August cover nail stylist chats muses, manicures & magical designs
By Helena Biggs | 01 August 2018 | Feature, Tech Talk
Magical, ethereal and with a touch of hippie chic, this month’s cover nail stylist has sprinkled her own style and personality into an concept that ignites interest and captures plenty of attention.
Swedish nail technician and Light Elegance ambassador, Celina Rydén, created the image for August’s Scratch cover after discussing the idea with Scratch editor, Helena, at US trade show, Premiere Orlando. “I saw this photo shoot as way to introduce myself to the UK, so wanted to create something that truly represents me, my style and my personality,” Celina reveals.
“First impressions are the most important so I wanted the concept to embody my ideas and me as an artist in every area, from nails to photography and editing.”
Celina called upon Tåve Wanning, a Stockholm-based singer who goes by the moniker ‘HippieHippieShake’ on Instagram to model for her shoot. The duo met five years ago after Tåve spotted Celina on the social media platform, and Celina knew that the singer’s style fitted the concept perfectly.
“I’m a very spiritual person and revel in talking about energies, crystals and tarot,” Celina reveals. “I feel most comfortable when I can combine my bohemian style with mandalas, tattoos, the universe and astrology, all of which are reflected in the nail design.”
Celina drafted the nail design in her sketchbook just the day before the photo shoot and crafted it over five hours using Light Elegance products and Swarovski embellishments. In the relaxed setting of her studio space, Celina led the shoot direction and photography while her boyfriend, Christian, collated behind-the-scenes footage.
“I think we got the final shot right away but we kept working for about an hour to make sure that we had the perfect picture,” Celina reveals. Post-production then saw the multi-talented tech add colour layers and work with curves, contrasts and sharpening tools to refine the shot.
“I love every single aspect of the final image,” Celina continues. “It’s magical and mysterious and it was great to include Tåve, as she’s been my muse for five years. The nails, light and mood are more perfectly executed than I could have imagined and I showed the image to my family and close friends who said it reflects my style and personality perfectly.
“I’m extremely excited and honoured that the image graces the cover of Scratch’s August issue and I hope the UK market and the rest of the world loves it too!”
Read more about Celina and her career in the August issue of Scratch, available here.
Light Elegance UK products are available via www.lighteleganceuk.com
Click here to view a step-by-step guide to recreating the cover nails.
