STYLE

Beauty

Nailed it: G Hannelius spills her secrets to fab fingertips

 

One thing's for sure: Actress, singer and beauty guru G Hannelius, 18, knows nails. Since uploading her first YouTube tutorial in 2012, the Dog With a Blog star has racked up more than a million views and cemented her status as mani maven with the launch of her custom nail-wrap app.

And now the stylish starlet is throwing herself into yet another pretty project: Color Camp, a new manicure-only salon concept in West Hollywood founded by Harvard grad Lauren Caruso. There, G serves as an investor and consultant...and one happy customer. 

"I love the idea of a manicure bar because you get to sit there and hang out with all of your girlfriends. It's a really fun environment," she says of Color Camp, which specializes in providing affordable, on-trend manis and nail artusing specially sourced products and adhering to hospital-grade sterilization standards. (So, so important.) "We only do manicures, which means we do them really well." 

Reach for the stars
One of G's recent favorites? Dried flowers set in a gel mani, which she calls "so gorgeous and delicate," as well as stylish star designs that fit right in with fash-fave '90s wear.

Live on the edge
Not near L.A. anytime soon? G's still got your back if you want to stay tip-trendy this fall. "Try edging up a simple manicure with tiny studs [available at craft stores]," G advises.

Instead of popping them on an upper corner like a bewjeweled French mani, place the studs near the moon of your nail or in the center. If you really want to get crafty, she says, organizing them into geometric designs will give off ultra elevated vibes. 

Dream in color
When it comes to selecting a shade, though, the actress is all about individual artistic expression. "I always choose a color at the salon based on my mood that day," she says. "I'll walk in like, 'Hmm, am I feeling light? Am I feeling dark?' and go from there." (For those fashionistas who absolutely must rock the latest hues, she recommends burgundy, hunter green and navy blue.)

Embrace the magic of a major mani
No matter how you deck out your digits, though, maintaining a neat mani is key. "It's such a great way to express yourself, but it's also an accessory," G says. "I go to a lot of events for work, and having something cool on my nails that works off of my outfit is actually really important. It's a major fashion statement." 

 

DIY Digits
G shares everything you need for the perfect at-home mani.

1. A really good base coat. "A lot of people skip right to putting color on their nails, but a quality base coat is so important," says G. "It really ensures that your manicure will stay put."

2. Tons of fun colors. Contrary to what your always-monochrome mom might say, G thinks it's cool *not* to stick to a single shade. Try a different color on each finger, or alternate hues for an adventurous look. (If you don't want to look like a bag of Skittles, go with complementary shadeslike a range of raspberries in different depths.) 

3. Authentic inspo. "Look for inspiration everywhere," G says. "You don't have to do what everyone else is doing. If you see a really cool flower, try to re-create it on your nails. It could turn out totally awesome!"

4. Nail art pens. You can pick up a pen at almost any drugstore, and from there, the possibilities are endless. G suggests trying stripes, polka dots, chevron, stars... (P.S. An itty-bitty paintbrush will work in a pinch.)

5. A top-notch topcoat. Finish things off with two layers of fast-drying topcoat (not just clear polish!), perfect for sealing in your mani masterpiece. Voila! As G says, "It doesn't have to cost a lot of money to feel really good about yourself."

This article was originally published in the October/November 2017 issue of Girls' Life magazine. 

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by GL | 11/21/2017
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