For this week’s Last Chance Design Lab challenge sponsored by CND, new Last Chance champion Sherri Traweek takes on newly eliminated Lauren Boyd. The two will battle it out one-on-one to see who has a chance of staying in the competition. CND’s Jan Arnold will select her favorite look next Friday and you’ll find out who will remain for at least one more week.
All Last Chance challenges are done on a single nail tip. They are also asked to describe their looks. There are no other elements to this battle.
This week’s Last Chance challenge is loosely related to Gelish’s charity challenge. It’s also related to a cause that close to NAILS Magazine and CND’s heart, the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation that “helps to make dreams come true with scholarship opportunities for those looking to pursue and further develop a career in beauty and wellness.”
Beauty Changes Lives: On a single nail tip, we’d like you to show us how beauty has changed your life. This is a handpainted challenge. No embellishments are allowed.
Here are the looks they created:
Sherri Traweek
I never knew what I was good at or meant to do, I was lost in life. That all changed while in beauty school. I had girls wanting me to do their nails. And not just nails, but nail art. I finally found something that made me whole. I felt like the whole world opened up, and I was blossoming — blossoming as an artist and a person! I painted the world opening up and an iris blossoming from it. I chose an iris because it represents who I am today, faith, hope, wisdom, valor, and good luck. The background represents the universe, meaning that the sky is the limit. I’ve grown a lot since beauty school and a whole bunch more from this competition. I absolutely love this industry and can’t wait to see what my future holds.
Lauren Boyd
Since the age of 14, I knew I had a talent for anything beauty. I taught myself to do my own nails, makeup, and hair. I’ve always had an affinity for making things pretty, but not always the confidence that my opinion of what’s beautiful was a popular one. I just knew I wasn’t like other people and I didn’t know how to be. It wasn’t until the last few years I found out who I am as an artist and how it translates into my profession as a nail tech. Now I’m determined to push myself as far as I can go. Street art is my thing and I’ve seen so many positive reactions to it from this competition, so I put my favorite “taking over” quote at the top of the nail. I decided to do the very thing that I find challenging — a woman’s face — and in many different colors to push myself even further. I used acrylic paint for the face. I’ve learned contouring from doing makeup all these years, but the symmetry of the face is always my problem. I was completely enthralled with my finished product, I had this particular feeling, Anything is possible,” and so I added to it because it took a lot of nerve to do something that’s so difficult, “if you’ve got enough nerve.” What I’m trying to say in so many words, beauty has given me myself. It’s given me my purpose and confidence as an artist. My techniques have improved, and my attention to detail is getting better every day.
Congratulations to Lauren Boyd for winning this week’s Last Chance Design Lab challenge. Lauren went up against reigning Last Chance champ Sherri Traweek to create a handpainted nail on a single nail tip showing us how beauty has changed her life. CND’s Jan Arnold chose the winner.
Jan said, “I choose Lauren because her Beauty Changes Lives nail is creative, passionate, and unique to her very particular design aesthetic.”
This means Lauren will move on to compete against the next eliminated contestant. Find out on Friday who that will be.