How did you get into the business?

“Ever since I was young, my family members would always ask me to paint their fingernails/toenails and I would agree to it if they paid me. I always found it super fun to do and I could make a quick buck doing so. My aunt used to take classes on how to prep and paint nails when she was working in the beauty industry and I picked up some tips and tricks from her while doing her nails. But ultimately, YouTube was my teacher.”

How long have you been doing nail art?

“There and half years.”

Complete this sentence: “When it comes to creating nail art, my speciality is …”

“Re-creating anything my clients ask me to do – be it their birthday dress, a painting that they love, or even a random rock they had found on the floor.”

Where do you draw your inspirations from?

“I draw my inspiration from my clients and the random objects they bring to me to re-create. Some of my favourite nail accounts are Nails By Tav (@nailsbytav), @nails.biab, and 2 Good Texas (@2goodhandstx).”

How would you describe the nail art scene in Singapore?

“I tend to follow more of the Western style of nail art by practitioners from Europe and the States which is not very typical in Singapore yet as most Singaporeans tend to lean towards styles established in countries like Korea and Japan.”

What are the hottest nail trends right now? 

“I would say the hottest nail trend would be the aura nails, where you airbrush colours onto the nails to make it look like an ombre aura. I try to add more texture and depth in my interpretation to make the nails more interesting.”

What’s the most challenging nail request you’ve had?

“If I am being very honest, the simpler the nail design, the harder it is to do. For example, an ombre nail from pink to white is very difficult to make the colours look perfectly graduated as any small detail would be very obvious. Another example would be a simple French manicure – it looks easy enough but any small line out of place would affect the entire design.

I focus more on over-the-top and complicated designs because they are unique and you would not even notice if anything is out of place. They’re also unique as I can never redo the same design for another person, as each design has its known personality and can never be replicated. ”

What is one nail art design you’re most proud of, and why?

“For a period of time, I was known to create marble effects nails and one of my more popular designs was a dark marble nail that resembled a labradorite stone. It’s actually a design that I randomly experimented with by mixing some gels to get the marbled texture.”

What is one nail care routine we should never neglect and why?

“A lot of people moisturise their hands but do not pay attention to moisturising their nails. Everyone should keep a small tube of nail oil beside your bed and apply on all the finger and toes before you sleep; once a day is enough. The reason why you put the nail oil at night instead of the day is because in the day we are constantly washing our hands due to Covid and there is not enough time for the oil to be absorbed into the skin. When we’re asleep, it gives enough time for the oil to fully moisturise our nails. Nail oil is important in helping healthy promotion of nail growth and strengthening of nails. Not only that, it also prevents the cracking of skin and hangnails.”

Are there any requests that you won’t take?

“I do not do feet and if there is fungus under the nail.”

How do customers make a booking with you?

“Customers can make bookings through the website located on my Instagram page (@inailforfung).”

How did you get into the business?

“I was either in kindergarten or primary school and I had found a little bottle of clear nail polish hiding in the back of my mom’s makeup shelf. I remember I would sit on top of the table and every day I would secretly put on a layer of clear polish on my nails – looking back my mom probably knew what I was up to! Thereafter, from the age of there, my interest in nails grew even more.

I guess I just picked up the skill from YouTube, especially the account CutePolish which was my all-time favourite at the time. From then until now, everything I’ve learnt is more or less from – it isn’t much you can’t learn from the site really.”

How long have you been doing nail art?

“I probably started doing nail art when I was in primary school – I’m guessing it was maybe in 2007 when I was in Primary 2. I remember trying to film some nail art tutorials back then. At the time, I would only use regular nail polish since I would only wear nail polish on the weekends as I had to remove them for school the next day. As of late 2020, I began experimenting more with gel polishes instead.”

Complete this sentence: “When it comes to creating nail art, my speciality is …”

“Cute and fun 3D nail art.”

Where do you draw your inspirations from?

“Mostly Japanese nail artists that I’ve found on Instagram or Youtube. I really respect their artistry when it comes to nails. Many of these nail artists specialise in a certain type of nail art/style and really focus on honing their skills. So while I think some people may think that their work can get repetitive or too niche, to me it really shows that they are good at that style and they own it.

There are some nail artists who are also super wacky that I look up to. They are Eichi Matsunaga (@eichimatsunaga) and Tomoya Nakagawa (@tomonyan55) on Instagram. Their nail designs have a lot of biomorphic forms that are incredibly unique and they often work with brands for fashion shoots and runways. Hopefully, I’ll get there too one day… “

How would you describe the nail art scene in Singapore?

“I think it’s growing. More and more people are starting to get interested in nails. For example, learning how to do nails or getting their nails done. Even when it comes to photoshoots, I think there are stylists or photographers who are becoming more aware of nails as a stylistic choice.

However, I would say that I’m not very familiar with the Singapore nail art scene as I mostly surround myself with nail content from countries like South Korea and Japan. I do this because I know their craft is the level I want to reach and to see how amazing their designs are shows me how much I am still lacking and where I can improve. I think that in itself shows that there is a gap between Singapore and cities like Seoul and Los Angeles.

Nonetheless, I’m not saying there aren’t any good nail artists in Singapore. I’ve found some nail artists that are really good at what they do. Some are really fast and still give A+ quality designs and I’d love to get my nails done by them. So I think it’s more about giving us time to grow, allowing people to find their style and encouraging boldness and uniqueness in nail art.”

What are the hottest nail trends right now? 

“I have no idea what it’s called but a trend I’m seeing is nails with a lot of 3D forms. The other would be nail art that looks like someone had just vandalised your nails (but tastefully done), with either bright and colourful colours or monochromatic tones. They can be little bit edgy or a little bit of kitsch depending on how you look at them. Check out Jenny Nail (@y_yjenny) on Instagram if you have no idea what I’m talking about.”

What’s the most over-the-top nail request you’ve had?

“The most over-the-top nails I’ve done was for a photo shoot that was supposed to represent the idea of men wearing nails and I had to create these really long press-on nails. I didn’t know where to get such long-press on tips so I had to attach half tips onto the full tips I had. It had these large beads probably the size of an Eclipse breath mint and the colour scheme was black, silver, bright orange and blue. It was definitely a super wacky design I randomly came up with it because I had bought these beads from Daiso that looked like Konpeito sugar candy and since I hadn’t had the chance to use them yet, I just thought ‘Oh! Why don’t I just stick them all on the nail!’.”

What is one nail art design you’re most proud of, and why?

“I have a few favourites. But maybe this Valentines Day set? Generally, I like all the press-on designs I’ve done as I’ve put a lot of time and effort into designing them. I guess these press-ons really fit the theme for Valentine’s Day while not being too predictable.”

What is one nail care routine we should never neglect and why?

“To be very honest, I don’t really do nail care. However, I do think that caring for your nails could come in the form of treating your nails gently and not being rough with them. Try not to use your nails to pick at things or use them to push or hit things. When pressing buttons, use your knuckles instead and if possible, don’t expose your nails to too much dishwashing soap. Moreover, I think forming good habits and being gentle with your nails are far more important than taking fancy steps to care for your nails.”

Are there any requests that you won’t take?

“Usually, I try not to reject requests. But if it’s a design that I am unable to do because I don’t have the materials or if it’s too difficult, then I would have to say no. That said, if it’s a design I think I will have difficulty in, what I do usually is to have a think to see if I can create a similar design that may still be within my abilities. I will accept the request and practise before the client’s appointment.”

How do customers make a booking with you?

“I post nail slots on my Instagram story and monthly highlights (@shnaillss) so that customers can just send me a direct message to book their desired appointments.”

How did you get into the business?

“For years I have been getting my nails done by home-based manicurists every month. It’s all self-taught for me! My friends and family encouraged me to experiment on them and I learned many techniques from YouTube and Instagram Reels.”

How long have you been doing nail art?

“I’ve only been in this industry for a year.”

Complete this sentence: “When it comes to creating nail art, my speciality is …”

“Experimenting with textures, colours and patterns.”

Where do you draw your inspirations from?

“Russian manicurists, paintings, and the auras/energies of my clients influence me greatly.”

How would you describe the nail art scene in Singapore?

“Singapore’s scene is relatively undeveloped. Nevertheless, there are upcoming manicurists pushing boundaries and venturing into the scene.”

What are the hottest nail trends right now? 

“There is no doubt that full chrome nail sets are among the hottest nail trends right now. I embellish them with an excessive amount of pearls and rhinestones.”

What’s the most outrageous nail request you’ve had?

“There’s no doubt that this set (top right) is one of my favourites. There are so many delicate finishing touches added to the nails, from tiny charms to pearls. I also love the length and shape of this set. Simply put, it’s got an editorial look with a dose of swag and finesse.”

What is one nail art design you’re most proud of, and why?

“This is my favourite set (top left) I’ve ever created in my whole year being a manicurist! The gradient, the blooming gel effect and the silver chrome spikes, are some of the reasons I love it so much.”

What is one nail care routine we should never neglect and why?

“Apply. Cuticle. Oil. Everyday. It helps with nail growth and cuticle care! Trust me, it works like a charm. Your nails will become healthy and strong in no time.”

Are there any requests that you won’t take?

“I do not do pedicures. I’m too scared to touch other people’s feet…”

How do customers make a booking with you?

“Customers can simply make a booking by clicking on my booking site linked on my Instagram account (@nailsndaggers).”

How did you get into the business?

“I began doing my own nails as a hobbyist and then decided to venture into opening a business to provide affordable nail services to others. I picked up the skill through watching how other people do it. I would try to do it on myself and my friends to perfect the skill.”

How long have you been doing nail art?

“I started officially doing nail art in Sep last year.”

Complete this sentence: “When it comes to creating nail art, my speciality is …”

“Quirky and colourful designs.”

Where do you draw your inspirations from?

“I get inspired by graphic designers, artists and Instagram nail artists like Noelle Fuyu (@noellefuyunails) and ‘S of Made Misaki (@made_misaki).”

How would you describe the nail art scene in Singapore?

“The art scene in Singapore is growing – growing in a way that we are creating art through different forms and/or skills, consistently bringing art to customers of all ages.”

What are the hottest nail trends right now? 

“In my opinion, the latest nail trends are Korean nails and Y2 K-inspired nails. Yes, I would say I put my own spin by changing the designs or colours according to what my client prefers, or even adding on some elements if the design calls for it!”

What’s the most outrageous nail request you’ve had?

“The most outrageous design I’ve created is sculpting poisonous 3D frogs on all 10 fingers (top right). My customer had initially requested spiders, but we decided to go for the frogs because it looks quirky. The frogs were hard to shape and it took us four hours to complete but it was worthwhile.”

What is one nail art design you’re most proud of, and why?

“A design that I am proud of is a milk carton-inspired nail (bottom left). It is inspired by a graphic designer on Pinterest. I wanted to give up halfway through the appointment because there was so much detailing involved. But we pushed through and the design looks original and pretty.”

What is one nail care routine we should never neglect and why?

“We should never neglect to apply cuticle oil on our nails! Cuticle oil helps rejuvenate, strengthen and thicken your nails. It is the way to go if you want healthy nails.”

Are there any requests that you won’t take?

“I will never take anime nail requests because I don’t watch anime. I feel that nail artists who watch the genre can provide the details of anime nail art better than I can.”

How do customers make a booking with you?

“Customers can hop over to my Instagram page (@qquirkynails) and drop me a direct message for appointments.”

How did you get into the business?

“I started doing my own nails to save money. At first, I was a regular at another home-based salon. Back then, without a part-time job, sustaining my nail art routine was not affordable. So, I bought cheap materials from Taobao and Shopee and started to experiment with them. From there, I practised on myself and on my friends. When my skills became better, I opened my practice up to the public and started charging at an extremely cheap rate of $7 for classic manicures and $30 for extensions.”

How long have you been doing nail art?

“I started doing in August 2019 and it is my third year of doing nails professionally.”

Complete this sentence: “When it comes to creating nail art, my speciality is …”

“Hand-drawn nail art.”

Where do you draw your inspirations from?

“I enjoy taking nail inspiration from other nail artists such as Yeswhat Nails (@yeswhatnails), Manami Blum (@mananails) and Rose B. (@rosebnails) on Instagram.”

How would you describe the nail art scene in Singapore?

“The Singapore nail art community is rather small, therefore designs can come and go quickly. The scene here also consists of all sorts of style, ranging from cute Korean nail art to long stilettos with giant bling.”

What are the hottest nail trends right now? 

“In recent times, French tips have made a comeback. Instead of classic French tips, I like to add on some small drawings such as a heart in the centre or go a little extra by adding gemstones or pearls to accessorise the nails.”

What’s the most challenging nail request you’ve had?

“I once had a client who requested a full set of hand-drawn cartoon frogs on every nail. The designs were really intricate and the whole set took over three and a half hours to complete.”

What is one nail art design you’re most proud of, and why?

“It’s got to be the nail set I mentioned above since the outcome turned out really great.”

What is one nail care routine we should never neglect and why?

“Cuticle oil prevents the cuticle from tearing and peeling, which can be really annoying especially when we work with our fingers a lot. It also improves the overall health and appearance of your nails.”

Are there any requests that you won’t take?

“I would avoid doing ombre as much as possible, as I find it hard to achieve the desired outcome. Often the ombre either looks very uneven and patchy, or the set will take hours and hours as I struggle to perfect the blending of every nail.”

How do customers make a booking with you?

“They can make appointments via the ‘Book Now’ button on my Instagram page (@daisyynail)!”