Express Yourself From Tip to Toe

Serena Young, Director of Advertising
October 21, 2022

As with any accessory, nails are a great way to express oneself, whether that’s choosing to get them done or not. For the girls that want to glam up, here are a few nails to take inspiration from. The owners of these nails explain their personal preferences, how important nails are to an outfit, their craziest pairs of nails, and more. Everyone was so different, yet they all held one thing in common: their self-expression. Remember, it’s not the look that counts, it’s how you feel when you have it. 

(Above) Miya Okuda, grade 12, shares how she’s recently been doing two-shades on her nails. Her go-to nails are a shade of pink or blue, and anything with sparkles. This set reminded her of cherry blossoms, and she described them as, “Bright, sparkly, and fun,” adding how they reflect her personality. She would love to try storyboard nails and believes nails are really important because they, “Are one of the first things people will notice about you, especially when shaking your hand or when you’re moving.” When someone has nails as strong as these, they certainly are a great point of conversation indeed. All photos by Serena Young. (All photos by Serena Young.)
(Above) Sophia Maldonado, grade 12, picked this color since it matches her wine-colored Homecoming dress. She described it as, “Crimson, wine-mom, and cruel.” Her go-to colors are usually baby blue or emerald green, but they usually match the mood she’s in or the seasons. She likes pastels for the spring and a darker, moody color for the winter. Her craziest nails she’s had would have to be when she got a pair of neon green nails.
(Above) Nicole Dumois, grade 11, loves switching up her nails to, “Make them fun, creative, and have designs,” by transmitting her personality through them. She’d describe her nails as, “put-together, fancy-neutral, and creative.” She says social media will let her know which nails she’ll get and which ones to avoid. A pair of brown nails is something she’s never done before but looks forward to trying one day.
(Above) Kate Buckley, grade 10, saw her nails on Pinterest and thought it would, “Be fun to wear because my [Homecoming] dress is black so I wanted to match my dress.” She usually does bright colors, but this time she wanted to go more neutral, with her nails being simple, French tips, and plain. She always likes to pick something new and thinks neon nails would be cool for the right occasion.
(Above) Kolbe Madden, grade 10, doesn’t really go for patterns but this is the second time she decided to put a heart on her pointer finger. She told me, “I like to have black nail polish on all the time.” Her friends say it reflects her artsy personality, and she describes her nails as, “Messy, unique, and cool.” They match with everything.
(Above) Rianna Bissessar, grade 11, likes French tip nails but wanted something not as basic so she decided on this set which she describes as, “Creative, flowy, and pretty.” She doesn’t wear nails very often, but when she does, it’s mostly very simple and in neutral shades. If she wanted to try something different, she’d add some color to them. As for how important nails are to an outfit, she said, “It can add a little something, but it’s not really noticeable.”
(Above) Isabel Helfrinch, grade 9, found her inspiration on Pinterest where she normally picks something new every time. Her go-to nails are an ombre, from nude to white, but this time she described her nails as, “Fun, interesting, and simple.” Her friends say it’s Euphoria-esque. She thinks nails, “Aren’t really make or break, but it definitely adds just like a little something to finish [an outfit] off.”
(Above) Caelin Shafer, grade 9, was inspired by Hailey Bieber for her nails, which she described as, “Shiny, sparkly, and happy.” She wanted something to match her dark blue Homecoming dress, and thought it would help the color pop. Normally, she goes for neutral whites, but if she were feeling daring, she’d like to try, “Probably like hot pink. I love like the French hot pink tips.”