The LA Manicure: Who Won and Who’s Packing Up Their Paintbrushes

Congratulations to Lexi Martone for winning this week’s LA-themed French twist challenge. The judges were awed by your concept and your execution. Your reinterpretation of a French manicure is modern and bold, while still showing great restraint. We love that every nail is different, yet the overall feel is cohesive. The matte finish really solidified your win. Your use of black and white allows this design to be versatile and the subtle embellishments add a hint of elegance. It also reminds us of The Getty Center, an iconic LA landmark. Several of the judges said they’d be honored to wear this design.

CND head judge Jan Arnold said, “Brilliant concept and inspiration! Excellent and clean execution. Very modern styling.” Orly’s judges said, “Loved the reinterpretation of the French Manicure, also the use of matte finish added a modern flare. Los Angeles is known for its iconic architecture, from art deco to ultra-modern and futuristic. Lexi’s inspirational use of a modern LA building, designed by LA architects was ingenious.” NTNA 2013-2014 winner Ryoko Garcia said, “I love how you broke the French style but it didn’t go too far. Flawless sharp lines! It’s very modern, sophisticated and futuristic!”

Other judges described this design as “timeless,” “dream nails for lovers of the right angle,” “contemporary,” “effectively reminiscent of LA architecture,” and “a spot-on modern interpretation of a French manicure.”

Lexi will receive Orly’s complete GelFX Professional kit with a brand new lamp (a $200 value).

The nail tech who is packing up her paintbrushes this week is…Amy Gustafson. Amy, we love how much your skills grew from the first time we met you six months ago in our pre-competition challenges. You really pushed yourself last week, taking the initiative to learn to sculpt with gel. We appreciated having you in the competition and are looking forward to seeing much more from you in the future!

This won’t be the last time you hear from Amy. She will move on to CND’s Last Chance Design Lab where she’ll have one last chance to stay in the competition. Check back next Friday to see who will go head-to-head with Amy in our first Last Chance battle.

You can find follow Amy at:
Instagram: http://instagram.com/designdiamondnails
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmysNailStudio
Nail Art Gallery: http://nailartgallery.nailsmag.com/amygee

Tune in Monday to find out the Week 4 Challenge and vote for your favorites! Good luck to Danielle, Karrie, Lauren, Lavette, Lexi, Lini, Marisol, Sherri, and Simone, who will all continue in the competition.