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Before the pandemic, wearing press-on nails was a detriment to anyone’s beauty game. From crusty glue to cheap, bendable plastic and cheesy designs, skipping the nail salon was a major faux pas. That said, once we were locked into the confines of our living spaces for months, every beauty category had to think outside of the box—nails included.
Enter: nail tech to the stars, Brittney Boyce. The artist, who famously designed MGK’s nails leading up to this peak time, launched Nails of LA, which really was the first spin on luxury press-ons. I kid you not, me and every beauty editor had matching nails on Instagram once we received our PR package—a true quarantine (remember that word?) highlight!
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Fast forward to 2024, Boyce and her new business partner Morgan Lustig have taken things a step further with innovation, design and execution to launch Lost Angels. These nails, Boyce swore to me, can last up to three weeks, thanks to their gel extension-like finish. This was a point of contention when she offered to show me the “pro” guide to applying press-ons.
I told her I had an extravagant trip to Turks and Caicos coming up, and I needed the nails to look chic and stay on strong as I navigate high tides and endless piña coladas. She assured me with proper application and the quality of her press-ons, they would get me through this trip. Essentially, you must file, buff, cleanse, size and apply.
She asked me to pick out a style from her array of colorful, cutting-edge options. I love the nails with 3-D accents, but I knew if the gems or silver balls popped up, that would be it for the nails. So I stuck with a safe yet stylish bet: a purply-pink ombre-like design called Aura Doesn’t Lie.“The inspiration is cotton candy aura,” Boyce shared with me. “I recently did a similar design for Megan [Fox] and loved it so much I decided to launch it in our collection. The nails are a perfect medium almond shape that mimic the natural nail. It’s a first-of-its-kind gel top coat technology that won’t chip, fade or tarnish. We also use professional-grade adhesive glue that lasts weeks, not days—and designs that don’t follow trends, they set them.”
The nails were successfully applied and I was on my way. From the time I left my appointment with Boyce, to the time I left for vacation, my hands had many encounters—one of which being an engagement party for a family member. I received oohs and aahs about my nails, and played it off, acting like I got them done at a “special place.” Don’t ask, don’t tell, amirite?
It’s no surprise they were a hit, seeing as celeb nail artist and former CND educator Vanessa “Nailz by Vee” McCullough says the popping look is “eye-catching and fun,” adding, “It’s an easy way to incorporate nail art for somebody who isn’t ready to wear too bold of a nail look.”
McCullough describes aura nails as “a single-color base color with a second color in the center of the nail that fades out to the edges.” If the cotton candy look, for example, isn’t your vibe, she says the aura look can be accomplished with any color variation as long as there’s some contrast to the colors. And Lost Angels fans are in luck, because the aura style also comes in two additional options: Angel Energy and Not 444 You.
So, did the nails make it the full three weeks from my appointment through vacation? Just about. We lost one in the end, but the great news is each $16-$18 package comes with plenty of replacement nails. And I even returned to find out the brand launched a whole second drop of sassy styles. Lost Angels, you nailed it!
