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Aside from his award-winning, genre-blending music and headline-grabbing romance with Megan Fox, you might know Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly, best for his outré nail art. Tattooed from head to toe and standing at 6'4", the baby-faced bottle blond would turn heads even without the outlandish manicures he creates with the help of celebrity nail artist Brittney Boyce. From anarchic one-handed manis and asymmetrical lengths to stiletto nails embellished with spikes and dyeing his tongue to match his nail color, no look is too weird or wonderful for Baker. Designing his own line of nail polish was far from the wildest idea he’s ever had.
Dubbed Un/Dn Laqr, the genderless range, which launched last week, includes 10 shades with appropriately provocative names like Slippery When Wet, Bad Tendencies, Depressionist, and Nothing (Matte)rs. It’s founded on the principle of self-expression and creativity without commitment—something that Baker can relate to. “I think boredom with accessories is what led me to nail art,” he explains. “When bracelets and rings became redundant to me, I was like, what else can I add? First it was tattoos and then once I tattooed my whole body I tattooed over my tattoos, then I dyed my hair a million colors. I started doing my nails because it was something I could change out really easily.”
Growing up as an emo kid in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, Baker says polish and professional manicures were something he could never have afforded, opting instead to color in his nails with a black Sharpie. Fast-forward to the launch of Un/Dn Laqr at a private party in West Hollywood, and he and Fox are sporting matching hot pink snakeskin manis along with coordinated designer looks. They’ll be joined at the hip all night, quite literally: They’re connected to each other by two chains hanging from their pinkie nails. “Of all the male beauty brands that are coming out, I feel like this is the most authentic because he’s obviously obsessed with adapting and altering his body and he’s been doing this for so long,” says Fox. “It’s also interesting because to come from where he came from and to be painting his nails was highly unusual. I think he’s always been brave to express himself in that way.”
“I like messing with the balance,” replies Baker. “I don’t like things to be still, I never was a fan of calm water, so I think I just do the same thing with my aesthetic.” He does have some rules when it comes to his nails, however: “I would never wear gold polish,” he says. “Unless it’s white gold.” When planning his looks, the outfit always comes first, then the nails. As for pedicures? “I haven’t painted my toes but I get a lot of compliments on my feet,” Baker says. (“Who’s complimenting your feet?” Fox interjects. “Asking for a friend.”)
His favorite nail shape? “The wizard,” he says, wiggling his long, tapered pinkie talon with a pointed end. “He has wizard hands,” Fox confirms as we examine Baker’s bejeweled digits. “The knuckles are all knobbly and if you study palmistry, you’ll know that this is like a very intuitive, psychic, water hand. He has supergood hands.” A natural-born rule breaker, Baker doesn’t have a lot of patience with color changes. “I’m definitely a picker. Every time I’m in bed I’m like, it’s gotta go, so I pick it all off. It’s so satisfying.”
Now that he’s tried his, ahem, hand at beauty, what will he launch next? Matching tongue dye? Makeup? Fragrance? “My next goal is to make the everlasting gobstopper of beauty,” he says enigmatically. In the words of Willy Wonka, the suspense is terrible.