Jane

Editor’s Note: Make sure to click on the second photo below to view Jane’s vision of her day to night French nail design!

Reinventing the French manicure was definitely a challenge for me. Mostly because I had to put away my intricate brush collection and all of my bright, garish, don’t-go-with-any-outfits colors. A French mani is simple, wearable, goes with any outfit, fits on any nail shape, and can work for any occasion, day or night. My take on it involves geometric linework: two lines run straight down against the sidewalls to slightly box out the nail. And two lines veer off, connecting at a point in the middle of the free edge. This design is classic with a twist and will look as at home in the office, a formal dinner, or a fancy pants cocktail party, as it will paired with a leather jacket holding a beer at a dive bar. I chose the two sets of lines to make it a versatile look depending on the nail shape. On square, it looks clean but with a bit of an edge; on almond, it looks elegant but fun; and on stiletto, it exaggerates the shape, making it look even more bad ass. I chose to stick with the neutral look of the classic French, keeping the stark white for contrast, but used a yellow-based nude to make the look a little more modern.

The 1950s might call to mind diners, classic cars, or movie stars for some people. But for a bonafide, un-self-deprecating, un-ironic, unabashed nerd like me, all I could see was a bookshelf filled with all of the classic books that came out during that decade. It actually calls to mind my specific bookshelf, which houses many of the books that I used as my inspiration for this week. I mean, seriously, the ’50s had it going on. The start of Dr. Seuss, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the beginning of James Bond, and On the Road? All of those colorful, exciting little adventures just waiting to be burst open and read with a flashlight under your cover at night are probably some of the best nailspiration a lifelong lover of reading like me could ever hope for.

(My hand model this week was my lovely husband who let me do acrylics on him at our hotel on our honeymoon.)

To see how Jane used nail forms to create this design, click here.

Click here to watch Jane’s video about her inspiration and process for creating this design.

I am a Jersey girl through and through. I grew up here, I plan to live here forever, I defend it to the death by pointing out all of the amazing things Jersey has to offer (um, hello: JERSEY TOMATOES ARE AMAZING), and, of course, I don’t pump my own gas. I chose to represent my part of New Jersey — the Jersey Shore — with an old fashioned postcard-style design: bubble letters filled with iconic images of the shore. The parkway, the boardwalk, the Asbury Park Zombie Walk, the Windmill (best cheese fries ever, period), Kohr’s Frozen Custard, Tillie (the unofficial Asbury Park mascot), and the Sandy Hook lighthouse (the oldest working lighthouse in the country). I had to add the image of the Seaside roller coaster in the ocean, and “Jersey Strong” as it looked spray painted on countless shore houses boarded up in preparation for last year’s hurricane. Sandy might have destroyed a huge part of my home state, but New Jerseyans always bounce back. I also included the names of all the shore towns and communities in the background because you gotta represent.

You’ve always been mysterious… Well, there’s nothing more mysterious than that creepy old lady you met in the woods who gave you a free apple. The one lesson I have learned from countless fairy tales is to never accept anything any creepy old ladies in the woods give you, and this apple is no exception. If you take a bite, your life could end up like Snow White with a handsome prince at your side. Or you could end up withering away as a creepy old lady handing out poison apples in the woods. Let’s not take any chances. Leave those poisonous apples in that lady’s basket where they belong.

Click here to see how Jane created these nails.

I knew I would pick Erte as my inspiration for this Dashing Diva set, because Erte is endlessly inspiring to me. The use of color blocking, line work, and metallic elements always speaks to my illustrative side. But then I started looking through a giant book of art deco illustrations and I just melted into a puddle of overly inspired goo. I did not re-form (Alex Mack-style) until I stumbled upon “New Bridges for the Seven Seas.” Not only is the piece beautiful (obvs), but in the folds of the woman’s gown, there is a play on negative space that I haven’t seen before. The colors were also so inspiring. In a sea of typical spring colors, I love when bolder colors pop up. Creamy orange that is totally on trend for the spring/summer 2014 season, paired with a soft metallic gold, make these nails rich in a season usually washed in soft pastels. I used orange and black markers for the design, and the gold is actually metallic nail polish.