The Making of New Moon Nails

Once a dream, now a reality.

I started this business officially in 2021, finally putting a name to the serious hobby of nail art I'd been into all my life. When shutdown hit in 2020 and all the nail enthusiasts realized they couldn't get into their techs (or secretly met with them...) I knew it was the time I needed to really take my hobby more serious and start exploring with more official materials than just regular lacquer.

Being an artist since I could grip a crayon, I had a decade of formal training in art from a young age and later was the leading manager of a pottery studio and painting instructor for a while through teenagehood and young adulthood. Making art has always been intrinsic to who I am, and a crucial part of girlhood is the art of nail painting. I got really into it, originally using books and magazines for inspiration on my nails, then later with YouTube's arrival began watching nail tutorials and art compilations. I had a thorough Nail board on Pinterest, and a little booklet of sketched ideas all stashed for my next manicure of the week. I felt like I had mastered regular nail lacquer, and could paint anything I wanted.

With adulthood, there came new YouTube tutorials from big creators I'd been watching for years about this new Kiss acrylic kit available everywhere. They made it look so easy... And I gave myself the greenies on the first attempt. I decided, "This isn't for me, clearly!" and stuck with lacquer for another six months. But my nails grew out, I learned more, and decided to give it another attempt. That time it was a little bit okay, and I decided to keep practicing. Eventually I bought some gel and started doing gel manicures, then cheap Gel-X knockoffs, and up from there. Practicing on myself, my family, friends, and friends of friends on Facebook, I realized I needed to get licensed if I wanted to do this for real.

My nail art popularity locally took off fast during my time in cosmetology school. I was fully booked in school, doing so many clients a day I had to do book assignments at home because there wasn't enough time. Then I started practicing on people at home, too, or just on a fake hand whenever I could after school. I put all my available hours into improving my skill. I even joined the local Skills USA competition, won, then went on to State and won, and then got third place Nationally; it was an incredible experience. Once I graduated I got a small single suite, and was immediately booked without trying. My heart was full, and I was always motivated to keep getting better.

I got so booked that I expanded, renting a full quarter of a building for the room. I added employees slowly, a year and a half after opening the expanded space. It felt like I blinked and I went from a single person show with not enough time to fill all the bookings to a full-blown professional nail salon with five employees who also work so hard and are incredibly skilled with full books. I felt so blessed, so fulfilled. I started being able to lessen my hours by giving some of my clients to my employees, and take more time to focus on maintaining the salon- but before I could really relax, I experienced sudden intense worsening of my chronic illness symptoms. I could no longer hold the e-file responsibly with a client in my chair.

Being forced into pausing my nail art broke my heart, and I became a recluse (even more than usual). The devastation made it feel impossible to step foot in the salon at all, even just to check on my girls. I was so lucky to have such an incredible family to help lift me up, reassure me, take me to so many doctor appointments, and emotionally nurse me back to (somewhat) health. Armored with newfound answers and medical treatment, I started coming into the salon more after missing it for so long. I knew I couldn't give up my love of nails, but I couldn't do it the same as before.

Luckily for me, I'd always planned on opening a more official luxury press-on business! I just ended up being forced into it quickly, rather than building it up over time as I'd planned. However, I can roll with the punches quicker now, and I'm doing all I can to make this dream a reality while learning proper work-life balance this time.

Now I'm happily making wearable art, just for you.

Thank you for your time and care.