Tom Holcomb (currently of Riverside, Calif.) may not be as active in the United States as he was once was, but the 19-year nail veteran certainly hasn’t lost that magic touch. We tracked Tom down during the ISSE show in Long Beach to do a NAILS cover. Lucky for us, he was available and willing to do whatever we needed him to.

The pink-and-whites he created for this month’s cover are softer than the ones he normally would do in competition, but they were perfect for the subdued spring look we were trying to achieve. To get the softer white for the free edge, he mixed EZ Flow’s White Powder with Competition White Powder with Competition White Powder. He kept the nails natural by using EZ Flow’s Competition Pink on the nail bed. Knowing the camera adds 10 lbs. (even to a nail), Tom kept the soft square-shaped nails ultra-thin.

Jessiqa kept her natural-looking enhancements on after the shoot-as soon as Tom shortened them to a more-wearable length.