

The Nail Trends To Try Before Hot Girl Summer Is Over
Are you 'Little Miss Never Knows What Design to Get'? It’s okay if you are because this is a safe space. We know that coming up with your next nail design can be as complicated as the Instagram algorithm these days. For me, getting my nails done and conjuring up a design has been a form of self-care and expression. With folks like Marsai Martin creating press-on nails that more than get the job done, the burden isn’t as heavy and there are some nail techs out here redefining what nail design means.
Take the talented and sought-after Tolani Rosa, a nail tech at The Laq Lab in Brooklyn. She uses her love for creation to curate the most beautiful nails you’ll ever see. Lucky for us, we got the chance to sit down with her to talk about nail design trends that we must try before summer slips away from us. "Mix [and] match nails would be number one on my list of trends right now," she tells xoNecole. "The girls are getting into having different designs on each finger which transcends all seasons depending on the colors used. Because the summer is the perfect season for fun nails, I’d encourage women to try it before fall.”
Courtesy of Tolani Rosa
When it comes to shapes, Tolani says the almond nail shape is by far the shape of the season, making it the top-tier shape for summer. “A few years ago I’d say it was a coffin [nail shape] but a lot of clients have been changing over. I feel like almond elongates the look of anyone’s fingers as well as its versatility in allowing you to choose a rounded almond or more pointy almond.”
And she’s spot on because during my visit to The Laq Lab she slayed a colorful, almond set for me. It’s one of those sets that have you looking at your hands every five seconds and using your fingers to point at unnecessary things non-stop.
Keep reading for more nail design trends Tolani recommends we try before the summer ends:
Colorful French Tip Manicures
Courtesy of Tolani Rosa
You deserve some creativity at your fingertips. And what better way to get creative than with the classic French tip style? The colorful French tip manicure is a favorite because of its nod to a never-fail manicure classic that offers a modern take that dares to be more daring and bold.
Bright Colors
Courtesy of Tolani Rosa
Speaking of color, the time is now for colors that are as bright as our futures. Tap into your inner child by playing with electric neons and soft pastels. Take your dip into the bright side of the nail color pool another step further by incorporating another summer nail trend. You can experiment with color while experimenting with mixing and matching, like the nails pictured above.
3D Nail Art
Courtesy of Tolani Rosa
It’s time to take your nails to another dimension by embracing more than vibrant colors. One of this summer's most beloved ways to rock an eclectic manicure is by adding a pop of dimension with 3D additions. From nipple rings to acrylic architecture, there is a slew of ways to make your nails elementally unique.
The Perfect Nude
Courtesy of Tolani Rosa
If despite all the colors, you're still in search of the perfect nude nails, there's a place for that in this summer's nail trends as well. A Black girl and her quest to find the right nude could be a best-selling mystery novel. But once you find it, you’re golden.
Which trend are you ready to copy and paste before September 22 when hot girl summer ends?
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Featured image courtesy of Tolani Rosa
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Joce Blake is a womanist who loves fashion, Beyonce and Hot Cheetos. The sophistiratchet enthusiast is based in Brooklyn, NY but has southern belle roots as she was born and raised in Memphis, TN. Keep up with her on Instagram @joce_blake and on Twitter @SaraJessicaBee.
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Method Man Shares What He Considers The ‘Sexiest Thing’ While Discussing His Sex Symbol Status And Self-Love
Veteran rapper and actor Clifford "Method Man" Smith Jr. is shedding light on the experience of being a sex symbol, what he finds genuinely captivating about people, and the significance of self-love.
The 52-year-old's journey to fame began in the 1990s when he joined the legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan alongside RZA, GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard. Despite the group releasing their highly acclaimed debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993, Smith continued to achieve
success after going solo the following year to focus on other musical and acting endeavors.
To date, Smith has starred in various series and films, his most popular being Starz's Power Book II: Ghost. In addition to acting, the father of three dropped seven solo studio albums and has professionally collaborated with the Wu-Tang Clan members on numerous projects over the years.
Throughout his thirty-year career, Smith has always generated attention from fans because of his talent. But in recent years, with Smith taking care of his health and maintaining his physical appearance by regularly going to the gym, he has attracted a new set of admirers.
On the cover story of Men's Health magazine, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, Smith shares why he doesn't consider himself to be a sex symbol, what he finds sexy about people and aging, and why he feels self-love is a fundamental part of living a happy life.
Method Man On Being A Sex Symbol And What He Considers The Sexiest Thing
In the August interview, the Soul Plane star revealed that he doesn't take the sex symbol label too seriously because he is not doing anything out of the ordinary to have earned that title.
"I'm not a sex symbol. That's the whole f--king point, man," he told the publication. "Put the words together. Sex and symbol. What's the symbol? I'm not doing anything. So what's the symbol?"
Further into the interview, Smith explained that although he doesn't consider himself a sex symbol, he does enjoy the attention he has received lately. Even with the newfound recognition, Smith added that what he generally finds sexy is someone authentically being themselves and not caring about what other people may think.
"I'm not going to lie, I love every freaking minute of it, but I don't want to be that guy that, when the clock starts winding down, he's still trying to be that sexy," he said while mentioning how Smokey Robinson's appeal has span decades with the singer becoming more comfortable with himself as he aged.
"I mean, Smokey Robinson is always going to be sexy to somebody. I'm not using him as an example; I'm just saying that with where Smokey is right now if Smokey was still at the same time he was back then, it would look ridiculous. And Smokey knew he was a sexy motherfucker. You get to a certain age where you just stop caring, and I think that's the sexiest thing in the world right there."
Method Man On Self-Love
Also, in the interview, Smith opened up about the steps he took to become his own "biggest fan" rather than his worst critic, something he claims all boiled down to self-love.
"Self-love, it's simple as that. Looking yourself in the mirror and honestly saying that you love yourself,” he stated. "But it's one thing to say and then another to go and do it. Show that you love yourself. That's all I've been doing. What people see now is just happiness."
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for the Critics Choice Association