Carefully molding delicate gel into a 3D shape, nail artists use intricate paints and craft charms to create personalized, ornate nail designs. Sophomore Kimmy Le, senior Effie Wang and junior Ellie York have set out to share this delicate and creative hobby through their independent businesses.
Kimmy Le paints expression into coquette nail art
Scrolling on Instagram during the summer of 2023, Le watched reel after reel of small nail artists create elaborate custom nail designs. Soon, she felt inspired to attempt her own creations.
“I found nail art very interesting,” Le said. “So I bought all the supplies and tried it myself, and I really liked it.”
After her first attempt at nail art, Le continued to practice with inspiration from Pinterest. Later that year, Le began taking commissions to create personalized designs. Although she did not originally plan to start a business, Le decided to charge for her nail art after her friends began asking her to design nails for them.
“When she first started, she mostly did it for herself,” sophomore Lucas Hsu said. “Then as she gained more popularity, she started to get more orders and got really into it.”
Le’s business specifically features elegant designs that incorporate pastel colors and glitter to create a coquette aesthetic. Using different charms and gel designs, she adds personality and flair to each individual order, placing the set in a clear box to send to her client.
“There was one time where I thought I did pretty bad on the set of nails,” Le said. “It turned out that my customer really loved it, and she told me to do more nail art if I can, so I felt really happy and encouraged.”
In the future, Le plans to continue taking commissions and promote her business through better deals. Nail art has given her the opportunity to exercise her creative boundaries, and Le hopes to continue her artistic expression through her nails.
“I like being a nail artist because it gives me freedom of choice to make whatever I like and express myself,” Le said.
Effie Wang polishes up nail designs through Etsy
After pouring months of effort into her Etsy-based business, Entwined Hearts, Wang’s dedication paid off with her first customer request. The achievement spurred her to continue growing the business and create new designs with each new commission.
Wang was first inspired to create nail art to transition her existing digital art commissions to a more physical medium. In September 2024, she began bringing that dream to fruition.
“I wanted something physical to sell, not just a digital item,” Wang said. “So I experimented with some nail designs and after a year, I finally got to start my business. It was pretty spontaneous.”
After spending many hours dozens of practice sets to hone challenging techniques, Wang grew more confident in her skills, officially opening Entwined Hearts in December 2024.
“After many hours of painful practice, I started to get better. I’m slowly just teaching myself how to work my way through it,” Wang said.
Wang works closely with her clients to design a custom set before translating it to the press-ons. She spices up her designs with charms, beads and glitter, and finished off each order with a personalized touch, adding stickers and nail care etools.
School clients provided an opportunity to expand her business. Wang saw the number of commissions increase as she advertised on her personal Instagram and through word of mouth.
“There were a few moments when I would ask myself, ‘Is this the right path?’” Wang said. “I didn’t know if I would ever get any sales, but I didn’t want to give up after I already spent so much money and time.”
Persevering past these doubts, Wang has found continued success in receiving commissions and plans to keep taking nail orders in college to persist in her artistic pursuits.
Ellie York sculpts waves with sea-inspired nail art
In her eighth grade year, York’s long standing interest in art inspired her to experiment with nail art herself instead of attending nail appointments or buying press-on nails.
At the start of 2024 York began gaining clients, creating commissioned nail designs as she explored new styles and techniques, like sculpting shapes with building gel.
“My favorite thing is trying out new styles and materials, like a thicker gel which can be used for building 3D designs,” York said.
Often inspired by seascapes, York’s nail art highlights elements like starfish and flowers sculpted out of 3D gel, while using light colors and glitter.
“I think my nail art style suits how I dress,” York said. “I prefer that type of style over a darker one.”
York takes about two weeks to work on each set, taking orders and commissions through her social media and from close friends.
Learning how to do her own nails with her nondominant left hand and attempting unfamiliar styles presented challenges, but York has continued to develop her skills through persistence and determination.
“Learning new things is difficult,” York said. “Sometimes they just don’t work out and you have to keep on trying.”
York believes nail art has given her a unique way to blend personal expression with pushing her own boundaries, as each order comes with its own requests. In the future, York plans to continue her business as a nail artist, keeping it on the side as she continues high school.
“I really enjoyed doing nails,” York said. “Everyone has their own taste when it comes to nails, and starting a business allows me to try out styles that I probably wouldn’t ever do for myself.”
