The Mani Mixer 2026 | A Weekend in Chicago

Last month I had the pleasure of sitting on the expert panel for The Mani Mixer in Chicago. It was a whirlwind trip that fed the soul and depleted the bank account (I cannot express how insane the vintage shopping is in Chicago).

It was an absolute pleasure to not only represent Vacation Nail Shop, but also to share my knowledge, experience and spend time with the nail artists who attended the event.

Better yet, I got to spend quality time with friends old and new. Ashley Biasella and Courtney Cantwell (yes, Courtney and I bought the same pants) and I all met for the first time in person. Dylan Pritchard, Reina Santos and Mars are all fellow KOKOIST USA educators, so the weekend doubled as a little reunion filled with lots of laughs and more tacos than I care to admit.

In addition to the discussion panel, I also served as a judge for the Totally 80's Nail Art Competition and, honestly, choosing a winner was nearly impossible. Every entry was incredibly creative and beautifully executed.

Vacation Nail Shop also contributed to the attendee gift bags with our Victoria Soft Fade Gradient Palette. We rounded out the panel prize pack with our Lucent Metal Chrome Palette and our latest obsession, Opaline Chrome.

A huge thank you to the Banana Nails team for hosting such a fantastic event. I already can't wait for next year.

Big thanks to the team at Banana Nails for hosting the event- can’t wait for next year!