Fit For A Queensland

Finger Paints Hue Left A Message?

Nail Art gem stones from Sally's

Send me pics of your nail art!

Orginal content on URChicago.com