G Hannelius Dishes On Make Me Nails Holiday Collection, 'Roots' & More With JJJ (Exclusive Interview)

G Hannelius has a brand new collection of Make Me Nails out and yes, it’s the cutest collection ever.

The 16-year-old actress and entrepreneur (who turns 17 in less than 10 days!), and co-founder Lauren Jones, have teamed up with PBTeen for the holiday collection, and it’s going to be available in stores nationwide! The new MMN designs are $12 (for a set of 18) and buyers can choose from two exclusive Pottery Barn Teen holiday designs — Winter Wonderland and Winter Blush.

JJJ had the chance to speak with G about the new designs, teaming up with PBTeen, her new projects and more. Check it:

JJJ: Make Me Nails is insanely cute and popular! What drew you to just nails?
G Hannelius: Thank you! I love how nail art is a fun and versatile fashion accessory that is always changing and evolving. It keeps our entire business exciting and interesting.

JJJ: How did you develop your nail skills?
GH: I’m no pro, but though watching and creating my own nail art tutorials on YouTube starting when I was 10 I developed a love for it. I’m still learning and developing skills and so many fantastic nail artists continually inspire me.

JJJ: Do you have a favorite design that you’ve already debuted?
GH: We did a gorgeous geometric print on our website (www.makemenails.com) called “Color Block the Haters” and it was hand-designed by our awesome designer Jenny Da and the colors came out so beautifully. I think they are really eye-catching wraps that are really fun but not overwhelming.

Click inside for the rest of JJJ‘s interview with G Hannelius…

JJJ: What decals do you have on your nails right now?
GH: I have a set of our new holiday nail wraps we designed in partnership with Potter Barn Teen. They are called “Winter Blush”. They feature pretty Pottery Barn Teen prints that have hints of gold that feel holiday inspired mixed with gorgeous soft pastels.

JJJ: The new designs are “holiday inspired”. Can you tell us about them? What kind of decals can fans expect? {Also, are there bells? We love bells}
GH: The new designs going up on our App have a “Winter Wonderland” category that have lots of pretty and playful designs for the holidays such as fair isle prints that make your nails feel like they are wearing cute little sweaters! (And yes- we do have a design that has bells in it- but you can also upload any picture that you want on your nails to our App and create custom nail wraps!) We also have other categories such as “Garden Party” that features lots of very current floral prints for every season.

JJJ: How exciting is it for you to be partnering with PBTeen?
GH: We are so excited to team up with PBteen. At 16 years old, I feel truly grateful that we are able to have our first Make Me Nails retail experience with such a wonderful company. Our brand aesthetic harmonizes beautifully with PBteen. We have worked hard to create some gorgeous nail wraps for this collaboration, and I hope everyone loves the looks as much as I do. As a teen tech entrepreneur, I hope to inspire other young girls to keep dreaming and creating! You never know how far your ideas can take you – and for me, this opportunity proves that.

JJJ: Talk to us about the MMN app and how fans can use it.
GH: On our App, you can upload images from your phone or take a live photo and create custom nail wraps for order. Or, users can chose from a variety of cute designs in our template categories within the App.

JJJ: Do you consider yourself a “techie”? What are some of your other fave apps?
GH: I love tech, and I especially love mixing tech with beauty like we did with Make Me Nails. I love music apps like Spotify and SoundCloud. I also love photo editing apps like Phhhoto and VSCO Cam.

JJJ: The holidays are here! What are your favorite traditions, meals, songs? Tell us everything.
GH: I’m of Swedish descent so we always make Swedish pancakes on Christmas morning. I love Mindy Gledhill’s “Winter Moon” album for my Christmas playlist.

JJJ: Do you have a New Year’s resolution?
GH: I don’t always make a specific New Year’s resolution but year round I try to volunteer and do things for others as much as possible. Being an actor can be a very self-involved job so it’s important for me to take a step back and focus attention on more important people/things.

JJJ: What’s the best thing you’ve ever gifted someone?
GH: I love painting in my free time, I’m not very good, but it’s a fun hobby. So I like to make handmade cards with personal little watercolor paintings on them for people’s birthdays or the holidays.

JJJ: Dog With A Blog sadly has come to an end. Are you sad that’s over? What are you taking away from that series?
GH: It’s bittersweet. We had such a wonderful 3 seasons- we had a very special cast and crew and I miss seeing them all everyday. However, I’m really pumped to try new things and explore different projects.

JJJ: Congrats on the new gig in “Roots”! How important is this new role to you?
GH: Thank you, I’m so excited. It’s an honor to be a small part of such a legendary mini-series. The project is filled with fantastic actors who are so dedicated to paying respect to the beloved classic. It also feels like such an important and relevant time to remind people of the perils of slavery as we continue to hear about issues such as police brutality directed at African-Americans and others.