Fashionable, fantastical and occasionally bizarre nail designs will tap the spotlight in “Nail’d It,” a nail art reality competition premiering 9 p.m. Tuesday night on Oxygen.
Eighteen contestants will compete for a grand prize of $100,000 as their time-constrained nail designs are critiqued in wedding-themed,
color block shoe-inspired and Lady Gaga-worthy challenges. Local cast members include Irvine-native Chris Mans — one of only two men in the show — and Kandi Banks of Long Beach.
A rotating panel of judges includes CND World Co-founder Jan Arnold, manicurist Tom Bachik, celebrity manicurist Terrance Terry, and Elaine T. Watson, Cuccio International’s VP of Marketing and Sales and Global Education Director.
The nail artists are hardly limited by their penny-sized canvases. Many designs feature two or three-inch nail extensions, heavy with embellishments which rival the prosthetics on Syfy’s special effects makeup competition “Face Off.”
The program will also include a variety of multi-platform interactive elements on Play Live technology, allowing viewers to send comments broadcast in real-time, share their own nail art and engage in a live Twitter Q&A with show host Adrienne Bailon.
The reality show’s premiere marks the launch of Oxygen Media’s rebrand under the “very real” slogan, targeting a young, diverse, female demographic.
“Our young, female audience will relate and root alongside these everyday nail artists as they pursue their dream and compete on “Nail’d It” to be recognized as one of the best,” said Rod Aissa, Senior Vice President, Original Programming and Development for Oxygen Media, in an official statement.
— Staff