Saturday, February 20, 2010

fashion campaigns




I worked on the current Yves Saint Laurent fashion campaign that hit magazines this month. The campaign was photographed by Inez Van Lamsveerde and Vinoodh Matadin in NYC featuring supermodel Natalia Vodianova. Designer Stefano Pilati headed up the creative. I used the shade Stop and Stare on Natalias nails and toes finishing the look with Addicted to Speed uber quick dry with an incredible shine. I am thrilled to see the finished product in the magazined and how prominent the nails are in some of the photos. We worked very long shoot days to get every light and shadow right. Its worth every minute when you see the final campaign. I am proud of this one!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

my NY fashion week recap. Fingers and toes are both matchy matchy and ultra shiny!






It has been full steam ahead for NY fashion week. Lots of preparation goes into putting my nail team together each season. Always looking forward to working with new talented manicurists from around the country. I also have to meet with the designers prior to the shows to see their inspiration and work with the team on the nail look. This season I worked on 6 shows.

Narciso Rodriguez (always a minimalist at heart) spoke to me about a very groomed cuticle and nails and toes buffed to a high gloss.
get the look:First we shaped the nails- short and rounded, applied cuticle remover to push the cuticle back and remove excess cuticle from the nail plate. Next we hydrated with cuticle oil and Rich Girl hand and cuticle cream. We finished the look by gently buffing the nails to a high gloss finish.

Zac Posen s girl for fall 2010 is a 'Chelsea Girl' Young downtown girl with a fresh 'blush' nail. Color: My Romance (hanky panky pink)
get the look :
Begin by shaping the nails making sure they are all the same length, groom the cuticle (this is key to perfect nails). Push the cuticle back and then hydrate (refer to the 'how to video on my site). We used ridgefiller base coat which is my go to base coat for a perfect foundation under nail color, then 2 coats of My Romance to give the nails a rosey blush look. Finish with Addicted to Speed ultra high gloss quick dry top coat (a must have for me backstage at fashion shows).

Badgley Mischka's fall 2010 show featured both their luxe gowns and their new Mark and James collection. We rocked Marquee Moon (futuristic sequined silver) on the nails and toes.
get the look: begin with a full manicure shaping nails evenly and rounded. Grooming and hydrating cuticle (refer to my manicure how to video). We made the plate of the nails perfect by applying ridgefiller as our base coat. Next we applied 2 very thin coats of Marquee Moon. This ultra modern shade has what I call 'sequins' in it. Each nail will not have the same amount of 'sequins'. It is 'deconstructed'. We finished the look with Addicted to Speed ultra high gloss quick dry top coat.

Adam's girl is earthy urban warrior. Lots of beige and gold in his fabrics. We decided on a modern beige nail- what I call the 'new' nude- Fashion a not -so-typical taupe.
get the look- again we opted for short rounded nails. When wearing a real nude I make sure to buff the nails with my Smooth Operator. This buffer has 4 carefully chosen fabrics to take natural nails from rough to smooth -- gradually without damaging or thinning the nail plate. When I am going to use polish I do not use the 4th fabric (number 4 on your Smooth Operator). I apply ridgefiller base coat. I let it dry a minute and follow with 2 thin coats of Fashion. Then finished with Addicted to Speed ultra high gloss.

Jill Stuart's collection is inspired by women who aren't afraid of mixing prints and silhouettes and textures. So we went for a soft beautiful 'lady like' nail with my newest nude shade I'm Not Innocent (clean,creamy peach)
get the look - nails were short and rounded. One thin coat of ridgefiller as the 'foundation'. Followed by 2 thin coats of I'm Not Innocent. TIP:Resist the temptation to try to get the bottle tone of the color in one coat. When applying a 'nude creme' you won't get the true tone until you apply the second coat. once again Addicted to Speed gave the finishing touch for a high gloss nail.

Lela Rose When I saw Lela's fabrics I knew I had to propose a shade from my upcoming fall collection. Across the Universe -a sheer navy base with electric green and blue 'sequins'.(available in late august).
get the look: begin as always with a full fledged manicure. Perfectly filed nails and perfectly pushed back cuticle are a must.
One coat of ridgefiller base coat. Let dry 60 seconds. 2 thin coats of Across the Universe (again let each coat dry 60 seconds before continuing). Finish with Addicted to Speed.
are you beginning to see what my go to products are for backstage nails?

We are truly having a resurgence in nails as an accessory.
This is not a time to be shy!
enjoy!

deborah