NAILS

74 | NAILS MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2016TECHNIQUE}PHOTOGRAPHY BY STACY GOLDEN/KIMBERLY PHAMFrom Fantasy to RealityWhen she dreamed up anextraordinary interpretation ofa French manicure in weekthree of last year’s NAILS Next Top NailArtist competition, Sarah Elmaz washappy with the result. Yet theMelbourne-based nail artist likely neverdreamed she would make it into theNTNA Top 3, fly to Chicago’s ABS show,win 2nd runner up, and produce herfirst NAILS cover.“I had such an amazing time, mymodel was lovely, and sitting in a roomnext to Celina (Ryden) and Winnie(Huang) creating nails simultaneouslyfelt like it was meant to be,” she says.Elmaz, owner of Get Buffed Nails, hasa very unique style with her nail looks.While squeaky clean and precise, thedesigns almost sing with color andplayfulness. For the cover look, Elmaztook the Baroque elements of her NTNAFrench Couture set and dove in a bitdeeper. She blended the stylized curlicuepatterns and rose gold foil with a darkmatte glitter nail that is topped with aperfectly sculpted velvety rose. Althoughrich and sophisticated, the design has aversatility that appeals to many differentclients.Since her NTNA achievement, Elmazwas tapped by Australian companyGellyFit to develop a collection of colorsinspired by her signature style.“Competing in NTNA opened my eyes tothe fact that I can push myself to theabsolute limit and achieve my goal if Iset my mind to it,” she says.behind the scenesModel Kaisa Johnson (left) getsthe royal nail treatment fromNTNA Top 3 finalist Sarah Elmaz.>>>