…bursting onto the scene – The Alien-icure!

*queue chest explosion*

I like nerding out.. a lot! That is just a fact, and it’s no secret that I’m pretty obsessed with H.R. Giger (R.I.P.) – who I’ve previously featured as an inspirational quote. Giger is the inspiration for this manicure. Alien-icure is REALLY tricky; despite how much I would love to get all face-huggy with the details… to explode-out-of-the-ribcage with screeching excitement… Ha, references *cough* moving on~ it’s a little too intense for a full breakdown.

Giger worked as both a fine and applied artist, with a unique ability to adpat his aesthetic to many mediums and subjects. He also actively dabbled in films – most notably the Alien series. Following the 1979 release of the Alien, Giger went on to received an Academy Award for “Best Achievement for Visual Effects.”

For the actual manicure look – my little piggies are adorned with soon-to-be little aliens; AKA Face-Hugger egg sacks! I cannot tell you the frequency of nightmares I had of these eggs sacks, probably was watching R Rated films too young. I only just learnt Alien was R Rated?!

I blacked out my nail beds, then stylus’ed in the outer edge of the egg sack with white for contrast – cure. Outlined the egg sacks again, getting the lower detail and a finer outer line – cure. Outlined the edge using Neon Green, and pulled the colour gradation out from the eggs – cure. Overlayed a green glitter – cure. Voila – le Face Hugger Eggs! It sounds easy; it actually TAKES FOREVER and a lot of smudging, removing, sighing, reapplying, swearing and head palm slaps…. got there in the end though.

Feature nail for this look is distinctively inspired by Biomechanics (also known as Biomech) – popularised by Giger after the success of Alien. Also, fun fact an insanely popular style of tattoo artistry in the 1990’s… I think it has been surpassed by the whole SteamPunk aesthetic now… sad. Using Black, White and Silver tones, I created ridges using a flat surface and relying on my shading technique – which is tricky with a wet medium, that moves fast and dries only under a lamp – so I have NO IDEA what’s happening in the curing stages.

Giger’s aesthetic is pseudo-organic, hence biomechanics – it’s a naturally occurring structure with essential pieces substituted with machinery. To create interest on my oh-so-smooth nail bed (natural), I used some beads cut in half to create the raised ridges (mechanical)… and a lot of nail polish/patience. Intersecting/directional lines, gradation in colour and scale – emphasis on tone and not colour. I am so happy with how this nail turned out!Profile view of nail; you can see how I’ve exaggerated the shape by using tonal shading.

Funny fact – it made 90% of people I talked to about this manicure really uncomfortable because it was “so unnatural.” Which is exactly what I was going for! I really like the idea of 3D manicures, and will be doing a lot more in the future, have even come up with some super fun application techniques and products to try.

Fabulous, x

So what you think, Darling?

Share your own unusual creation – what was your inspiration and how did you go?

Remember – don’t let your children watch R Rated movies people! Geez.