In Refinery29’s Sweet Digs, we take a look inside the sometimes small, sometimes spacious homes of millennial women and their families. This week, we tour influencer Rachel Martino’s colorful, industrial-style loft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Rachel Martino’s pre-war loft in Williamsburg used to be a paint factory — which is fitting, since the 31-year-old beauty and fashion blogger was in the market for a “blank canvas apartment” when she moved in. That said, just one year later, the place is anything but blank. In fact, at present, you’d hardly recognize the formerly industrial space (think: cheerful eclectic ambiance, exposed brick, and lots of pink).

At 2,000 square feet, Martino’s pad is ideal for entertaining — especially when you consider her dining room, which includes an 11-foot table (her biggest yet splurge despite being purchased secondhand) surrounded by eight velvet chairs in shades like emerald, blush, and mustard yellow. And that’s before you arrive at Martino’s “crown jewel,” her bar, which spans the entire length of the wall with copper and glass shelving.

While the original spot offered three bedrooms, that felt a bit gratuitous for two (Martino shares her digs with her one-year-old cockapoo, Taxi), so she converted one into a relaxing nook complete with a comfy yellow couch, a hanging chair for reading, and large windows that Martino likes to peer out of to gauge the weather — or get outfit inspo. “People in Williamsburg are very stylish,” she says. “I love watching people to see what they’re wearing.”

As a final touch, then, she turned the last excess bedroom into a full-blown production studio, which she rents out to clients, brands, and other creatives who’d like to use the trinket-filled bookshelves, vanity, or seamless backdrop for their own projects. “It’s so girly,” she says, “so we get a ton of female-focused projects, which I absolutely love.”

Because the space triples as a home, an office, and a content studio, Martino considers her $6,000-a-month rent “actually a steal.” Whatever you’d categorize it as, it’s definitely the kind of place you’d want to snap an Instagram selfie in.

Watch the video above for a closer look inside Martino’s home, and get the inside scoop on where she splurged, her favorite local spot to grab a margarita, and why she commissioned her followers to help her make final decisions.

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Achieving a flawless manicure is often considered something only a professional can do, but innovative formulas and nail products are making it easier than ever to get a grade-A mani at home. As part of our Manicurated series, and in partnership with Dashing Diva, the premier DIY nail source, we teamed up with two influencers — an L.A.-based model, activist, and transgender prom queen and a New York-based fashion writer-slash-drag queen — who use nail art as tools of self-expression. We tasked them with trying out the brand’s GLAZE gel manicure strips, which are cured under LED light in just 45 seconds. With Dashing Diva, masterful manicures are finally achievable at home.

Corey Rae was 5 years old when she got her very first manicure. What started out as a routine visit to the nail salon with her mother ended up becoming a memorable — and deeply transformative — experience for Rae, a 28-year-old transgender model, activist, writer, and actress. “I remember trying to occupy myself while my mom got her nails done, but I was just so excited that I went over and asked the nail technicians to do mine, too,” remembers Rae, whose mother was extremely supportive. “My mom affirmed that I could do as I pleased, and nothing was weird about that. It was a very cool moment.”

But a cross-country move from her native L.A. to New Jersey several years later put an end to their salon visits. “I’ve always loved using vibrant colors, like pinks, growing up, but when I moved, I started noticing other people’s judgment toward me,” says Rae, who then stopped doing her nails for nearly 10 years. “And if I did get a manicure, I just got them shaped and had very natural nails. Maybe, if I was daring, I’d get a clear coat of polish.”

Her transition at 16 years old reignited her love for nail art. “When I started [the journey], I saw an opportunity to do things I was naturally drawn to do again, like my nails,” she explains. “Over time, I started to get bold again and instead of clear polish, I went with pinks and blues and greens — really experimenting with colors I thought matched my skin tone, my vibe, and also the season.” 

Speaking of seasons, Rae says holiday-friendly shades on nails in particular excite her. “I’m very big on being festive. A lot of my nail choices are based on whether it’s Hanukkah or Christmas or Halloween.” But her favorite nail look of all time was the rainbow-colored French tips she sported during Pride this summer. “That was a big proud moment for me,” she says, “to have what I felt were long enough nails for that [kind of look].”

For most of her manicures, Rae visits the salon (like mother, like daughter), preferring gel polish due to its long-lasting nature. But she admits that seeing a professional regularly isn’t the most economical. An alternative she loves? Dashing Diva’s GLAZE, a collection of DIY gel manicure strips that can be cured under LED light for 45 seconds.

“They’re so cute,” Rae says. “I’m always a little reserved when it comes to putting any kind of nails or tips on, but [they have] a remover that makes me feel more comfortable and [I love] that they’re all evenly shaped.” She added that GLAZE is easy to apply — and remove — without doing any damage to her nails. She opted for Pink Wave, a soft iridescent pink, in trying them out for the first time, but says she plans to wear Saffron Flower — a shimmery burgundy — for the holidays.

Ultimately, Rae sees nail art as a way to express herself. “Showing yourself authentically to the world is the best thing you can do,” she says. “Although some people might not notice them, I always notice nails. I love nails. I love seeing cool manicures. It’s like an extension of you — quite literally.” 

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Watch the video, above, to learn more about Corey Rae’s approach to nails and how she channeled her inner diva with Dashing Diva’s GLAZE. 

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

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via https://dmtbeautyspot.com

Hilary Shepherd, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

Achieving a flawless manicure is often considered something only a professional can do, but innovative formulas and nail products are making it easier than ever to get a grade-A mani at home. As part of our Manicurated series, and in partnership with Dashing Diva, the premier DIY nail source, we teamed up with two influencers — a New York-based fashion writer-slash-drag queen and an L.A.-based model, activist, and transgender prom queen — who use nail art as tools of self-expression. We tasked them with trying out the brand’s GLAZE gel manicure strips, which are cured under LED light in just 45 seconds. With Dashing Diva, masterful manicures are finally achievable at home.

For Andrew Nguyen, manicures are a form of self-expression — powerful symbols of freedom, beauty, and creativity — but it wasn’t always that way. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, but spent his summers in Florida working at his father’s nail salon at the age of 12. “I hated nails when I was a kid because I associated it with my dad forcing me to work there,” he remembers. “Of course, being a bratty kid, I was like, Absolutely not.” 

What’s more, prior to working in the nail salon, Nguyen, who’s Vietnamese American, recalls the humiliation he felt in second grade, when his cousins dressed him up, put makeup on him, and painted his nails sparkly. “At the time, it was so embarrassing,” he says. “I was like, Oh my god, this is so shameful.” 

And then there was pre-school, when his aunt, who used to watch him at times, painted his nails black (much to the chagrin of his mother). “I thought it was so cool, but my mom picked me up and she was so upset,” he recalls. “I mean, my family’s supportive now, but she was so mad that my aunt painted my fingernails because I was ‘a boy.’” 

Despite the negative feelings he had toward nails in his early years, Nguyen, 26, now embraces all things manicure-related. A fashion writer by day and a drag artist called Dynasty by night — “a classic New York multihyphenate,” he laughs — Nguyen considers nails akin to art. “When I started doing drag, I began appreciating [nail art] more,” he says. “I met this entire beautiful community of queens who loved nails and I met queens who had such cool, intricate nail art. That’s when I started to appreciate it as an art form and a mode of self-expression.”

His nail color of choice? A fierce gunmetal. “I love when my fingernails look like they’re metal claws,” he says. “I feel like a bad bitch.” Nguyen adds that although he may occasionally change up his ring finger “if I’m feeling spicy,” he typically opts for the same shade across the board. “I’m a uniform kind of girl. I like it cohesive.” 

To achieve such a look, Nguyen prefers to leave it to the pros, admitting that he’s “so bad at painting my nails.” That’s why, when tasked to try out Dashing Diva’s innovative GLAZE DIY gel manicure strips, he was elated. “I watched the video tutorial on how to apply them and I was like, Oh my god, this is so freaking cool and convenient.” Of the dozens of color options and patterns available in the collection, Nguyen reached for red and black French tips, teal and purple metallic shades, and metallic silver. The results? Flawless.

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A post shared by DYNASTY ⊙⌒ ⊙✿ (@reignofdynasty)

Watch the video, above, to learn more about Andrew Nguyen’s approach to nails and how he channeled his inner diva with Dashing Diva’s GLAZE. 

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

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via https://dmtbeautyspot.com

Hilary Shepherd, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

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Sporting anything but supremely comfy loungewear — and the occasional Zoom-ready blouse — while in quarantine might seem pointless. But hear us out: You can dress up a little without looking (or feeling) silly. 

To zhuzh up your current lockdown aesthetic, consider...the dress. Remember those? (No, your robe doesn't count.) The now-oft-neglected piece works surprisingly well for the strange indoor-and-sometimes-outdoor lifestyles we're living now, even as temperatures turn. From easy-breezy chiffon maxis to a floor-length cardigan that's more versatile than you could've ever imagined, these styles were made to mix and match, layer, and ultimately breathe some much-needed life back into your wardrobe — without breaking the bank. 

Still don't believe us? Click through for four styling ideas — handpicked from the selection of autumn-ready frocks, accessories, and beauty products at Macy's — that just might convince you otherwise.

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Hilary Shepherd, Khareem Sudlow