LILY LIN
Nail Artist
Published February 12 2024 for Issue 02. Interview by: Chandler Crump
Produced by: Daniella Bernal
Photography by: Chandler Crump
Photo Assistant: Roomaline Chemaly
CHANDLER CRUMP (CC): What is the logline to your craft?
LILY LIN (LL): I feel like my art…it’s all based in emotion. Any creative when they’re feeling something, it translates through whatever they're doing. For me, it differs from anytime seasons change, or if I see different colors or whatever, it will play off of that. That’s the best way for me to describe it.
CC: And would you say that’s singular to nail design, or what else do you do in terms of visual art?
LL: I was never formally trained in art. When I was younger, I was still good at art because my Dad was good at illustrations, and I also took Chinese calligraphy classes. That really helped when using the right amount of pressure and being really steady with your hand – little skills like that I was able to bring in [to] something I love doing. I didn’t even realize how much I enjoyed doing nails until the pandemic -
CC: Oh wow-
LL: I was doing them when the nail salons were closed.
CC: So entering your career, you started on yourself?
LL: Yeah, even when I was a teeneager, my best friends and I would do each other’s nails and I would still do designs with regular nail polish on them.
CC: With the flat tip [brush]? That’s crazy.
LL: Yeah, and it’s not the best thing to do but I remember younger, we would drop polish into warm water to suspend it, and then you can marble your nails that way-
CC: Oh, I remember that! You cover your hand in tape or something!
LL: Yes!
CC: I did that in middle school – it was butchered; that was the end of my nail career. There were toothpicks involved and the swirls!
LL: It was so crazy because the temperature mattered, the amount of nail polish you used mattered-
CC: Chemistry!
LL: It had to be perfect-
CC: Girls in STEM!
LL: Women in STEM!
CC: I’m so curious too – I know there’s such things as acrylic, gel, the UV rays, all that – could you tell us more about the process of deciding what type of materials to use? What goes into crafting a mini-sculpture on your nails?
LL: [Regarding polishes], when it comes to sculpting things, a lot of girls can use acrylic – I would say it’s not the easiest to sculpt things with because it’s a bit looser in texture and that’s why they came up with solid gel that you can basically use like clay.
CC: Is that dip powder?
LL: Dip powder is basically acrylic powder.
CC: I’ve been bamboozled.
LL: They marketed that really well, as healthier.
CC: Which one’s the fanciest?
LL: Definitely gel, because a lot of the Japanese and brand gels, they have a lot more resin in it and use fewer ingredients. It’s more concentrated, so it’s higher quality compared to things that dilute the different gels and turn them into hybrid gels.
If it comes to people choosing between them, it comes down to preference and if your nails need a stronger product and [product] not as hard as acrylic. Things can be sculpted with acrylic and gel, but it’s easiest [with gel].
CC: I’m thinking like, icing on a cake.
LL: Definitely gel. Acrylic would be way too tough. There’s an artistry in acrylic where you have to use just the right amount of liquid-to-powder ratio to make it look good and for it to not crack.
CC: So you use gel. And in terms of the designs, not just a solid background, how did you even get started and grow your skill level? Especially since those designs can be so so tiny.
LL: That’s a good question. I think it was just believing in myself.
We laugh.
LL: Like when you think you can do it, you do. It takes practice for sure. Some things I know I’m capable of doing. But if it comes to drawing characters, that requires a lot more breaking down of “What shapes do I paint first?”, “How do I layer this to make it look good?”.
CC: Especially since it’s so tiny, you only get one shot.
LL: Not always, with gel you can at least wipe it off. I can appreciate that.
CC: Wow, that’s insane. Did you practice on yourself each time [in 2020], or did you get the fake plastic nails to practice on?
LL: I practiced on myself most of the time. I wanted to know how fast I would be able to do it on my own nails. It’s different doing it on fake nails. Let’s say you’re just holding the magnetic piece, you put glue on top and then the nail, it’s different from having the side of your finger and [avoiding] the side of the finger.
CC: I used to paint my nails a lot but [my hands] would all just be covered [in polish], and I would be like “I painted my nails guys!” and it’s all on my fingers.
LL: With regular polish, that’s the best – you’re washing your hands and now it’s perfect.
CC: I would put my hand in the UV light and I would feel my skin burn because [the polish] is hardening [on my skin].
LL: You shouldn’t put them on your fingers because at some point you can get allergic reactions. It’s good the girlies are trying though.
CC: In terms of making a profit and the business of it all, how did you approach monetizing your craft?
LL: I started in the pandemic: I was doing it for family and friends, and because I got laid off everyone was down to pay me. It allowed me to practice and basically figure out what brand I like the most, and what I felt most comfortable doing.
CC: Were you in New York in 2020?
LL: I was, but I was also going back and forth to my Mom’s in Boston. I was spending a month at home and a month [in NY] and bounced back and forth until I started working again.
I started monetizing because people were willing to pay.
CC: Did you start @ClawYoEyesOut in 2020, or did you change your personal Instagram, if you had one, to that nail account?
LL: I stood ten toes down and was like “Let me get serious about it” – I wanted to make a logo, “You know what, at least this can be my portfolio, doesn’t matter if it’s shitty right now”. It was just like my nail diary, how I was feeling at the moment, what inspired me…photos of myself and what I was doing. So that’s how it started off, nothing strategic.
CC: The best things come naturally. It’s quite stressful when one is immediately starting social media or a business with the mindset of making money and growing immediately. Just focus on enjoying it in the moment before it gets too gilded.
So you posted on Instagram – were you part of a studio yet, or did you apply for jobs?
LL: I’m still so new in my nail career – when I started I was still working corporate and worked corporate up until December 2022.
CC: What job did you have?
LL: I reinvented myself each year I’ve been in New York, but I’m not bullshitting. I worked in a different industry – when I started I was working in fashion. My job dealt a little bit with design, but didn’t have to actually design anything. I left fashion and I went into tech working for Instacart doing their ads for beverages, which was fun.
LL: There’s definitely through-lines already – fashion and advertising – those are both still the creative parts of corporate worlds versus finance.
LL: And I never even thought of the jobs as a “creative job”, it just felt like work.
CC: Something you could do that got you money, but not the dream job.
LL: No. They just water down your idea when it comes to corporations. The most recent job that I had up until December [2022], I was doing all the strategic marketing campaigns for this photo and video editing app. We were able to do some cool things – I would work with companies on design elements, asset designs and even copy when I was “allowed creative freedom” – but I felt like a lot of these companies didn’t align with what my vision was.
CC: Who you are, I’m guessing as a person, even the dress-code at companies if it was in person and expression in general as an employee too-
LL: Girl I stuck out like a sore-thumb in any sort of office event. It was all remote except in fashion. Everyone else was white and I wasn’t and I was like “Now what?”
CC: There’s such a lack of diversity in every single industry, and obviously we as women of color, we know and we see that, but sometimes it’s just…so tiring as well.
It’s so interesting and so realistic that many people, including myself, get into our dream industry and job and still have to hustle on the side and do the corporate jobs and the day job. But also, have enough energy to put into our dream full-time job.
LL: [And now] I’m full-time in nails. December [2023] was so busy and I couldn't focus on doing any social media stuff, but now I’m getting serious about growing my nail business. I only started in a salon in July [2023], so a little less than half a year. Ultimately I want people to find me through social media anyway because the clients that come through the salon, some of them have really cool design ideas from time to time. But it’s not really my style.
I feel like for me, I like to be extremely excessive on nails: I like alot of junk, a lot of chrome, a lot of everything, bling bling. I just like everything to not look plain.
CC: I feel you. [On your current nails], I see some punk in these current designs. It looks like a mermaid. It’s giving Bibble from Barbie Fairytopia.
LL: That’s kind of how I see it, ethereal mermaid fairy bitch. But a bitch, not a sweet girl.
CC: Chrome gun in hand in Mad Max – if Furiosa was in the ocean!
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CC: Social media is such a great place [for businesses] – that’s how I found you as well!
LL: Which I feel extremely blessed and grateful for-
CC: I’m a fan! I’m so excited to see you grow. When I was in my nail era last year, I had all these people on my explore feed, so I was able to find you and saw you working at a Sandy Liang event which is so cool. Can you run us through your portfolio of fashion-editorial work?
LL: Once again, I’m so new. Sandy Liang’s fashion week show for Summer/Spring 2024 was my first time doing something for fashion week.
CC: Congrats!
LL: Thank you! I’m going to be at the Fall/Winter show that’s coming up [2024]. I was really lucky to get that opportunity from another girl I know – Jade, who is one of my friends (@wuwunails) – she's great. She is very close with Holly (@hollyfalconenails), who was the main nail artist leading that show. She’s been doing Sandy’s shows for many years, so that’s her go-to girl. I think being part of that team was really nice.
I’ve done Glossier with them too, and a couple pop-ups with HII magazine in Soho. I was able to do two pop-ups there – themed so it gave me a lot of room to interpret however I wanted.
CC: And this was all 2023?
LL: Yeah!
CC: That’s amazing, especially how recent it’s all been.
LL: It’s only been one year and after I got laid off from my tech job I was like, let me put this shit in full speed. I went to school, got licensed, took my exams and started finding a job. Did some really crazy shit I never thought I’d do, writing out all the goals-
CC: Manifesting! When you’re on the other side of it, you remember you wrote it down.
LL: Anytime I feel like I’m not accomplishing anything, I go back to reading what I set for myself.
CC: Especially in your first year. That’s such a feat as well.
LL: Yeah girl, it’s not easy.
CC: The hustle pays off!
CC: How would you describe your North Star?
LL: Time passes by so quickly that I’m trying to write down what I want to do for the next year. I want to immerse myself more in doing editorial stuff and doing things that align with my style more. Ultimately I love being at the salon because they focus on nail design. But as far as clientele, not all of them do nail art design which doesn’t give me enough. Which is why I do nails at my apartment.
CC: If you had unlimited funding, how would you use it?
LL: I would want to open a multi-use space. There’s so many things you can do along nails. My sister and I have spoken about this before, where you can have a gallery or creatives that can get together that is not pretentious like Soho house (who the fuck likes going there?). We want a space where we enjoy all of the same shit. No one has to be “important”.