Designer Nails: Create Art at Your Fingertips
by Ami Vega
About the book:
Nail artist Ami Vega shows you how to turn your nails into miniature works of art. From simple designs to more complex work, you can have a manicure that’s runway ready. One of the rising stars in the world of beauty, Ami offers great advice on growing and maintaining healthy nails, polished off with step-by-step instruction on 50 fabulous and unique nail art designs. Throughout Designer Nails, she shares professional inside tips on the products used and easy ways to build a nail art tool kit for home use.
Ami leads the you through such aspects of proper nail care as:
• the correct preparation of nails
• choosing and achieving the proper nail shape
• the techniques needed to achieve healthy nails
• how to properly prepare your “canvas” for art
• maintaining your manicure
The heart of Designer Nails presents 50 different nail looks that vary in difficulty and detail, from simple geometrics on natural nails to detailed lace patterns on long stiletto nails.
Except:
Nails are like tiny canvases to me. I love decorating them with all kinds of intricate designs and details—something I don’t do when creating art on a larger scale. I hope this book inspires and encourages your inner artist, too. The designs and techniques featured here will show you how easy it is to create something personal and special—whether it’s an intricate design for your wedding day or an homage to someone loved and lost. Think of your nail art as another form of self-expression: it’s body art that can be as intricate as a tattoo, but infinitely more changeable.
I love geometric patterns and textile design. The artist Keith Haring’s use of smooth, repetitive lines has been a huge influence on my work, as has the fashion design of Alexander McQueen—in fact, one of my most popular nail designs (Spray Paint, described on page 000) was inspired by the McQueen exhibit Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Another source of ideas is the public library. I often go there to read books on art and fashion, sketching out my ideas in notebooks and then executing them on false nails that fill my portfolio.
Knowing how your nails work and how to care for them is like preparing a canvas for painting—you want the best surface on which to create your amazing art. So before you turn to the nail art tutorials, be sure to study the basic manicure section of this book first. Most of my clients prefer gel manicures, so that their designs will last for weeks on end. But even if you’re a beginner, once you understand the art behind the polishing of a nail and learn proper nail care, your manicures can last more than a week, too.
Great nail art starts with a good manicure, but it’s also the result of practice—before I was able to create the designs you see on these pages, I went through a lot of trial and error and you will, too. But your efforts will result in beautiful designs—I promise!
**From DESIGNER NAILS by Ami Vega with photos by Jason Setiawan, published August 4 by Perigee, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2015, Ami Vega.
About the Author:
Ami Vega is the creator of El Salonsito, the innovative nail art business and blog (elsalonsito.com) that brings art to people’s fingertips. She has worked with such major beauty companies as Revlon, Essie, and Maybelline and her work has been featured in national and international publications. She also has a monthly showcase column in Scratch magazine in the UK. Since the launch of El Salonsito, Ami is often called on to provide her signature nail art on high-end fashion shoots and runway shows. She created a set of tutorial videos with Maybelline NY for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and has created nail art for super models, celebrities such as Demi Lovato, Vh1’s Mob Wives, and even art royalty like Diana Picasso, granddaughter of Pablo Picasso. Other clients include Monika Chiang, Donna Karan, and Chado Ralph Rucci. Now signed to a premier New York agency, she continues to work on set and for private clients.
Start with the basic designs and practice, practice, practice. Then move to the more intricate patterns without fear; after all, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to nail art. Consider these designs an open platform for your own self-expression—I encourage you to change the colors, combine different elements, and take them even further to express your own style.
My Thoughts:
I love the book. What I like is that Ami shows you step by step how to create some beautiful nails. She starts with the first coat of polish and then takes you through each step. I thought that there would be no way that I could re-create Ami designs ~ but with how the book is written and with all the pictures there are many I could do. There are also lots of great tips on how to start and how to set up a space. I thought it was a well written how to book.
If you would like to purchase this book you can do so on the link below from Amazon.com.
I have a copy to give to one of my readers. You must be 18+ US (48), DC. Leave a comment - do you have your nails done or do you do them yourself? Extra entry for each way you follow Kaisy Daisy’s Corner. Giveaway ends Sept 2, 2015.
Please fill out the form HERE to enter.
I received a Copy of this book from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for the review.
This sounds like an awesome book! I’d love to do more than plain color polish on my nails. And who knew there is a right way to get nails ready and to file them? I have so much to learn!