Coveted celebrity manicurist and Masterclass Nail Academy founder Julie Kandalec releases her first self-published nail art book. An innovative sketchbook for consumers and professionals alike, the 42 metallic-gold inked pages include educational elements like color theory, as well as color combination ideas to spark creativity in nail aficionados. The release features twin covers with nail lacquers hand-swirled by Kandalec and photographed by Nick Parisse. Inside you’ll find editorials done by Julie with famed beauty photographers, Jamie Nelson, Yu Tsai and others.
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Additionally, the book features clear illustrations of Julie’s favorite tools of the trade, and 27 pages of blank nails to sketch or paint in, in three shapes – almond, oval, and square. Offering 540 nails total, printed on high quality, opaque 100# cover paper to prevent bleeding, the book is wire coil bound to lie flat for easy sketching and laying out gems and studs. Finished with metallic foil on the cover, it lends to a truly awe-inspiring presentation.
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Available on June 1, in honor of National Nail Polish Day and the day Kandalec lost her mother, the USA-printed book retails on nailmasterclass.com for 24 dollars. In addition, 10 percent of each June sale will be donated to the Trade-Works Foundation, a non-profit close to Kandalec’s heart, which brings beauty professionals to teach under-resourced youth in Jamaica.
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Inspired by a cover shoot where she had to design 40 nail looks, the editorial manicurist sketched all 40 tips on a flight home from Tokyo, saving hours of work. “I was regularly creating nail art looks for private clients, brands like Essie and Christian Siriano, and on set with Elle and Cosmopolitan. Understanding that nail artists—like all creatives—are visual beings, I wanted to design something tangible that a client or artist can create in, whether they are together or apart.
“Now that we are all home and salons are slowly re-opening, but with limited services, saving time is vital,” says Kandalec. “My hope for my Nail Art Design Book is for every nail art lover to use this as a daily diary of nail art that inspires them, to show what trends and colors they are obsessed with, want to wear on their own nails or create for a client. I hope this sketchbook makes designing nail art more exciting and easier for you to find ways to connect with other nail art lovers through collaboration.”
—by Angelina Lewis
[Images: Courtesy of Julie Kandalec]
