NTNA Episode 1: Secret Garden Challenge

The newest season of NTNA is finally here! Beth Livesay welcomed talented newcomers as well as some returning faces, and the competition is as fierce as ever! 

Last week, the contestants were asked to created a nail set based on the theme "Secret Garden."

The NAILS Magazine description for the challenge is as follows:

CND’s spring collection, English Garden, is all about florals and light colors. This challenge, however, is not. CND co-founder, style director, and head NTNA judge Jan Arnold, loves a twist: 

She would like the Top 12 to use the English Garden collection and 3-D artwork to create a Romantic interpretation of a garden. When we say “Romantic” we are referring to 18th century society, where there was a return to focus on the beauty of nature, dreamy self-reflection, and the macabre.

The Romantics were also inspired by music and poetry (think John Keats and Jane Austen). This art movement was controversial, veering into social themes that weren’t always pretty.

Make sure and do your research (we are attaching some fashion-focused visuals to help) to make sure you understand the idea of Romanticism we are describing in this challenge. Your creation is to be completed on five tips (not on actual hands), and there are no florals allowed.

The judges discussed each design as well as several of the video submissions in the first episode of The Kupa Recap Show. Watch the full thing below: