We first saw Young Nails president Greg Salo do these “stiletto” nails at a trade show earlier this year. Ever since, we’ve been trying to schedule a time when he could do them for a NAILS cover. So why did it take so long? Well, he’s been busy. “The spring and fall are really intense,” says Greg, who spends any free time golfing and skiing. “Whether it’s a show, a class, or a distributor event, I’m usually on the road every weekend from the end of January until July, and then again from the end of September until Thanksgiving. I just looked at this year’s calendar and I’ve worked 25 weeks out of state.”

That’s a lot of travel, even for someone in charge of a growing company. After nine years of building the business with his mom, Greg’s brother Habib stepped in to help structure the operation of the company. “This gave me the opportunity to focus on what I love most – nails! Over the last seven years, we’ve all been spending more time to keep the business growing. I’m really blessed that I can spend every day with my mom, my brother, and now my dad too.”

So what’s the deal with the stiletto nail? “I really love doing this nail because it’s such a sexy shape,” says Greg. “It helps elongate the fingers.”

Want to try this sexy nail shape out on your clients?

1. Prep nails and apply forms. (To apply the form for the stiletto nails, pre-pinch the tip of the form to a point so it looks like the bottom of an ice cream cone.) Apply Speed Clear to extend the free edge in the shape of the cone. Make sure you are applying a thin layer that is flush to the natural nail. Repeat on all 10 fingers.

2. Remove forms; pinch the C-curve and pinch the tip to a sharp point. You might need to bend the tip down if it’s arching up.

3. Apply a diagonal color fade one nail at a time, blending the colors together when they are still wet. (Colors used for this design: Golden Orange, Royal Red, and a combo of Dark Gold, Fortune, and Shimmering Sand Glitters mixed with Speed Clear, Orange from the Rainbow Collection, and Tippy Cup Turquoise from the Pastel Collection.)

4. Take black acrylic craft paint, and with a detailer brush trace along the edge where the colors meet.

5. Apply a layer of Speed Clear over the entire design.

6. Shape the sidewalls from the corner of the groove channel to the tip at a diagonal point. File from cuticle to free edge to make sure they are all even. Look down the barrel of the nail to see if everything is even and comes to a sharp point.

7. Apply a thin coat of Finish. Cure for two minutes. Apply lotion or cuticle oil.

Editor’s Note: All material in Demos is provided by the product’s manufacturer and is edited for space by NAILS. The full instructions are not necessarily contained here, so contact the manufacturer directly for complete directions for using these products.