{"id":95701,"date":"2025-06-11T04:18:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T04:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/11\/how-are-you-doing-your-nails-these-days\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T04:18:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T04:18:12","slug":"how-are-you-doing-your-nails-these-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/11\/how-are-you-doing-your-nails-these-days\/","title":{"rendered":"How Are You Doing Your Nails These Days?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"Tembe<\/a><\/p>\n

Where do you find inspiration for your next manicure? When I got a copy of Fresh Sets<\/a> by Brooklyn-based beauty writer Tembe Denton-Hurst<\/a>, I knew I\u2019d hit the nail inspo jackpot. The book highlights 35 artists, from L.A to India, who are pushing boundaries with creations like moss-covered nails with 3D sculptures of mushrooms and dragonflies<\/a>, and seven-inch rose-red stiletto nails<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What inspired the book was Tembe\u2019s long-time love of acrylics: \u201cWhen I left my first nail appointment and saw my long purple nails, I thought for the first time, \u2018Oh, my hands are cute,’\u201d she says. \u201cThey went from being strictly functional to something exciting. Now long nails have become part of me.\u201d <\/p>\n

But also? The realization of how nails are tied to identity. \u201cNail art is core to the way Black and brown women adorn themselves,\u201d says Tembe. \u201cGrowing up, the most beautiful women had fly nails. Keeping your hair and nails done is a form of communication: that you\u2019re put together and you care about the same things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here, Tembe tells us about nail trends, a low-maintenance look, and five salon etiquette rules\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Fresh<\/a><\/p>\n

Nails by Hanin Ibrahim<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On popular nail trends<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are loving aura nails right now,\u201d says Tembe. \u201cEveryone\u2019s nails are looking like a mood ring. I\u2019m always asking the owner of my go-to salon<\/a> what people are coming in for. She says clients are into charms and 3D elements. Almond pointed stilettos have been the way for a long time, but square nails are also coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fresh<\/a><\/p>\n

Nails by Lesly Arra\u00f1aga<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On artists changing the game<\/strong>: <\/p>\n

\u201cI love Lesly Arra\u00f1aga\u2019s work<\/a>. She harnesses her Mexican heritage \u2014\u00a0for example, she did a series where she put nails on her relatives, including her dad<\/a>. It was playful and nostalgic and distinctly rooted in her culture. She also created resin bubbles with portraits of her dog<\/a>. Her designs always have a unique point of view, which I think is rare to find in art of all kinds, but especially in the nail space, where a style can become popular on Pinterest and then suddenly everybody\u2019s replicating it. She\u2019s also a very talented sculptor. She\u2019ll build an entire spam musubi<\/a> on a natural nail!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fresh<\/a><\/p>\n

Tembe\u2019s French set by House of Nails by Natty<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On a low-maintenance look<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\u201cI always do a multi-colored French tip. One, because I\u2019m lazy \u2014\u00a0a French tip hides the grow out, so even if many weeks go by, they still look pretty decent. And two, I don\u2019t like sitting for a long time at the salon to get intricate designs. But I do experiment with different colors on each nail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fresh<\/a><\/p>\n

Nails by Leticia Casas<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tembe\u2019s salon etiquette:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Arrive on time for your appointment<\/strong>. \u201cEven showing up five minutes late can shift a nail tech\u2019s day back 10 minutes; then that 10 minutes catapults into 20 minutes, and so on. My nail tech is a mom, so whenever I show up late, I always realize, \u2018Oh my god, she has to pick up her daughter from school.\u2019 If you\u2019re late, adjust your design to compensate for time.\u201d <\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t take calls on speaker<\/strong>. \u201cI have been guilty of answering the phone, pressing the speaker icon, and then putting my hands underneath the UV light. But please, let\u2019s all bring headphones. The salon is a public space, and people are there to relax.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Arrive with a clear sense of what you want<\/strong>. \u201cIf you want something specific, go to your appointment with reference images and the colors you have in mind. This prevents you from eating up too much of your nail tech\u2019s time and potentially costing them another client.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Be friendly<\/strong>. \u201cAlways learn your nail tech\u2019s name, of course. It\u2019s important to connect with anyone you see often and recognize them as individuals who have a life beyond the scope of service.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. If you\u2019re unhappy with your nails, speak up<\/strong>. \u201cI know this makes people nervous, but I promise you, nail techs would prefer for you to say, \u2018Hey, I don\u2019t love the way this looks,\u2019 so they can fix your nails in the moment, instead of you going home unhappy and returning to fix them the next day. It\u2019s much easier to fix things right away, versus when your nails are fully cured.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fresh<\/a><\/p>\n

Thank you so much, Tembe<\/a>! You can order Fresh Sets here<\/a>, if you\u2019d like. How are you doing your nails these days? <\/strong> <\/p>\n

P.S. A nail polish that looks like a shell<\/a>, and Tembe\u2019s marriage proposal in a bookstore<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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66<\/span> COMMENTS<\/p>\n

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