From sets done by students on campus who provide nail services to trendy design inspirations taken from Pinterest, nail art is one of the many ways Andover students express their individual style. The Phillipian interviewed students on the different designs they have and what significance they play in their life.
Charlotte Tang ’27
“[My nails are] short almond nails with [a] hot pink aurora design, white stars, and silver gemstones. I got them done one or two weeks ago. I got this design because I was looking at Pinterest for nail inspo and I saw a couple of ideas like aurora nails, star nails, and gemstone nails, and I just combined them together because I thought it would be cute. I got them done by a senior here at [Andover], Nadia Vargas [’25].”
Jac Gordon ’25
“I did a base of purple gel and then [a] silver design with a star [on] one of my nails, and then a silver spiral. I always like to get different variations of the same shape and style, so I always do a purple color scheme of sorts with some sort of star design, so it’ll either be a star in a different color or a star in a different shade. With this one, I really wanted to keep the same kind of purple color that I normally do, but do a star and a spiral. I just keep the same base and do different variations of the design. When I’m choosing my nail designs, I know that I’m gonna do purple, so I look up different nail art designs on Pinterest.”
Morgan Hsu ’26
“[My nails] are a nude pink color with a cat eye design, so the salon uses a magnet tool to create a metallic effect. I take a lot of nail inspiration from my mom because she always has her nails done, and she was telling me to try cat eye designs for the longest time and I finally did it so it feels special. They use some sort of nail polish with tiny magnets in it and then they use a tool to make the magnets go in a certain shape or have a certain effect so it looks different depending on the light.”
Wendi Ying ’25
“[My nails are] all very different. There’s stars and cherries on mine and then there’s [also] an animal print. I got them done two weeks ago. These are one of my favorite nail sets that I’ve gotten thus far in my life. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on it, and they’re kind of funky [and] a little bit more complicated than I would usually get, but it’s really fun. I like expressing myself through my nails. I’m actually really particular about what I like on my nails, but I have a huge Pinterest board of nails and this one was what I’ve wanted for so long, but a lot of places can’t do it. So then this time around the lady was like ‘Yeah, I can do it for you.’ I got them done at Lily’s Nails downtown, but you have to ask for the manager, her name is Nancy.”
Amina Gormon ’26
“My nails right now have a tortoiseshell design and then one finger has a 3D flower on it and the other one has drawn on flowers. I got them done right before I came back to school from winter break. They kind of show my personality, and I like to choose my nails based on the things that I know were happening in the term. So [in] Fall Term, I chose blue and silver nails because, you know, go big blue, and also because I wanted my first day of school outfit to be silver and blue. Now I wanted a more wintry, laid-back [and] relaxed vibe that can go with any of my like warmer outfits which is why I chose brown and light pink instead of doing a bright side of colors.”
Zadie Robinson ’26
“My nails have a soft pink base with golden flame accents, tiny rhinestones, and there’s a heart pearl on one of my nails on each hand. I got them done on my birthday, and in a way it felt like an act of self celebration. There’s something about taking time for yourself even in the smaller ways. It felt like a way to treat myself without really going overboard, and it’s something pretty but still subtle enough to wear everyday. If it wasn’t for Ellen [Mueller ’26], my friend on campus, I don’t think I would’ve ever gotten my nails done. She’s such an amazing presence on campus and I’m very grateful for her and she always talks about how safe people feel when their hands are being held and pampered, and it’s true there’s something about being present at the moment that feels really special.”
