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SEARCHNail tech Lexi Martone is well known for her artistry, but it's her baking abilities that have mouths watering lately.
Martone
Martone
Lexi Martone is a well-known name in the world of nails, and she is currently making a name for herself in the world of baking as well. I asked the NTNA alum and NAILS cover arist about her recent appearance on the Food Network and all those yummy Instagram posts.
NAILS: When did you “transition” into baking? Or did you always dabble and we just didn’t know?
Lexi Martone: I’ve always been into baking and cooking and all that stuff. When I said I dabbled in all forms of art I wasn’t kidding.
NAILS: You still own Salon Martone, correct? How are you juggling both cooking/baking and nails?
LM: I still have the salon. Basically I just don’t sleep. I'm kidding! When I’m done with clients for the day I go home and play around in the kitchen all night. I usually bring the newest creations to the salon the next day and everyone yells at me and says I’m making them fat.
NAILS: Tell us about your Food Network appearance.
LM: The show is called Bakers vs. Fakers. There are four contestants on each episode and two are professional bakers and two are “fakers." Spoiler alert: I’m a faker. Everyone’s identity is kept secret on the show and revealed at the end. Afterwards they offered me a series on Cake Boss Buddy Valastro’s YouTube Channel, “Cakehouse." You can check me out on there as the “Cupcake Witch.”
NAILS: What are some of your favorite food creations that you’ve made?
LM: Obviously my Powerpuff cupcakes. We all know if I could Powerpuff the world, I would. I also really love my Wednesday Addams cookie collection.
NAILS: You’ve conquered baking and nails, what next? What are your goals?
LM: Because I don’t have enough things on my plate, I decided to paint sneakers. I love crazy original shoes and have started following a bunch of custom sneaker/shoe-painting Instagrams, which inspired me to start doing some of my own. So keep an eye out for some sneaker creations coming your way! I mean we wanted the salon to be a “one stop shop,” so I guess I'm just seeing how far I can actually take that.
NAILS: What are the similarities between the art of food and the art of nails?
LM: I love working on small canvases so they both allow me to create art on a small scale. That’s why I stick with cupcakes and cookies and don’t create 6-ft. towering cake monstrosities. Both of them require a lot of patience and being detail oriented and a little or a lot of OCD.
Check out Martone's website www.leximartone.com for recipes and follow her on Instagram (@leximartone).
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