Nails

Festive Nail Art By Expert Nail Charmer Sarah Nguyen

You may have noticed the epic nails in the Pat McGrath “Beauty Is Everything” shoot for the December issue of Vogue, the handy work of nail tech, Chrmd By Sarah, Sarah Nguyen. Originally from California but now based in New York, Sarah has only been doing nails professionally for a year and a half and is already being requested by legendary make-up artist Pat McGrath. Prior to going pro, Sarah worked in fashion retail. “Nails were kind of a hobby that I picked up. I was going through a break-up so I wanted to clear my mind and I thought: ok, I’ll just go to school and get the license. That was four years ago," she told us. "I then moved to New York and nails were still on the back-burner, and then last year I quit retail altogether and just dove right in.” On set, Sarah’s nail kit is extensive. Boxes and boxes of crystals and glitter and nail jewellery, most of which I’ve never seen before. She also introduces me to the KiraKira+ app, the sparkle-amplifying filter which lends itself very well to Sarah’s nail aesthetic. Her signature nails which are always long and almond shaped are so ornate and decadent that it seems fitting to show them off during the festive season. They might even spark the nail artist in you. The nails for the December issue demonstrated Sarah’s style and penchant for decadent nail creations. Model Leomie’s nails were a classic red, Sarah’s favourite nail shade. “Red is just so classic, it’s such a signature look and it always speaks power and volume. You could be dressed all in black and you could have a bright red nail and even if it’s embellished or not, it speaks volumes.” Leomie’s nails were "almost Art Deco-like" with a long rim of Swarovski bar crystals with metal rods and a half moon at the base. "They're like a pendant for a necklace. My nail designs are decadent, ornate, sculptures. Always with gold with some form of embellishments with Swarovski. I get inspired by so many different things. Gates and doorways that have decadent style. And jewellery, I love vintage jewellery and Faberge which is a really big inspiration and I’ve even been inspired by Queen Elizabeth’s jewels.” Although Sarah won’t divulge where she gathers all her incredible nail gems, crystals and jewels from - “you can’t tell everyone, everything!” - she does offer a bit of supply advice for budding nail artists. “A good starting point is Ocean Nail Supply online, they have so many different little studs and jewels and adornments for nails and you can also try Nail Labo, which is a Japanese company. These are the two main nail companies to start with as they have a wide range of nail accessories”. The rest is up to you. See more of Sarah's nail designs below.