How to DIY All the Coolest Nails from NYFW SS20
/This month, our guest writer is Nail Artist Halle Butler. Check out her step-by-step on re-creating looks from the most recent NYFW shows.
While you might not be able to get the clothes from the runway this season, you can definitely wear the nails. Better yet, you can do them at home! Here are some simple tips to achieve the trendiest nail art without any expert tools or trips to the salon!
Tadashi Shoji
This flowy look from Tadashi Shoji by Evelyn Lim “was created with a color palette grounded in Japan’s rich tradition, with a fluid design channeling beauty in movement, and with a touch of modern in its shape, all blend effortlessly for a timeless look.” Nail colors used are Àuda.B in “first lady” & “glass stilletos”. And, if you can give that description to people every time you compliment their nails, you’ll sound like a true artist.
Get the look: begin with a clear or nude base. My favorite is Essie Sheer Fantasy – it doesn’t even require a base coat and it floats on the nail like a DREAM without looking uneven or cloudy. AKA even your non-dominant hand looks flawless!
Then, take your favorite red (seriously, any red. Take your least goopy one. I love Ciate or essie for their rounded brush). Using the brush right out of the bottle and starting halfway down the nail, draw a squiggly line diagonally down to the other side. Then fill it in from the bottom and cap the end of your nail!
The best part is, they don’t have to all match, so feel free to make your squiggles different sizes. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can take a striper brush and attempt the extra tiny line, but it’s definitely not necessary.
Ulla Johnson
This next look, created by Betina Goldstein, for Ulla Johnson is a little trickier, but as long as you have a little brush – think like an eyeliner or eyeshadow brush and some acetone, you’re good to go.
Pick an opaque color, aka one that looks good in just 1 coat. (And then hold onto it forever because those babies are gold!) Then, switch it up and go directly to swiping on the color, no basecoat needed here as it’s easier to clean up. Using the color polish in the brush, draw a line down the side of the nail, and then halfway across similar to a french manicure. Chances are, you’ve got some polish on your skin or on the nail so dip that extra brush in some acetone, and use it to remove excess polish! Bada bing bada boom. No need to trek to Paintbox for this design!
Kith
Betina Goldstein strikes again as the nail artist behind these amazing Kith looks. Let me tell you - she is a force of nature and her tiny lines are a gift from the gods. However, we’re not going to create those tiny lines here as I’ve chosen the simplest of her Kith looks to emulate. All you need is a creamy warm-toned neutral and a matte topcoat. (Many brands make them such as OPI and Essie which are great options.) After you apply the basecoat, start painting your nails like normal, but start a quarter of the way down. Then use your handy dandy cleanup brush to make that line crisp and straight. Finally, add a topcoat and matte it out!
Rebecca Minkoff
Lastly, here’s how to easily achieve this Rebecca Minkoff look – just buy some KISS nails and stick ‘em on! Tip: You want to make sure you fit the right nail on the correct finger/nails size before you apply them. There’s nothing more uncomfortable than a press-on nail that’s too tight! Hold the nail at a 45-degree angle towards your cuticle, line it up, and then press it down.
