After learning how to do nails through YouTube tutorials in eighth grade, senior Sakura Lopez (she/her) started designing a new set of nails for herself every one to two weeks. When she first started doing nails, she used press-on nails from a drugstore. After that, she eventually started doing designs on clear press-ons. She finds most of her inspiration on Pinterest and enjoys the coquette aesthetic, which features soft colors, bows and pearls.
“I love doing gradients, or like a gradient glitter on the tip,” Lopez said. “That’s really fun. I’ve done gingham patterns, I’ve done little cherries, I’ve done strawberries on nails. Just a lot of very cute designs.”
Simple designs usually take Lopez around an hour to create, and more complex ones with many charms can take three to five hours. She currently uses gel polish — which requires UV or LED light curing — on her natural nails, which she said she prefers to press-ons.
“A lot of them pop off when I did press-ons,” Lopez said. “But since these are my natural nails, and I can grow them really long, I don’t have to worry about them falling off. I mean, they’re literally on me.”
Recently, Lopez started making sets for
her friends. She doesn’t charge them, although she said she’s considering it. Recently, she designed a set for senior Tiara Roy with a red gradient, bow and pearl charms. To make the gradient, she applied thin coats of gel polish and used her fingers to blend. “I love doing other people’s nails because, Tiara, she told me that she got so many compliments and that I did a really good job,” Lopez said. “It’s just making other people happy with their nails.”
Lopez has loved fashion and nail art since she was a kid, and as the vice president of fashion club, she incorporates this love into the club. After high school, she plans to pursue cosmetology to learn how to do hair and makeup while continuing to do nails.
“I think getting ready is one of my favorite parts of my day. It seems like a lot — spending three to five hours on my nails — but I enjoy every little bit of it,” Lopez said. “You know the term ‘flow’ where you can do something for a long period of time and not be bored? I think doing nails or doing my makeup is definitely one of the things I can do forever.”
