Celebrity nail stylist Kim Truong (@kimkimnails) teamed up with CND to create chic and trendy manis at the Academy Awards.
Truong created looks for A$AP Rocky, Cate Blanchett, Kerry Washington, Halle Barry and Li Jun Li. You can get a breakdown for all these looks below, so you can learn how to create them for your clients.
Kerry Washington
“With the romantic and breezy simplicity of Kerry’s dress, we liked the idea of adding in a bit of warmth and shimmer to her nails with CND’s Sweet Cider and Over the Top Effects chrome pigment—which happened to compliment her jewelry perfectly," Truong says.
Courtesy of CND and Kim Truong
How-To:
- Begin with nail prep.
- Apply one layer of CND Shellac Base Coat for ultimate adhesion and cure using CND LED Lamp.
- Apply two layers of CND Shellac Gel Polish in Sweet Cider as the base nail color, and cure.
- Apply one layer of CND Shellac No-Wipe + Top Coat and flash cure before quickly following with CND Over the Top Effects in Off the Chain.
- Seal with another coat of CND Shellac No-Wipe + Top Coat for high shine and extended wear.
- Moisturize with CND SolarOil to condition nails and cuticles for a healthy-looking finish.
Halle Berry
“We wanted to keep a fresh clean nail look for Halle to complement her ethereal white dress," Truong says. "CND’s Uncovered shade was the perfect sheer for the look and topping with their iconic SolarOil nail and cuticle conditioner for a healthy-looking finish."
Courtesy of CND and Kim Truong
How-To:
- Begin with nail prep.
- Apply two layers of CND Shellac Base Coat for ultimate adhesion, and cure using CND LED Lamp.
- Apply one sheer layer of CND Shellac Gel Polish in Uncovered for a clean and natural look, and cure.
- Seal with a layer of CND Shellac No-Wipe + Top Coat for high shine and extended wear, and cure.
- Moisturize with CND SolarOil to condition nails and cuticles.
A$AP Rocky
“A$AP Rocky wanted to show his support for girlfriend Rihanna’s first Oscar nomination for original song by having an Oscar statue painted on his nail," Truong says. "He also added a bit of his fun style with the American flag and pile of 100 dollar bills on his opposite hand using a variety of CND’s bright pigmented shades."
Courtesy of Kim Truong
How-To:
- Begin with nail prep.
- Apply one layer of CND Shellac Base Coat for ultimate adhesion, and cure using CND LED Lamp.
- Once the bellow nail designs are completed, apply one layer of CND Shellac No-Wipe + Top Coat for high shine and extended wear, and cure.
- Moisturize with CND SolarOil to condition nails and cuticles.
Money Design:
- Apply one layer of CND Shellac Gel Polish in Smile Maker as the base nail color, and cure.
- Using a precise nail art brush dipped in CND Shellac Crisp Green, create the rectangular shape of each bill, and cure.
- Go back and add details to mimic the hundred dollar note such as the Benjamin Franklin’s silhouette, “100” numbers, etc., and cure.
Flag Design:
- Apply two layers of CND Shellac Gel Polish in Cream Puff as the base nail color, and cure.
- Using a nail art brush, create the blue square using CND Shellac Gel Polish in Blue Eyeshadow, and cure.
- Using a clean precise nail art brush, create the red strips using CND Shellac Gel Polish in Wildfire, and cure.
- Using a clean precise nail art brush, create the white stars using CND Shellac Gel Polish in Cream Puff, and cure.
Oscar Statue:
- Using a clean precise nail art brush, create the Oscar statue using CND Shellac Gel Polish in Black Pool, and cure.
- Use gold chrome powder to achieve the metallic effect, and go back with CND Shellac Gel Polish in Black Pool to add in details of the statue, and cure.
Li Jun Li
“Li Jun Li’s romantic Nensi Dojaka sequined mermaid gown pairs perfectly with CND’s Black Cherry shade to bring a boldness to the look," Truong says. "We added a touch of sparkle by scattering one gem on each nail to compliment the sparkle of the sequins.”
Courtesy of CND and Kim Truong
How-To:
- Begin with nail prep.
- Apply two layers of CND Shellac Base Coat for ultimate adhesion, and cure using CND LED Lamp.
- Apply two layers of CND Shellac Gel Polish in Black Cherry as the primary nail color, and cure.
- Apply one layer of CND Shellac No-Wipe + Top Coat for high shine and extended wear, and cure.
- Place beads of CND PLEXIGEL Builder wherever you’d like to set in a rhinestone, and do not cure.
- Using a rhinestone tool, pick up a rhinestone and place on top of the CND PLEXIGEL Builder, and cure.
- Use a thin brush with more CND PLEXIGEL Builder to secure the base of each rhinestone, and cure.
- Moisturize with CND SolarOil to condition nails and cuticles.
Cate Blanchett
“Cate loves a super natural look to emphasize her healthy nails," Truong says. "We were able achieve the no-makeup makeup idea of no-polish polish by using a combination of CND Plexigel to provide shape and strength along with CND Shellac Matte Top Coat to give a beautiful finish.”
How-To:
- Begin with nail prep.
- Apply one coat of CND Plexigel Bonder, and cure.
- Apply CND Plexigel Builder Gel in Porcelain on the free edge of the nail to enhance and even out the natural soft whites of the natural nail, and cure.
- Apply a layer of CND Plexigel Builder with a light touch to float the gel over the nail, cure, then wipe the top film with 99% isopropyl alcohol.
- Refine, shape and buff the surface of the nails to smooth out any imperfections.
- Remove dust and cleanse the nail with 99% isopropyl alcohol.
- Apply CND Shellac Base Coat, and cure.
- Apply one thin layer of CND Shellac Clearly Pink, and cure.
- Apply CND Shellac Matte Top Coat, and cure.
- Lightly wipe to remove top film with cotton pad or cosmetic sponge saturated with 99% isopropyl alcohol.
- Apply a drop of CND SolarOil to condition nails.
