Behind the Cover: Halloween Goth

This issue… we’re goin’ goth!

For our first Fall issue of NCE Magazine, I thought of how fitting it would be to recruit my stunning niece- and newest nail tech at my salon- to model goth styled Halloween-esque nails! A year ago, I found this epic metal art piece in a store, which has become the focal point for this issue’s nail design.

I found this epic metal art piece...

Yes, that’s right. I’ve been thinking about creating this design based off of this art piece for an entire year! Although the goth style is not something I usually dabble in, this jewelry piece inspired me to explore it. Once I found the piece, the rest of the idea for this design fell into place. Including a deep red was a must and string gel is perfectly edgy for this look. And of course, I had to have foils!

Keep scrolling for the behind the scenes of how I put this issue’s cover together.

For this design, I chose to use a hybrid gel. It’s a product that DIYers and nail enthusiasts can purchase- not just licensed techs. Although hybrid gel is no replacement for acrylic or pro gel products- as the end result can be quite different- but it is still a lot of fun to play with creating nails that are close to professional standards, when you are a hobbyist.

My model, Tisha and I are setting up!

You know the saying, “You’re never three feet away from a spider?” Well, at my house, I’m never three feet away from a Critter! Sometimes he can be grumpy, but he still always wants to be near us. He even sometimes lets us snap a photo!

Tisha’s favourite time of year is Fall, and specifically Halloween! So, it was perfect to include her in our first Fall/Halloween issue. Her style is ideal for the look I wanted to capture!

The hybrid gel brand that I used is Gershion. I went for this long, almond shape.

Watch my in-depth YouTube tutorial for the build of these almond nails!

Once the nails have been built, I start laying the foundation colours down. I chose Aluminix from Joya Mia to get that deep, rich illuminating colour.

Tisha’s ready for her closeup!

For the black lines, I used Play Gel from Exclusive Nail Couture.

I use Exclusive Nail Couture’s Magic Foil as well. Foils can be tricky, but I find it dependable from ENC.

This set is a great example of designing nails based on the style of your client. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do, but I wasn’t exactly sure until I sat down with Tisha. She was actually dressed in what she normally wears and did her makeup herself. I got my inspiration from her particular colour palette and personal style- she was my inspiration!

And there you have it… What a mood!