I’m not even sure where to start when it comes to the amazing day I had Friday at Candy Paint LA nail design studio. Located inside Melody Ehsani’s flagship store off Fairfax in Los Angeles, this nail bar is unlike any other. You might be used to finding jewelry items and purses for sale at your local salon, but I loved the idea of having a nail bar inside an actual boutique.
Ehsani is a big fan of nails herself, and her love of design beams through every detail in the store from the gold decor to the NCLA nail wraps she helped design. Ehsani’s most recent collaboration is with Reebok. She designed the gold spiky shoes emblazoned with the word “Love” that fills the store. Just like metallic sneakers and chunky multi-finger rings, Ehsani believes nails are an accessory that deserve to be tricked out.
So it makes sense that this ultra-glam store and design studio would only want the most of-the-moment artists working the nail bar. Enter Kleur, three women who have a common love of music, jewelry, and nails. Jaeme Estera, Nikko Gray, and Nita Pettus all work at Candy Paint LA, bringing their colorful mix of custom nail art to clients who book appointments or happen to walk into the store, lured in by the promise of gold kicks.
After getting Kleur’ed
I got a set of eye-popping nail art (a different design on each nail) in just an hour. I told Jaeme I liked colors and glitter and that I had an open mind. She made flowers bloom and rainbows explode into stripes with a striper brush and American Apparel nail lacquer before curing with a gel top coat. Since the word “Kleur” means “color” in Dutch and Afrikaans, I knew her designs would suit my nails perfectly. I was happy to get Kleur’d and rock some trendy nails for the weekend.
Manicures, pedicures, and nail art for men and women are available at Candy Paint LA and they can be done with polish or gels. Guests can shop at the boutique while they wait, peruse one of the other hip stores off Fairfax, or maybe even visit the newsstand on the corner of Fairfax and Oakwood. Candy is for sale, Japanese nail art magazines can be looked through, and every client gets a complimentary set of Rad Nails nail wraps. All of the nail designers take a photo of your hands after they get glammed up and post them to their respective Instagram feeds. One of the nail techs even had her IG information on her nail art wheel so you can follow and tag her instantly. Paying is easy and can be done via PayPal or Square on the tech’s mobile device. So if jewelry and music inspire you, there’s no better mix of two worlds than this upbeat nail boutique.
Jaeme Estera and Nikko Gray of Kleur
I’m constantly amazed at the things that bring women together. Music is such a powerful force for these women, and I was happy to connect with them and Melody through our love of jewelry. As a former editor of a jewelry magazine, I can definitely attest to the influence our adornments have on our lives, careers, and personal style. And with a name like Kleur, you can be sure to hear more about these three amazing women and their contributions to the nail world in the near future. If you’re in L.A. and want a unique nail art experience or if you are out shopping and want the perfect manicure to match your new jewelry, make sure and visit Kleur at Melody Ehsani or at Blood is the New Black at Space Fifteen Twenty.
The Kleur nail art collective knows how to strike a funny pose. From left to right: Estera, Gray, and Nita Pettus
Me (right) with Estera
Kleur nail art collective | 424 1/2 Fairfax | Los Angeles, CA 90036
(213) 986-NAIL
