The stars (& stripes) lined up for this Sunday Spotlight! Today we’re profiling Miss Monica, a fellow jewelry designer by day, licensed nail artist & decal maker by night and lover of the 4th of July and all things America! Monica may also look familiar as she also graces the bk&leo site as one of our original models. And, believe us when we say that she is just as gorgeous inside as she is outside. Read on and get to know the lovely and talented Monica!
bk&leo: What’s your favorite holiday?
Monica: 4th of July, of course! I grew up celebrating the holiday in upstate New York and have the best memories of sun, red white & blue food and fireworks with my family! I’m excited to do a hand jewelry & decal giveaway with bk&leo in honor of my favorite holiday – follow @monicahues and @bkandleojewelry this week on Instagram for more info!
bk&leo: How did you get into nails and nail art?
Monica: My Mom gave me a nail art book as a little girl, since then I’ve been obsessed!
bk&leo: How did Monica Hues come to be? Where can people get your amazing decals? Are they hard to do yourself?
Monica: I live in New York City and develop jewelry by day, but my true passion is nail art. I graduated from FIT and eventually decided to go back and get licensed in nail artistry.
I had been experimenting with all of the different types of nail embellishments that were available but I found that the images, sizes and shapes, were missing something. I developed my own ideas, drawing inspiration from fashion, art, and even jewelry! It wasn’t long before my friends started asking for their own custom packs, that I decided it was time to start an Etsy shop. Customers have used my packs to promote anything from charity events and book series to bridal parties and small businesses. They are available at www.etsy.com/shop/monicahues
Monica Hues Nail Decals are 100% made in the USA. They are designed, printed, and packaged in NYC. The decals are easy and fun to use, you just cut out your desired shape from the sheet, peel the top film layer off and place down on your nail, then wet the back, and ta-da! Just like a temporary tattoo, the design is left on the nail! I have a YouTube how-to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHvIca7U3_c
When I’m not creating nail decals, I’m working freelance nail arts jobs including backstage at Fashion Week. So basically…I’m always thinking about what to paint next, or what to include in my next pack!
bk&leo: Tell us about your animal rescue experience and sweet Bernice!
Monica: I was a volunteering at the Animal Care & Control shelter in NYC, when I came across an unusually small and sweet kitty. At first I thought she was a kitten because she was only 4 lbs. but after I read her bio I realized she was 8 years old and needed to get out of there fast! I quickly adopted her, and we had an amazing 6 years together. She was even the inspiration for my kitty-head pack!
bk&leo: Fave piece of bk&leo jewelry?
Monica: I LOVE the custom hand jewelry, it’s so trendy and works well with my nail art designs!
