Gina Villecco spends hours each week on her nails. The 21-year old strategic communications major here at Temple, is known among her peers as somewhat of a nail artist based on the constant designs that change almost daily. Based on her passion, Gina set up a blog that we totally heart! Amateur Beauty Corner offers do-able beauty tips that are college-budget friendly, three things that we can’t get enough of.
How did you first become interested in nail design?
GV: Four years ago, my friend and I happened upon this crazy nail design technique on YouTube called water marbling. We’re always doing a fun, artsy DIY activity when we’re together, so we bought four bottles of nail polish and attempted to water marble for about two hours. We were having so much fun and they looked pretty decent when we finished. It was from that moment on that I realized I how much I enjoyed the entire nail-painting/designing process. What is the biggest challenge that comes with nail art?
GV: There are a few. The first challenge you have to master is steadying your non-dominant hand. It does get easier, but you have to routinely paint your nails each week. The more often you paint your nails, the faster you will accustom your hand to the brush. There are helpful techniques, but I could talk about that forever. Also, you should take your time while painting with your non-dominant hand. I am left-handed, but my left hand often ends up looking better than my right because I paint more carefully!
The second challenge is achieving the look you want. I have re-painted my nails three times in one night simply because the design didn’t turn out the way I wanted. I never hesitate to redo a nail more than once. Nail polish remover is one of my biggest tools.One challenge that most people don’t think of is perfecting the nail before you paint. There is more to nail art than painting. I like to think of my nails as a canvas. You wouldn’t paint a picture on a ripped or crumpled piece of paper. I spend at least 15 minutes shaping, smoothing, buffing and priming my nails before I paint them.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
GV: It depends. Sometimes I will create a design loosely based off of what I see through social media. Other times I enjoy recreating designs from the nail bloggers I follow on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Occasionally, I get requests from friends and family asking me to paint certain things on myself or them.
What advice would you have for someone who loves DIY nails, but isn’t very good?
GV: As cheesy as it sounds, don’t give up. There are many designs I would like to do that I still have trouble with, but I watch tutorials, practice on paper, redo my nails over and over until I get it right. I have only been experimenting with nail art for four years, but the designs slowly get better as I learn and practice. Sometimes I look through my pictures to see how I was when I started and how I am now. It’s very inspiring and motivates me to try more and paint more.I would also suggest doing some research. One of the reasons I stuck with this hobby so long is because I invested so much time (and money) into it. If you are truly interested in doing nail art, you should know that there is an entire industry dedicated to nails and nail polish. It is very beneficial to know how to properly take care of your nails, hands and cuticles, what tools are available, which lacquer brands are worth your money, etc.
Would you ever think of making nail art into a full time career?
GV: No and yes. I absolutely love painting my nails, painting other people’s nails and building my nail polish collection, but becoming a nail technician would ruin the fun of the hobby. If I were painting nails every day from nine to five, it would get old really quickly. However, I would consider opening and managing a nail salon that specializes in nail art (like the London-based nail boutique WAH NAILS, for example) or starting a company that offers salon-quality polish, like OPI or China Glaze.
What are the biggest nail trends right now?
GV: Besides Halloween nails (like any upcoming holiday trend), there are a few classic ideas I’ve seen circulating right now. I think the biggest are glitter, half-moons, water marbling, negative space and studs.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
GV: A lot of people don’t understand how I spend so much time doing my nails just for them to chip and be redone in a week. It’s not something I can easily explain. Nail art is just something random I happened upon that I enjoy doing and showcasing. I love building my nail polish collection because each new color offers so many opportunities and ideas. It is no different than avid video gamers, food bloggers or make-up enthusiasts. The nail polish/art industry is growing every day and manicured nails are becoming more than a luxury. Today nails are art, accessories and fashion statements!