As Selena Gomez hits the awards circuit this season, one constant companion is at her side: Celeb manicurist and friend Tom Bachik. Last night's SAG Awards mani was no exception, as Bachik gave us the backstory for how the duo landed on the look.
"When finding inspiration for our red carpet looks, I try to either complement or contrast the nails to best accent our look," he says. "Sel chose a beautiful blackened navy Celine gown, and we decided to contrast! And what better nail for the red carpet than a bright '80s red? This nail says confidence, power and elegance. Red is bold, alluring and the ultimate sense of femininity."
While the night may go by in the blink, Bachik says the prep steps for pulling together a look is very planned. "I work closely with Sel and her stylist Erin. Normally, there’s a fitting prior to the event, and a dress or two is chosen. Our vibe is determined, and we chat nails. But sometimes inspiration changes, and we make a pivot on the day of. It’s always different, but that makes it challenging and exciting. Selena normally chooses directions such as I want dark now, a fun color, or a little sparkle. Then, she leaves it to me to bring or create what that would mean based on our look."
Bachik also says that while color is key, prep is vital. "For me, the prep is the most important part of the manicure. It doesn’t matter how pretty the color is or how good the nail art is. If cuticles, nails and skin are not meticulous, the manicure will not look good. Properly preparing the nails gives you the perfect canvas to create your look."
To start, Bachik says he used his "favorite Tweezerman X Tom Bachik tools to achieve that meticulous manicure." Then, he massaged a small amount of Aquaphor Healing Ointment into the cuticles. This helps soften them, making them easier to push back, he explains.
"Next, I filed nails into a soft almond shape and softly buffed nails and cuticles to gently smooth and exfoliate," he says. "I applied two coats of my Click Colors red polish [available in April] and one layer of Super Clear to add that high-gloss shine. Once dry, massage in a small amount of Aquaphor Healing Ointment into the cuticles again. And then spray a light mist of Aquaphor Ointment Spray to leave skin and nails with a next-level glow and shine."
Bachik also notes that Gomez is a dream to work with. "Selena is probably one of the easiest clients you could ever work with. These days can already have enough stress around them, so glam time is chill and fun. We love to have a great time getting ready. Most of my clients like to do glam at home, but sometimes, a hotel room just makes sense. We like to have a little extra time on red carpet days. That way, everyone has time to do their part, order in, have a bite to eat and take a few pics before she's whisked away. These are some of my favorite days."
