Here are the instruction for this final Last Chance Challenge of the season that was given to the final two challengers, Jessica and Silvia:
The NTNA Season 8 finale will be filming at CND’s Nailathon in Miami. To determine who will get the final spot in the Top 3, the final two Last Chance competitors will need to create a 3-D fantasy nail inspired by the city of Miami.
Since CND’s PlexiGel debuted at last year’s Nailathon, your 3-D piece MUST feature PlexiGel as the sole 3-D medium used for your nail art. Remember, this nail tip should show us why you deserve a spot in the finale. Your written description should also tell us why you belong in the Top 3.
Because this is the final Last Chance challenge of Season 8, we are asking that you also submit a short TikTok video showing us how you created one of the PlexiGel elements in your video.
Jessica:
Well well well, we are finally at the eve of top 3 this season! I feel like I have been rehearsing for this moment for a LONG time!
For this final Last Chance Lab challenge, we were asked to make a fantasy nail inspired by Miami that shows that we belong in the top 3 using Plexigel as the star of the show. I immediately knew that I wanted to use the movie “Vivo” as inspiration.
The main character is a little girl who is proud to march to the beat of her own drum and she goes on an adventure that ends at a neon Art Deco theater in the heart of bright lights of Miami. I see a lot of myself in that life-loving little girl. We both are quirky, take things in stride, and love to put on a show! So this nail shows the outside of the neon Art Deco NTNA theater with her ornate doors closed and when you open them you see the grandiose stage and there is a little Jessica performing her big hit- “Top 3” !
I used Plexigel for everything in this piece, and used Shellac and CND additives for the vibrant colors.
I chose to portray myself on a stage because that’s exactly how NTNA feels. You do so much work behind the scenes with growing your skill set, going through the hard core application process, then finally the weekly challenges hit and you’re put to WORK. The work is hard, but its also kind of like you just get to play with pretty things! Then once you’ve submitted your work, the show must go on and the whole world gets to see your “performance” as the voting polls and judging happens. The whole NTNA experience is for sure a whirlwind but like, the best kind of sparkly whirlwind there is.
I think that I deserve the final spot in the finale` because I know I have what it takes. I have a unique take on the challenges week after week. I try to push myself beyond what is expected when it comes to nail art, I try to push the envelope with my inspiration and with the final product. I also try my hardest to take all the judge’s notes to heart and incorporate that not only in my NTNA challenges, but also in my salon nail art too! I also just LOVE teaching nail art! This is my passion, and to be able to share that with so many like minded nail professionals has been such an honor.
I know if given the opportunity, I will show the world some freaking cooollll nail art in this final challenge and beyond, and I know I’ll keep spreading the love for nail art!
I know how lucky I am to be able to compete among such talented nail professionals, and I wanted to again, thank you for believing in me and gifting me this opportunity to grow and learn week after week. It’s truly been an honor to be here. If I do not make the top 3 yes, I’ll be bummed, but I will walk away with so much gratitude for this opportunity, a whole lot of self growth, and I’ll walk away recharged with love for this industry. Now its in your hands, and I’d like to tell that tiny little Jessica on stage to break a leg, err nail!
See Jessica’s TikTok Video here!
Silvia:
In this last “Last Chance” we had to make the design in a single tip using Plexigel as the only 3D medium and be inspired by the city of Miami, since the final of this 8th edition will be held there.
The truth is that I have never been to Miami but it is well known for the beauty of its beaches, the richness in vegetation (palm trees and diverse tropical fauna is impressive) and of course something that I love and that is very characteristic is that mix between urban and natural, its skyline seen from the coast, uniting architecture with nature, buildings and sea.
This challenge is titled “Fantasy”, so I wanted to incorporate an element of total fantasy in this design. Thinking of Miami, what comes to mind is beach, and what fantastic being inhabits the sea? Mermaids. So my Miami mermaid has beautiful colors, in the purest style of this beautiful city, since the art of this city has inspired color palettes as beautiful as this one where sweet and pastel tones predominate. In the background I have created a background of the city of Miami, with a beautiful sunset, the silhouettes of palm trees and the sea, and its characteristic skyline, something we cannot miss if we visit Miami.
I created all the elements with Plexigel during these three days. The sea water breaks on the rock, becoming a wave, where the mermaid is sitting, surrounded by palm trees. This work should also represent the reasons why I think I deserve to be in the final, so I have included some hidden words that represent some of my skills that have made me get so far in this contest and in my profession: Hard work, Creative (in the sea), Versatile and Unique (in the trunk of the palm tree on the right), Artist and Fighter (in the trunk of the palm tree on the left), Passion (in the arm as a tattoo on the mermaid) and Skilled, Loyal and Persistent (in the tail).
I have also used different techniques for the painted details of this work, including the degradation with brush, the micro painting, the lettering, the creation of different textures (trunks, leaves, rock…). And also a different technique called “aquarium” for making the trophy that you can see on my TikTok. I have created a very complete final set uniting many of the things that I have learned in this competition, the most valuable being the awakening of my creativity.
Undoubtedly a work that has taken me a lot of time in the last two days. I hope you like it and above all thank you for having me as part of the NTNA family this year and thank you very much for letting me show what I like to do the most!
See Silvia’s TikTok Video here!
And the winner is…Jessica!
Here is what Jan Arnold had to say about your work:
“Jessica, you demonstrate the heart, soul, passion, artistry, risk taking, uniqueness, personality and out of the box thinking we are looking for in an NTNA champion! Your presentation this week is so rich and thoughtful, so passionate and memorable. You perfectly model why NTNA is all about being a well-rounded professional. Congratulations Jess, you’re in the top 3!!”
This means we are down to the TOP 3 in this season of NTNA. Our three finalists going into the last, and ultimate, challenge will be Jessica, Emily and Stephanie!
Keep watching this site for more updates! The work they complete for their final-final-FINAL challenge will be featured here on September 15!