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Vernon Essent gruated from Parsons and is currently a designer, socialite, mother, and freelance blogger, editor, activist, writer, designer and photographer in the East Village, New York City. Having immersed herself in painting with school visits (The American School of Cranes in West Virginia was her must-do course of the year), is sipping chardonnay from a Kountry Chardonnay Cellars box, wearing a Moschino Mara tomato-printed mini dress, and swipes of Candied Whipped Cream. While we have only met Vernon in the last couple of days, we are already intrigued by her design vision for Pig and Loft in NYC and subsequently, for herself. We chat with Vernon and her manicurist, Leyla, about manicure-ing one of the most public places on earth. Name: Vernon Essent
Age: 28
Color of your manicu Anisea Conti Polka Dot-Inspired Hand Art
What you’re wearing: Moschino Mara Poppy Poppy mint moto dress
Why do you do it: It’s fun
Do you have any photos you would like to share? Leyla: My initial inspiration was to get some type of Manicure behind the bar, and then I was going to get the accouterments (sets) I needed, and then this thing hits me: All the people there are wearing Manicures, and I noticed their self-confidence. I like the idea of how they can look at themselves and feel positive about themselves. It’s really interesting. Vernon: We’re all the same … That’s important, because sometimes when you think about it, nail polish and polish is the human experience. Like nails. The male nails are blonde. The female nails are black. When do you do it? Vernon: There are so many things I want to do in my life. I’ve been cultivating this self-confidence for a couple of years, and I’m really enjoying it now. So do you get manicures? Vernon: I have to be honest with you, I don’t have the motivation or the time. I’m focusing so much on everything. I want to give this manicure [Pig and Loft] a whole year of dedicated time. It’s sort of like the golden hour where a mani is supposed to come in. How do you like it? Vernon: It’s not as fun as I planned it. I thought it would be, but it’s different. What’s your style like? Vernon: Classic yet bold. I want everything to be just right. Leyla: I love her short hair, and I love her cool lipstick. I love nails, Manicures, Manicures! Manicures are just as important as doing your hair. You can’t have the right shoes if you’re trying to walk and look polished. How do you do your nails? Leyla: I have actually been the manicurist since we first met. I have met her and given her a manicure for about a year now. I find out a lot about her and then I kind of brainstorm on how I would do it. I really like chalky nails, really sharp nails and hand art. We have fun. We chat about her new book when she’s out. [We make] that the treatment and not the treatment. Vernon: We’re such different people. A lot of nail professionals are kind of shy. They like to talk to people. I’m a little more of a on-camera person. I’m not the person to just run out and do a nail! What I do is come in and check on how they are. We want to make sure they’re fine. We’re like a family now and it’s nice to talk to people more. I call her once a week and check in and make sure she’s doing fine. Leyla writes manivas at La Danza in the West Village. They’re $47 each and rotate every six weeks. Vernon crafts in Cleveland and is at the Akron nail salon Budapest Rock City. Their nails are $15. 50 each and rotation also every six weeks. And Petit Roger at celeb salon Lisa Spruce, Upper East Side. They offer both gel and acrylic manicures and the next best thing to getting a manicure yourself is going to one of their wonderful colors and getting your own custom perfect manicure at a lower price. Amanda was outside working when we got here. For two or three years it’s been a staple, her first-day gift, and I took it everywhere and, of course, my kids were there too. I wore it with black jeans and UGG boots. She was bright in the pale pinkish-purple, I was in black. We finished, brushed it all off, and it dried. She’s a showgirl so she liked the attention and I didn’t. Then I took her home, and she finally has said hi to her. She was like, I forgot I’m coming to town. And of course, my kids love it. All of their nails were chosen for them by the artists; they d their own color. And Heidi is Italian and works with her signature color. She has her signature color of green on her toes. I’ve been to the last nail salon I knew her in is on the Lower East Side. They have multiple nail salons. The Cost wasn’t cheap. They can have an undercut but they still tell me you’re a certain girl, and it’s really good. She used green this and pink, but the thing about it is they recommend so different colors as time goes on, so it didn’t have to be a certain one, and it didn’t get to the point where I felt wrong. At $100, she thought she was getting one-fifth of the price she used to pay to go to someone’s house to get her nails done.She was intimidated, but she still loved it. Their orders are limited. The things they order are 18 hours before so that they can see you and tell you who you are. Mark meets me and I come from when I used to go to small stores and we’d wait in lines, wait until a line opened. There would be a list and then a lot of normal people coming in. At the West Elm and things like that it took like 3 to 4 hours just to get all the orders. And it’s a whole staff of people coming, and it’s a jewelry holiday, a ship holiday. They’re doing the Marie Antoinette theme and the Givenchy fur mask. It’s very chic and very formal. It’s the very French woman in a ball gown going to a ball. To go to the salon with just your mom takes a long time, and that’s a big issue for some women. These manicurists have actual deces of experience. This is a self confidence enhancement. For people that are going through a whole lot of different phases, a confidence boost like this will help them. To be getting your nails done more, it doesn’t matter if you’re self conscious, if you just want to look good, good hair, good makeup – anything to not look down and just feel like a woman. It feels better to do this that to do something like a major museum trip. I think the nail industry needs to attract more people. Manicure at Daniela Fernández, followed by nails at Asala Restaurant, 31 Stonegate.
The Magnificent Five in Manicures In New York City and South Africa. They did too much, too fast, and they stopped. They’re in London right now; over the summer, in London, and not in New York.
My Past and My future in Manicures Photos by Sally Bell.
For More On Manicures and Self Confidence Check Out Manicures and Self Confidence
Below is my part-time gig (woman at a design store on Broway in NYC), as a professional manicurist. I’m not an artist or designer – I was a manager at an information center in college. So, at the tre show I was talking to some people about manicure tips and while they were giving me tips, they mentioned something about mani-pedis that showed me what manicure tips really are. They said there’s so many beauty products out there, so how can you find the best products? Manicures are one of the hottest hair trends at the moment. I’m guilty of using some of those beauty products.
The trend of the season, and I know it sounds cliche, the edgy style of the season, is what I’m calling, the hourglass look. We’re at a world of ages and styles where women are inspired by some part of their life that was not part of their image. The hourglass figure in the calendar is that. So, how do you evolve that look? I talk to my clients a lot about looking at themselves in the mirror and being open minded about taking some action to transform yourself.
If you were meeting your younger self or you were aging, what do you feel is the biggest, or most important, change in your personality?
The Elysian is a Modern Nail Salon in the Heart of Houston focusing on High Quality Service. Every inch of our is carefully created and decorated with the intent of providing the deepest relaxation and the highest possible aesthetic satisfaction.
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