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Full Name: Lexi Martone
Hometown: Dix Hills, N.Y.
Salon: Finger Painted
Preferred Nail Art Medium: Gel-polish and acrylic paints
Favorite Nail Trend: Pointed/almond/oval nails

Lexi

“I’ve been an artist my whole life. I could probably draw before I could walk or talk. I’ve explored just about every area of art there is. When I was in high school I fell in love with fashion design and went off to study it in college. It was there that I discovered that it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I wasn’t happy and art wasn’t fun anymore. When I came across the nail world I was hooked instantly. It was new and different, something I had no experience with. Just as in fashion, I was creating wearable works of art, but you don’t need to be a 6-ft.-tall, size 0 model to wear it. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like — nail art is for everyone. I want to show people the true art behind nails, that we aren’t just ‘polishing our nails.’”


Week 7: It’s So Easy

It’s So Easy truly prides themselves for making products to create simple and effortless nail art. For this week’s challenge I really wanted to embody that in my design. I came up with a simple abstract three-stroke design that can be done at any skill level. Since it is an abstract design it doesn’t need to be done perfectly. Variations from nail to nail will enhance the design, which makes it perfect for beginners and is truly easy as 1, 2, 3. However, coming up with a three-stoke design was far from easy. I am very detail oriented and love doing intricate designs. I went through dozens of ideas trying to come up with something for this challenge. Besides Christmas, Halloween designs are my absolute favorite so it was hard to rein my brain in and throw out the crazy over-the-top sketches. It’s hard taking it back to the basics when we’ve been pushing to be daring these past few challenges. Sometimes easy isn’t so easy after all.

Click here to watch Lexi create this look in THREE EASY STROKES.

I am very detail oriented and love doing intricate designs. I went through dozens of ideas trying to come up with something for this challenge. Besides Christmas, Halloween designs are my absolute favorite so it was hard to rein my brain in and throw out the crazy over-the-top sketches. It’s hard taking it back to the basics when we’ve been pushing to be daring these past few challenges. Sometimes easy isn’t so easy after all.

Week 6: Orly

Editor’s Note: Make sure to click on the second photo below to view Lexi’s vision of her day to night French nail design!

When we were asked to reinvent the French, I wanted to REALLY reinvent the French. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not the biggest fan. With all the amazing nail art possibilities out there why would you want something that everyone has done a million times over? Granted there are some who unfortunately can’t sport sparkling, glammed up, over-the-top digits to work, so that’s where my reinvented French comes in. It’s just enough nail art to be exciting and different but not enough to make your hands the center of attraction. I incorporated black to give the design more of an edge than a classic French manicure. I went off of the sheer and opaque concept but did it in a different way. I used a translucent black as my base, solid black for the tip, and a stark white for the top portion of the nail. The contrast of the colors gives a graphic and modern look that can easily be worn while typing away in the office, or dressed up with some bling for a night out. Plus, who doesn’t love black and white? They go with everything! These are the “New French” for the modern woman.

With all the amazing nail art possibilities out there why would you want something that everyone has done a million times over? Granted there are some who unfortunately can’t sport sparkling, glammed up, over-the-top digits to work, so that’s where my reinvented French comes in.

Week 5: NSI

For this challenge we were asked to bring it back to the 1950s. The nail form was first patented in 1957 by NSI founder Thomas Slack. That same year, Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat! I wanted to show that the ’50s weren’t just about Grease, poodle skirts, diners, and checkerboard floors. We don’t realize a lot of well-known things today have been around longer than we think!

To see how Lexi used nail forms to create this design, click here.

The nail form was first patented in 1957 by NSI founder Thomas Slack. That same year, Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat! I wanted to show that the ’50s weren’t just about Grease, poodle skirts, diners, and checkerboard floors.

Week 4: INM

Click here to watch Lexi’s video about her inspiration and process for creating this design.

I decided to go with the black swan because that inspired me most. So I looked up the cool costumes from the “Black Swan” movie because you know any time I can bring fashion into something, I do.

Week 3: Gel II

My home state is New York. Naturally, I chose to showcase NYC, one of the largest fashion capitals of the world. I included the Fashion Ave. sign and button statue from the garment district. I used clothing pattern pieces and stitching throughout the mural, a fashion croquis drawing, and 3-D thread and scissors.

My home state is New York. Naturally, I chose to showcase NYC, one of the largest fashion capitals of the world.

Week 2: Entity Beauty

For this challenge I chose to embody the spell book from the movie, Hocus Pocus. Although “creepy” may bode a better description for the book, it is mysterious nonetheless. The whole art of witchcraft is a mystery within itself. Spells, potions, charms. How does it all work? It is a question we yearn to find the answer to, or at least I do. Is it real or all just a hoax? We may never know. It might be for the better. If we knew, it would be a mystery no longer.

Click here to see how Lexi created these nails.

The whole art of witchcraft is a mystery within itself. Spells, potions, charms. How does it all work? It is a question we yearn to find the answer to, or at least I do.

Week 1: Dashing Diva

For my appliqué design I chose to go with Art Deco. I absolutely love the way Art Deco has inspired many fashion collections for the upcoming seasons so I used that as the inspiration for my design. One designer in particular, Holly Fulton, focuses everything she designs around Art Deco. The patterns I chose evoke and mimic the details created in one of her past spring collections. Stepping out of the box, I chose an atypical color palette for spring to show you can wear more than just pastels and floral print.

I absolutely love the way Art Deco has inspired many fashion collections for the upcoming seasons so I used that as the inspiration for my design.

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