Celebrating 10 Years: The Top 3 and the Bottom 3

 

Challenge 5 sponsored by Entity Beauty asked our Top 8 to look at Entity’s ad campaign from their first year of business and use it as inspiration to create a set of nails they would wear to Entity’s 10-year anniversary party. The rules were they must use a combination of styles (acrylic, gel, gel-polish) to create the look on a model’s two hands.

 

This week’s guest judge was Yuliya Normand of Entity Beauty. Permanent judges include CND’s Jan Arnold, NAILS Next Top Nail Artist 2014 winner Ryoko Garcia, NAILS editor Hannah Lee, NAILS senior editor Beth Livesay, and the rest of the team at NAILS Magazine.

 

 

In no particular order, the top 3 are:

 

Danielle Costantino: The judges love how much thought you put into your design and we liked how you described how you came up with your design. It definitely captures the timeless elegance of the classic Entity ads, while adding a modern flair. The design is light and feminine and represents Entity’s spirit. The marbling effect is lovely and well-executed. The 3-D feather is detailed and crisp and you used a variety of styles and mediums. Several of the judges think you are missing a “wow” factor, even though these are beautiful. Your demo is also nice with good photos and descriptions.

 

Lexi Martone: The judges like the “heat” of your design. The attention to detail by carrying over the “ribbon” type treatment on the “10” is an awesome tip of the hat to Entity’s logo. Your craftsmanship, as always, is polished and clean. We like how the black flames extend over the nail onto the finger. You show a good mastery of a variety of techniques and mediums. The light and airy feeling you get when looking at Entity’s ads feels lost, making it feel a little too heavy for the mood of the campaign. We would like to see how you created each of the nails. It feels like your demo is missing a few steps.

 

Simone Gilbert: The judges love how you represented the diversity of Entity’s ads. We also liked your insightful, well-articulated analysis of the challenge. The subtle nod to the flame ad with two black feathers was a smart touch. The floating wings in the clear enhancements are so pretty and the shape of the nails is perfect for the flow of the design. The fireworks are a nice nod to a celebration and the feather accents are a nice touch, giving the design a light feeling. Your typography could use some refinement; it feels a little heavy and out of place with the rest of the design. While stunning, the judges were left wondering if overall the design was a bit too simple since most of the nails are the same pattern. Nicely shot demo.

 

 

The following techs can breathe again. They are in the middle of this week’s pack and are safe. In no particular order, congratulations to:

 

Lauren Boyd: The judges think your design is decadent and lovely, though the heavy detailing doesn’t quite have the ethereal aesthetic of the classic Entity ads. Your handpainted details are practically flawless. However, we would have liked to have seen a wider usage of different styles, perhaps more sculpting or 3-D elements. We also liked your description of your inspiration and design. Your demo pictures still need to be lighter and tighter so we can really see the detail of what you’re doing.

 

Sherri Traweek: The judges liked how your color palette matches perfectly with Entity’s softer colors and we liked your textured acrylic wings — great craftsmanship. The nails are wearable and modern but a little heavy and unbalanced. The shape of the nail feels chunky so you end up losing Entity’s signature elegance that is created with transparency and long lines. Your demo is great, but we wish you would zoom in more so we can really see what you’re doing. We appreciate that you’re trying to show us lots of photos of steps, but maybe a tighter crop would help. Great descriptions on your steps.

 

 

Unfortunately, there always has to be a bottom group. The bottom 3, in no particular order, are:

 

Lavette Cephus: The judges thought you showed a creative use of techniques. You mixed different mediums together well. We especially liked the way you built the flames out of clear acrylic. Overall, the nails were a little too heavy for the mood of the Entity ad campaign. We felt that the flames were too overwhelming and there wasn’t enough variety in your overall design. We did love the “melting candle” effect in the last step. Your step-by-steps are easy to follow, just make sure the lighting in your photos is more consistent.

 

Lini Sherburne: The judges like your interpretation of this week’s challenge and how you drew from the different ads to create one cohesive look. You showed a lot of creativity and we appreciate that you showed a variety of techniques. We love the use of the Roman numeral “X” for these nails and it looks cool split on the thumbs. The design has so many competing textures and contrasting colors that you lose the sleek and elegant lines that Entity is known for. The black side of the nails is a little messy and hard to read. The shape of the nails is also distracting. We appreciate your ambition, but we feel the execution is lacking. Nice demo photos and instructions.

 

Marisol Alvarado: The judges really like your technique for creating your sculpted angel wings. But by encasing them in clear acrylic, you lost the effect and dimension, leaving them looking like they were handpainted on. Your work is light and feminine, evoking the feeling of Entity. We appreciate that you heard our feedback from last week and showed some restraint in this week’s design. We really like the inverted French nails. The judges were split on the addition of the calla lilies. Some thought it added a nice touch, while several felt that it was a little dated and too literal. Nice job on your step-by-steps.