Nail’d It Episode 1 Recap

Nail'd It Epsiode 1

Nail art has become the ultimate fashion accessory, ad I admit that I’m really excited for Nail’d It Episode 1. I don’t regularly do much to my hands beyond painting my nails, but I love any competition show where artists compete in an unusual medium. And thinking of a fingernail as a canvas is incredibly unique — who knew that this was a thing?

Each week on Nail’d It, 3 top nail artists battle for $10,00 a spot in the finals where they will compete for $100,000 and a cover of Nail It! Magazine.


Adreinne Bailon talks about Oxygen’s new competition show, Nail’d It


Let’s meet this week’s competitors…

Nail'd It Episode 1Classic – 29, from Mill Valley, Ca. Classic has won 29 competitions and calls herself a perfectionist. She when asked to choose between her nail career and her husband, she picked her true love…nails

Jamie – 27, from Fresno, CA owns a salon called Nailville. Her trademark is “duck feet nails’ which, in my opinion are totally tacky and look like a great way to get a major scratch on your face. But it’s her trademark so folks in Fresno must give a flock for her ducks.

Jamie and Classic are Frenemies (but mostly enemies) who have faced each other in several competitions (which Classic has won.)

LaToya- 31, from Miami, She is a competition newbie, but her style is bold and sexy.

Host Adrienne Bailon explains the two rounds of competition. The first challenge is a Quick Dry Challenge where the contestants will be tested in skill and speed. They’re creating looks for real clients. The winner will earn a major advantage in the elimination challenge.

Pop Culture and life style bloggers (From left)
Pop culture and life style bloggers (From left): Jean (and her snazzy necklace), Grasie (and her vintage clutch), and Erin (and her sequined jacket).

Their challenge is creating looks for lifestyle and entertainment bloggers (frown, where was my invitation?) and the artists have 90 minutes to create a set of nails that is based on each blogger’s statement wardrobe piece. Thankfully, the bloggers already have a set of acrylics already on their hands, because 90 minutes doesn’t seem like a long time.

Erin is a senior editor from an online news site. Her statement piece is her Sequin Jacket. Erin is paired with Classic who is looking forward to a design that uses sparkle and matte finishes.

Grasie has a fashion blog, and her statement is her vintage cherry clutch. Jamie is paired with Grasie and Grasie wants fun and edgy.

Jean, is an entertainment writer, and her statement piece is her bling bling-starburst necklace. Jean’s nail artist is LaToya and Jean likes black with pops of color.

After 90 minutes, the works are judges buy celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik and nail art pioneer and co-founder of CND Beauty Supply, Jan Arnold. The nail artists are pumped, but I’m like “Who?” I guess fame in the nail industry isn’t far-reaching.

Nail'd It Episode 1Classic is up first. I love, love. love her work! I love a dark nail with a little pop of sparkle! It’s a look that is subtle and classy.  I didn’t realize that almost every nail would be unique. I wonder if Nail artists have a bunch of different patterns and styles tht they cycle through when creating a set of nails like this. The middle-finger nails with the itty-bitty caviar beads are awesome, but as the judges point out, they’re not flawless. Classic vows to do better in the Elimination Challenge.

Naild-it-ep1-12Jamie’s design plays off of her model’s geometric black and white shirt with pops of red and cherry designs pulling in her vintage clutch. I love the black nails with the cherry accents, but the judges say her interpretation of the theme was too literal. I think it’s really aborable. If you were into vintage, cute stuff, these fould be really cute, but I do think that the graphic contrast between black, white and red could make this a look that is hard to wear for very long. The judges point out that this whimsical and kitschy design would be perfect on someone like Zooey Deschanel, which in my opinion isn’t a bad thing.

Nail'd It Epsiode 1Up last for judging is LaToya. Of course, all 10 of he nails were never shown at the same time, and of course, my favorite, the ombre nail on her left hand wasn’t shown with the rest of her hands. I liked the nail with the oval crystals, but it was a little messy-looking near the nail bed and when the judges are critiquing it, they show that nail has a spike. The judges call her design directionless and a little biker-chick for the classiness of the necklace.

Classic thinks she has the challenge in the bag, and she does!

In the Elimination Challenge, the artists have to create a fantasy nail where they take each other’s work and upgrade it. The nails and their models will be presented on a runway. Each artist will have 6 hours to complete their work and must use 3D sculpting, using acrylic powder.

The advantage that Classic won is she gets to choose whose design she wants to recreate. She chooses LaToya’s gold bead and lace creation. Jamie is assigned Classic’s “till death” sculpted nails and poor LaToya has Jamie’s unique (and pretty tacky) duck feet. “Merry Christmas…Duck Feet!” laughs Classic. She’s so bitchy.

Classic says that she’s confident and feels sorry for everyone else. Her ego comes out and she seems over-confident. I hope her overe-confidence will come back to bite her in the butt.

Nail'd It Episode 16 hours of work time flies by (or can I be a nerd and say it “Files by”?) LaToya struggles to make Duck Feet, Jamie hyperventilates and Classic strokes her own ego. Classic sure talks a huge game and takes every opportunity to bash the works, talent and creativity of her competitors. If only she wasn’t so amazingly talented, it would be much easier to hate her!

Nail’d It and artist Natalie Minerva did an interstitial nail design tutorial for Graffiti Nails that looks like something even a nail-newbie could create at home.

It’s pretty amazing to me that the nail designs are created on stands and the models aren’t’ brought in until the last 30 minutes. And when the models walk the runway, they look anything by comfortable carrying their huge (and probably) heavy nail sculptures.

Nail'd It Epiosde 1
Left: Jamie’s original “duck feet” design. Right: LaToya’s interpretation.

In the critique, Latoya made the duck feet look a little more wearable by making them longer so the flare isn’t as intense. The judges like her twist on the original Valentine theme, but they think the acrylic is too thick around the cuticle but I think the nails could actually be worn by someone. Since LaToya spent 4 hours simply creating the duck feet shape, she really sacrificed her ability to embellish to the best of her ability. She’s new to the time constraints of competitive nails, so that’s perhaps why her work-load management wasn’t as strong as the seasoned pros.

Naild-it-Ep1-2
Left: Classic’s original “‘Tll Death” design. Right: Jamie’s interpretation.

Jamie’s reinterpretation of Classic’s design is really creative. She made her nails a very Day of the Dead design but the judges do knock her for her lack of technical precision. I think it’s amazing the number of skulls she was able to hand-create in the amount of time the artists were given (Classic took the only skull embellishments in the workroom, even though she didn’t plan on using them. It’ shady, but it’s playing the game) The judges also call Jamie’s design “a little cartoony,” but that’s kind of Jamie’s style, isn’t it?

Naild-it-Ep1-4Classic’s nails are cool and extremely technically difficult but don’t match the class and sleekness of LaToya’s original. Latoya’s original design looked like it could be worn to an avant-garde black-tie event, but Classic’s look is pure fantasy only. They kind of remind me of Circ du Solil (But no acrobat could ever function with crazy claws like these). The judges call it “Overkill” and confident Classic calls it “too advanced.”

Jan warns Classic to always be learning…and humble. Maybe there’s a reason Classic’s name isn’t “Classy.”

After deliberating, the judges bring out the three contestants. One of them will win $10,000 and a spot in the finals. The second place finisher will get a chance to re-compete for a spot in the finals. Only the third place finisher is out of the competition. LaToya is eliminated first and vows to never to create duck nails again.

Nail'd It Episode 1
Nail artists LaToya, Jamie and Classic wait to see who has won $10,000 and moves on to the Nail’d It finals.

The judges give Classic the win, even though she needs to check her ego. The judges remind Classic that she doesn’t talk speak for her nails, her nails speak for her. Classic knows now that is a difference between confidence and rudeness, and I hope that in the finals, she won’t let her ego overshadow her amazing talent. Jamie will be competing later in the season for a spot in the finals and I’m glad that she gets another chance. If she can raise her confidence and her game, she has a chance at the $100,000 prize. LaToya is gracious about her loss and for a first-time competitor, she showed tremendous talent.  A few more competitions under her belt will certainly help her with time management so that she has more time to show off her fierce designs.

Nail’d It > Oxygen > Tuesday, 9pm ET/PT

3 Comments

  1. I was really hoping that Classic would not win. Her attitude was terrible. I know it’s a competition but to take the skulls so Jamie could not use them was just wrong. Her attitude makes her work ugly. I really liked Jamie and LaToya’s nails. To bad one of them didn’t win.

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