Swatch and Review: ICEGEL Dalmatian Nudie

Korean gel is definitely having a moment and rightfully so. I’ve been using ICEGEL since last year and I just love the creative color ways and specialty finishes. This collection features their ultra-popular speckled dalmatian formula but in muted neutral tones. You can snag them from their US distributor, Nashly Nails here.

1276: Semi-sheer cool-toned Ivory with black flecks. If you have the original Dalmatian set, this one is a little more gray than the original speckled white.

1277: Cool milky mid-tone pink with black flecks. This is gorgeous on warm skin tones.

1278: Rosewood with black flecks- reminds me of the JANE lipgloss I used to wear in the 90’s.

1279: Warm bone ivory with black flecks. This is one of my favorites- really unique and super flattering on all skin tones.

1280: Muted Lavender with black flecks. Love this one too, a client gave and gorgeous on olive skin.

1281: Don’t let the sticker on the bottle deceive you, this one’s a deep warm pink with black flecks.

Swatch and Review: ICEGEL Flash On / Off

When ICEGEL released the first round of Flash On / Off gels I was absolutely smitten. They are a very subtle sparkle in natural light but when you put them under a light or flash they transform into an ultra-reflective finish. The original collection was more on the cool-side, lots of blues, purples, silvers- so I was super psyched to grab the more neutral pink and beige collection.

As far as application goes, they are super smooth and the glitter levels really nicely in the gel- no weird scratchy spots. I have a feeling these are going to get a lot of action this holiday season.

1225: Taupe nude with cool beige undertones

1226: Cool grey nude with silver undertones

1227: Honey nude with copper undertones (my personal favorite)

1228: Pink nude with berry undertones

Double Moss Arte Review: Palette Ring & Primero Brush Set

I’ve been following Betina Goldstein for years now- you probably have too. She’s kind of the queen of the gorgeous DIY manicure videos along with a crazy long list of celeb clients. Long before I put down the makeup brush and picked up the nail file, I was following her on insta. She’s got an effortlessly chic aesthetic, perfect hands and her beautiful videos are absolutely swoon-worthy. She’s also as sweet as pie and gives me those classy cool vibes- like, I firmly believe she is somebody who can wear all white, eat tacos and not spill anything and I’m here for it.

I’m always looking for ways to elevate my nail kit and the Primero Brush Set was calling to me. I tend to gravitate towards products created by working manicurists. It’s clear from the craftsmanship that she put a lot of thought and refinement into her creations. The majority of my work on set is with traditional polish and the field of brushes for traditional polish is always a little, how to put it softly, TACKY. Lots of glitz, the weird handles with beads in them, cheap imports, plastic and lots of bright bright colors.

What stood out to me most was the design. They are made of brass (which is gorgeous but most importantly, acetone resistant) and have caps that screw on and off.- which is a literal godsend since I’m the Queen of crushed and bent bristles. The weight in hand is lovely and very easy to work with, like a fancy pen. They came in a gorgeous velvet storage case that can be used to set my station as well for extra wow factor.From a functionality standpoint you can easily transition from thin to thick lines with a bit of pressure, my most used brush by far is Arte 2 (here’s a video of me using it in a tutorial), but Arte X comes in clutch for cuticle clean up and finessing lines. In general, as an artist, I prefer longer bristles so while I haven’t reached for Arte 1 as often, I could see it being great for fine detail work.

The palette ring is as gorgeous as it is functional- I find that I work best with it on my left thumb (if you’re a lefty, you’ll be better with it on your right). Super easy to clean and to be honest, fashionable enough to wear as a statement piece on its own.

Marble Lightning Art Tutorial Featuring Essence by Luminary

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Manicure by Rachel Messick

Luminary is my number one desert island product in my studio. Often immitated, never duplicated. I was beyond stoked when Kelly Van Dahl, the owner and creator of Luminary, reached out to me to try the newest addition to the Colors by Van Dahl collection: a gorgeous warm dove gray called “Essence”.I’m not going tp lie it was also a bit of a Sally Field “you like me, you really like me” moment, because, well, I’m an artist and a woman and imposter syndrome is REAL. The TL;DR of the matter is, it’s nice when a brand you love, loves you back.

Truthfully, don’t often reach for the non nude/pink members of the Luminary family, but, Essence might change my mind, she’s really cute. As far as technique, texture and viscosity- Essence hits all the marks of her brand-mates: strong but with flex, hard but not rigid or brittle. In my video below you can watch me do a basic Luminary overlay, however if you want proper education you’ll want to check out Luminary Educator Candice Green’s certification courses (she certified me and is also a personal friend, so I can vouch for her) if you’re wanting to give it a go on your own, check out the Luminary Nail Systems Youtube channel for tips and tricks.

Let’s get into some ART. For this look I’ll be using Luminary Essence (duh), Kokoist Color Gel in E-206S Black Martini, Ageha Sharp Liner in White and Akzentz Gel Play in Cosmic Silver. You’ll also want to grab your Luminary Commit Primer and Empower Top Coat. For tools, this look keeps it super simple- the only brushes you’ll need are the Kokoist Round Brush and the Nail Thoughts x Kokoist Detailer.

If you’re looking to grab some Luminary for your salon or studio, you can shop my distributor My Nail Stuff by clicking this link and using code RACHEL at checkout. You’ll save 10% of the Luminary color of the month, Erica’s ATA and Dulce Nail Sprinkles.