With its focus on balance and longevity, BY:ERA positions skincare as an ongoing dialogue with time, one that values patience, consistency, and clinical intelligence over quick fixes.
We're a little ass company navigating the rough waters of the creative world with a grace as silky as it is sexy, so we thought it only fitting to ask our lovely judges to try products that will make your body almost* as smooth as we are: shaving oil. Our all-natural contenders are "Stellar Shave Cream" by Ursa Major, "Organic Shave Oil" by Tico, and "Shave Oil" by The Bearded Bastard, and we have office baddie and Beauty Committee judge Abella Danger here to give us the lowdown on each one. Check out her answers below and stay tuned, because we have our next judge coming in red-hot tomrrow afternoon!
Most stylish bottle?
The Tico shave oil had the most stylish bottle—the lime green and black combo gave me futuristic vibes. It's really trendy.
Which one has the best name?
The Bearded Bastard shave oil had the the most creative name—I'm a sucker for a good alliteration.
One is sassy, one is sad, one is sexy, which characteristic fits each product the best?
The sassy one is definitely be the Bearded Bastard, the sexy one is be the Tico, and the sad one is be Ursa Major (sorry).
Which one would you gift to a friend?
i would definitely gift the Tico shave oil to one of my friends because besides the fact that it had the cutest packaging, it was also my favorite to shave with!
Get to know more about the artist below.
Where did your passion for creating art with nails orginiate from?
I’ve always been artistic and enjoyed drawing and painting. My passion for creating nail art began when I was about eight years old. I used to love watching my mom paint her nails. I also have two older sisters who liked to read fashion magazines, so I was always reading them as well. Once, I saw a page is Seventeen Magazine where Chanel advertised a nail polish color competition. I mixed a bunch of my mom’s polishes and created a strange oil spill look. I submitted it, but didn’t get chosen as a winner.
Would you say that you are self-taught?
I would say I’m self-taught in that I learned to paint on a tiny scale on my own nails with nail varnish and gel polish, but I learned to “properly” draw and paint in school.
Did entering the nail-art business seem intimidating to you?
It was definitely intimidating because I’m working next to many seasoned and majorly talented artists—not even just nail artists, but also makeup artists, photographers, hairstylists and celebrities.
What’s the relationship between expressing personality and nail art?
Nail art is wearable art and it is temporary. I think certain colors and design can reflect one’s mood.
I see you do everything from abstract art to character nails—what’s your favorite style?
I enjoy painting characters most because I love animation.
What inspired you to recreate classic fashion advertising with your nail art on Instagram?
I wanted to create designs inspired by fashion, but I was concerned that people would;nt get it, so I superimposed my nail creations and photos of where the inspiration came from. I also want to display the art in a manner that is more fun than just a photo of hands.
What job offering, or client, were you most excited to work with?
I was very excited to assist Gina Viviano a few years ago. I call her the OG. She has been a session manicurist since the 90s. I learned a lot from her. She brought me on a Chanel shoot a couple of years ago and we were able to create nail art directly inspired by the brand! I’ve been very fortunate to work with insanely creative and talented people such as Madeline Poole, Gina Edwards, Alicia Torello and Sarah Nguyen. I am excited to work with all of my clients—everyday is an opportunity to experience something new.
What worldly themes inspire your work?
I’m inspired by everything—architecture, movies, fashion, ceramics, music and even food! What is the ultimate goal or message behind your work? I just want to create fun and beautiful things for others to look at!
If you could only wear one nail for the rest of your life, which would it be?
I would wear a classic French manicure with almond-shaped nails.
If you could paint anyone’s nails, who would it be?
Coco Chanel! I would probably do something classic like a red half moon design.
Who are your biggest inspirations?
I am inspired by visual artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali and Steve Powers
What is the strangest design that you have ever made?
It would have to be Halloween nails inspired by American Horror Story: Freak Show. The nails were 3D recreations of characters from that season. I made a killer clown, two-headed twins, a bearded lady and a demonic character.
With all the boring, dry ass content out there in the world, we've made it our imperative to always keep you guys visually and mentally hydrated so we thought it only fitting for our second round of products to do the same. With that being said, we have three non-toxic moisturizers for our lovely panel of judges to test out: "Hydration" by Luminance Skincare, "Truffle Therapy" by Skin&CO, and last but not least, "Mandarin Maximum Moisture" by John Masters Organics. The cherry on top? We have all-around bae and Beauty Committee judge Lulu Bonfils here to give us the lowdown on each one. Check out her answers below and stay tuned for the next round of products!
The best part about each product?
"Hydration" by Luminance Skincare is very moisturizing and keeps your skin dewy and glowing, "Truffle Therapy" by Skin&CO makes your skin feel bouncy and soft, and "Mandarin Maximum Moisture" by John Masters is buildable.
Which one would you most likely keep on your bathroom shelf?
"Hydration".
Which one would you use before work? At the beach? Before bed?
"Hydration".
You can only use one of these moisturizers for the rest of your life—which one do you pick and why?
The Luminance skincare moisturizer! I have very dry skin so this product keeps my skin very hydrated with natural oils and doesn’t require reapplication.
