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Kimmie Kyees
Photo by Tiffany Kyees |
For those of you who follow all things nails, the name Kimmie Kyees should ring a bell. If you are hot in Hollywood, Kimmie has most likely done your nails. Some of her regular clients include
Rihanna,
Katy Perry,
Jenna Jameson and
P!nk just to name a few (her portfolio and other professional information can be found
HERE).
The 2011-2012 season has been a bright one for Kimmie Kyees. She launched two awesome products this year;
Kimmie Kyees Nails by elegantTouch (available at
Ulta) and her own nail wrap design collection by
Minx. Knowing Kimmie, this is only the beginning of what she has in store for the nail community!
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Instagram Photo by Rihanna
Caption: Thanks to my nail bitch @KimmieKyees this heaux is major as phuck
Photo posted 23 May 2012
Manicure for American Idol Season 11 finale performance |
Kimmie has been a trend setting nail artist for many years and is responsible for some of the most talked about manis world-wide! We are so lucky and grateful to have been able to chat with her about all things nails including some awesome tips and tricks!
Mani Curiously: What exactly causes bubbling in polish? Are there any tips/tricks to avoid it?
Kimmie: Old polish, too thick application or formula or sometimes just a bad top coat.
Mani Curiously: So basically just like trying on shoes, sometimes you have to put some on and walk around before you decide if they're a good fit or not?
Kimmie: yeah, pretty much!
Mani Curiously: All of us love that nice clean "bumper" around the cuticle when polishing. What's the best way to get that for those of us still working on that?
Kimmie: Practice practice practice! By placing the brush down close to the cuticle and let the bead of polish/brush spread out on it's own then continue with your downward stroke toward the nail tip that will help create that lovely clean line. Also, if you do get too close to the cuticle you can always use a "clean up brush" to remove the mess up by dipping it in polish remover and wiping the mess ups away. Another tip though is to make sure the brush isn't too wet! You don't want to take off more polish than necessary. Lastly, you can actually turn the polish brush sideways and draw the crescent moon shape along the cuticle to give you a sort of "guide".
Mani Curiously: Alright, we'd love a few of your
Faves...
Fave nail trends for the summer (colors, designs etc)?
Kimmie: I am loving
Zoya's Fleck Effect top coats! The mylar fleck glazes change colors beautifully from green to blue and red goes to orange! They are amazing!
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Photo courtesy of Kimmie Kyees
Rihanna wearing Kimmie's Minx nails in Lustrous Lizard
on the set of Rihanna's Music Video for "Where Have You Been" |
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Fave timeless color that you feel is never out of style?
Kimmie: Vamp colors will forever be fashionable. OPI's
Lincoln Park After Dark is a great one. I also think the sheer baby pink will always be timeless, for example Essie's
Mademoiselle or
Sugar Daddy
Fave "high end" polish (msrp greater than $10)?
Kimmie:
NARS! They have the MOST BEAUTIFUL reds on the market!
Domiva is a stunning orange red and
Jungle Red and
Chinatown are gorgeous blue reds! You simple can't get any better!
Fave "low end" polish (msrp less than $10)?
Kimmie:
Wet n Wild is easy on the budget and so is
Sally Hansen! The
Salon Effects by Sally Hansen are my favorite simple nail art... Katy Perry and P!nk just love them because they are easy and dry right away!!
Fave easy nail art technique or product?
Kimmie:
Milani has great
nail art polishes you can buy at the drug store. They have a thin brush inside that's great for making lines, french tips and moons! I clean the brush off with polish remover and use it in all different shades of polish!!
Mani Curiously: Tips on how to avoid shrinkage with the quick dry top coats?
Kimmie: Make sure to use the top coat in a thin layer and be quick
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Photo courtesy of Kimmie Kyees
Fergie of Black Eyed Peas
on the Music Video set of "Imma Be" |
Mani Curiously: What's your mani must haves?
Kimmie: Curette is a cuticle tool with a small half circle on each end. It's great for cleaning under the nail and pushing back the cuticles. It can easily be found at
Sally Beauty Supply.
Mani Curiously: Filing vs. Clipping?
Kimmie: I normally don't clip fingernails unless the nails need to be dramatically shortened. If you do clip them, clip one side then the other and then the center. When you try and clip the whole nail you can cause fractures on the side walls and affect the overall strength and health of your nails.
Mani Curiously: Cuticle care... Any tips for making the most frustrating nail issue bearable?
Kimmie: Use your nail file! When the cuticles get hard and frayed on the sides using your nail file to buff them down with a nail file helps smooth them out easily. It's the same concept as using a foot file on rough skin. Also, push your cuticles back right after a shower.
Mani Curiously: Tips for nail biters, ex-acrylic users, those growing out their nails and anyone else that might be trying to "better" their nail situation?
Kimmie: Pushing your cuticles back. The stimulation will promote nail growth. Using a nail strengthener like
OPI's Envy is great. Lastly, always use cuticle oil. It keeps the skin in good condition!
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Photo courtesy of Kimmie Kyees
Ke$ha on the set of an ad for Baby G by Casio Watches |
Mani Curiously: Nail shapes... Which one do you like best and why?
Kimmie: I am really loving the oval, pointy nail. I never thought I would be but it has grown on me!
Mani Curiously: How about a quick and easy nail art trick?
Kimmie: Magnetic polish is the easiest nail art and it looks amazing. Also, crackle is a simple way to get a neat look. Try polishing the crackle from left to right across the nail and it will shatter in a more "animal" looking pattern!
Mani Curiously: Ok, how about your fave way to show your creativity through polish with your clients?
Kimmie: My clients are entertainers so I have the opportunity to do things that they will only wear for a short period of time. So that really allows me a lot of leeway. For example the flower nails I just made for Katy Perry. They looked amazing but wouldn't have been the easiest nails to "live" with! It's also fun to make press on nails and use nail glue tabs to press them on, wear them for the night then take them off! So super easy!
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Instagram Photo by KimmieKyees
Caption: Katy Perry's full bloom fingernails!!! I love how they turned out :)
Photo posted 7 May 2012
Nails featured in
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We would really like to thank Kimmie Kyees for her time and allowing us to pick her brain! We will definitely be using these tips and tricks in the future. We wish Kimmie continued success in all of her future endeavors and we can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
To connect with Kimmie Kyees via social media:
Facebook Fan Page -
Kimmie Kyees Nails
Instagram -
KimmieKyees
Twitter -
KimmieKyees
Please leave your comments below and I am sure that if any of you have questions that we didn't get to in this interview we might be able to get Kimmie to answer a few more!
and
Dom has known Kimmie since high school and is so proud of her longtime friend for what the force she's become by believing in herself and pursuing her dream. What an awesome career she's had and it's only getting better! (More nostalgia can be seen
HERE!)
