Missy Elliott's MTV Video Music Awards nails took three hours and used $350 worth of Swarovski Crystals.
Missy Elliott
The 'Lose Control' rapper is known for her wild nail designs and so it was no surprise that she went over the top for the awards show on Monday (26.08.19), which saw her collect the prestigious Video Vanguard Award.
The 48-year-old music legend's long-time nail artist, Bianca 'Beedy' Williams, told Refinery29: "Nails are often overlooked, but when you're performing for an award show, you're holding a mic and accepting a trophy, so nails are important."
Bianca was given "free rein" by Missy to do whatever she wanted, with her only request being that there was plenty of "bling", and so they went with crystal tips with the word "Icon" also painted on one nail.
The beautician continued: "For the most part, Missy gave me free rein to be creative with her nails, which I love.
"Her one request was that there be a lot of bling."
Meanwhile, Missy's stylist Alexandra Butler - who has worked with the 'Get Ur Freak On' rapper for the past five years - revealed the superstar encourages creativity with her style.
She said: "It's usually a group effort with Missy, [stylist] June [Ambrose], and the team. Of course, it also depends on the event. But, in the makeup chair, Missy is very trusting and allows me to be creative.
"I was actually on 'Glam Masters' last year, and ever since she's seen my work on that show, her attitude has just been, 'Okay now, I see you can take it there, so let's take it there.' "So there's a level of confidence I've built. I have a good idea of what she likes, and she's usually very open to what I want."
Alexandra added the 'Work It' hitmaker is "so humble and down to earth", which means there is a very relaxed atmosphere when she's sat "in the chair".
She explained: "Simply being around Missy and spending so much time around her is career inspiration.
"In the chair, you would never know she's this huge superstar because she is so humble and down to earth. But over the years, seeing her remain so grounded while still being true to who she is and what she believes in is very encouraging to me as an artist.
"She's very creative, and she respects her team's crafts and encourages us to think outside of the box."
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