This Celeb Manicurist Created an Instagram-Worthy Sketchbook for At-Dwelling Nail Artwork
Julie Kandalec, typically referred to as Julie Okay., has spent the previous decade creating nail appears for journal covers, runways, crimson carpet occasions, and Essie campaigns. She was additionally the founding artistic director of Paintbox, an NYC-based nail studio that makes a speciality of on-trend nail artwork. This month, she launched her first ever product, and no, it’s not nail polish. Kandalec wrote, designed, and self-published Nail Artwork Design E-book, a workbook for each professionals and nail artwork lovers to play, plan, and dream up new mani appears.
The Concept
The concept for this guide—a canvas for swatching, training designs, and displaying nail artwork—got here to Kandalec whereas planning out nail appears for a really massive shoot. “Just a few years again, I landed a dream gig: creating 40 completely different nail appears for {a magazine} cowl,” Kandalec says. “It was an thrilling however overwhelming alternative. I didn’t know the place to begin. I ultimately determined to sketch out the designs on paper as a substitute of portray them on faux nails as I often would.”
The At-Dwelling Angle
Because of that shift in technique, she was capable of plan out all 40 of the designs simply and effectively. “It was a recreation changer, and I wished to discover a method to take this one step additional and share this strategy with nail artwork lovers all over the place. That’s why I spent the following 5 years fine-tuning this Nail Artwork Design E-book.”
As Kandalec iterated on the guide over time, she would personally use the completely different variations of it on set. That realtime expertise helped her finesse it alongside the best way. “As I used to be creating my guide, I noticed the necessity for it increasingly more. Shoppers and nail artists alike have been curious as to what it was, and I might tease a nook of a web page right here or there backstage or on set.”
The Execution
The 42-page, metallic-gold inked guide was certain to lie flat to forestall polish drips. The paper was rigorously chosen for opacity and shade accuracy when swatching polish or gel. The guide additionally consists of academic components like shade idea, polish mixture inspiration, and useful suggestions. One tip we liked: Use a clear mascara spoolie for nail prep and to use glitter. “For prep, dip a clear spoolie in 91% isopropyl alcohol and scrub the cuticle space, sidewalls, and below the free edge for a squeaky-clean nail previous to making use of your base coat,” Kandalec explains. “And so as to add glitter, dip a clear spoolie into your glitter, maintain it above freshly painted nails (whereas nonetheless moist) and gently faucet the spoolie to evenly distribute glitter onto the nail.”
There are two completely different cowl choices to select from and the paintings for every was created utilizing precise nail polish. “The covers have been impressed by my long-time love of shade combos and the way they work collectively to make new shapes and textures,” Kandalec explains. “For every cowl, I used about 10 completely different lacquers. I wished paintings that spoke on to the nail artist and appeared lovely on a desk and even simply on show. The metallic gold foil on the quilt was the ultimate step.”
The Buy Information
Nail Artwork Design E-book dropped on June 1, 2020, in honor of Nationwide Nail Polish Day and in reminiscence of Kandalec’s mother. It’s accessible for buy at www.nailmasterclass.com for $24 {dollars}. 10% of every sale all through the month of June shall be donated to the Commerce-Works Basis, a non-profit that brings magnificence professionals to Jamaica, the place they train their expertise to under-resourced youth.
Want some inspo to kick off your private nail artwork gallery? Kandalec shares tips on how to create certainly one of her favorites right here:
The Sneak-Peak Tutorial: Mod Polka Dots
- Use polish, a pen, or markers to put out your design.
- Manicure your nails, then apply base coat.
- Apply black to 1 half of every nail, alternating sides, and alternating between horizontal and vertical splits. Tip: Dip an angled eyeliner brush into pure acetone (not acetone polish remover, that might depart oils on the nail) to excellent the perimeters of the black shapes.
- Apply high coat (this prevents smearing).
- Customise an orangewood stick by submitting the tip all the way down to a really tremendous level.
- Dip the orangewood stick into white polish and gently apply to your nail at a 90′ angle to create the dots.
- Permit to dry utterly. Then apply one other layer of high coat.
