Hot trend of nail art hits Toledo
Written by Michelle Zepeda | | mzepeda@toledofreepress.comIf you have visited Twitter lately and follow celebrities like Katy Perry, Rihanna or Jessica Simpson, there is a good chance you saw a picture or two of their nails. But they don’t just have a set of freshly polished hands; their nails are covered in minimasterpieces, or nail art. Anything from small designs to intricate portraits of the President, Hollywood’s glam girls now have something else to glam up — their nails.
And of course, trends seen on the red carpet make their way to the Glass City. From teens to mothers of teens it’s a hot trend that everyone is trying.
“Everyone started getting into it when they saw celebs have it,” said Ally Stricker, a nail technician at Soto Loft and Signature Spa.
Stricker has been a nail tech for three years and says nail art has revolutionized the nail business.
“It’s changed a lot. Before it was nail art for long, thick acrylic nails, now more people are liking natural nails and they are realizing nail art is for everyone and every profession.”
Stricker had a passion for nail art years before it became popular.
“I’ve been doing nail art since I have been little. My mom brought home a striper brush from [Sally Beauty Supply] and I did a crisscross pattern on my toenails and was hooked since.”
Nail art has come a long way since Stricker’s line designs on her toes. Now nail art consists of tiny pictures, shapes and designs. To create the look, small gems, beads and even glitter are used. These minimasterpieces are all individual, as most nail techs, like Stricker, create each design freehand.
Stricker says her clients are not shy with their nail art requests and she will try to accommodate her clients’ wishes.
“I have a girl that is a runner, so every time she has a race we do something to correlate with the race,” Stricker said. “A lot of people go onto Pinterest, find a picture and bring it in to me. Someone wanted a champagne glass for New Year’s.”
Beverly France has been getting her nails done for more than 15 years. She isn’t afraid to put Stricker to work.
“For the holiday season she did snowflakes and I just loved them,” France said. “She put a diamond in the middle of them. Then in the summertime I did butterflies, for Halloween spider webs and flowers here and there.”
France is so in love with the nail art trend that she brings her granddaughters to see Stricker.
“She is the most talented nail artist out there. I tell her, ‘Ally, go back to school and get a degree in art.’ I wish I had her talent.”
Nail art costs usually start at a couple dollars a nail and up. Every salon sets their prices differently and prices are often based on the difficulty of the design. Since this is such a hot trend, there are now do-it-yourself kits and websites available. Revlon has a nail art enamel pen for around $7. You can also buy mini brushes and nail art kits at stores like Sally Beauty Supply and even stores where kids shop like Justice.
“I’ve had someone who came in to have me teach their girls how to do it.” Stricker said. “It’s cool to get the girls into it.”
If you are new at nail art and not sure if it is for you, Stricker says a lot of her clients try a design on one finger. She said the goal is to get people accustomed to new looks and trends.
“The French manicure was in for so long, and acrylic nails. Now the most popular colors are dark,” Stricker said. “Nails now are very posh and fun. That is the trend out there now.”
Tags: Nail art
