Client's gone. Gloves are off. Let's talk.

 

Welcome to Nail BAbes: Gloves Are Off, the new interview series where we peek behind the polish with our brand ambassadors, the artists helping shape the F(VEX) world.

Part confessional, part creative process deep dive, part lunch break brain spill AKA “okay wait, let’s actually talk about this egg sandwich.”

First up? Certified weeb-at-heart Misha, an LA-based nail artist, anime set architect, and queen of “ugly-on-purpose” slayage. From claw nails to claw machines, from corporate life to Oscars glam, she’s lived a few lifetimes in just a couple years.

Welcome to the stage, Misha!

 

 

CURRENT OBSESSIONS?

Misha: Egg sandwich with a famichiki inside from Family Mart in Japan. I could quite literally eat it every day. I miss it so much.

(Can we just say... we're also emotionally attached to that egg sandwich now!)

WHAT DREW YOU TO NAILS? WHAT’S YOUR ORIGIN STORY?

 

 

Misha: It all started with nail biting. It’s been a bad habit for as long as I can remember. I started getting my nails done at salons so I couldn't bite them anymore. I always wanted to get cool nail art but wasn’t finding it at the salons, so I decided to buy a DIY gelx kit on Amazon and try it myself. 

It took me like 8 hours and the nails for sure popped off in like 3 days LOL, but I loved it! Then I found out about press-on nails and started making custom sets with a specialty in anime character nails as a side hobby/hustle.

1 year later I got the crazy opportunity (shout out to Narina!) to do nails for my first celebrity editorial shoots and even their nails for the oscars and that’s when I was like whoa, is the universe telling me to quit my job, go to nail school, & do nails for real??

So I did just that, and now here I am 2 years later doing nails full time, and it’s so crazy. I never thought I’d be doing anything other than my corporate job and definitely never thought I’d discover my passion.

Now I get to pursue my passion as my job! I’m so lucky and thankful to everyone who has supported me, my hotbeautifulsmartgorgeous clients, and everyone who continues to support me, looking forward to what’s in store next on this journey.

 

 

WHAT PULLS YOU OUT OF A CREATIVE RUT?

Misha: This is such a hard one because I feel like I'm in a creative rut every other hour of every day tbh LOL. I think maybe for me, my creativity seems to be tied to how full my cup is. As in, the less me I feel, the less I’m able to create and feel creative, and vice versa.

I always regain energy when I tap back into the people and things that make me feel like my true self again. Like FaceTimes with my family & best friends (they all live back in NY/NJ so im always missing them so much) and playing my favorite nostalgic games from childhood (Kingdom Hearts, MapleStory, final fantasy 13, Phoenix Wright, Zelda, just to name a few). when I feel like my real, authentic self is when I can create again <3

 

WHAT'S ON REPEAT THESE DAYS?

Misha: Besides the deep feelings of hollowness, nothingness, and depression (lol my bad I’m being real tho but pls feel free to not include that HAHAHA) once PinkPantheress’ album drops, it WILL be that.

(Girl, we could cut it… but also? That’s the realest thing we’ve ever read in a nail artist interview. Being a full-time creative in late-stage capitalism while trying to hold a paintbrush steady through an existential spiral? Honestly iconic. We see you. We love you. Let’s all disassociate to PinkPantheress together.)

WHAT'S YOUR CURRENT COLOR COMBO CRUSH?

Misha: As one of my beloved clients Paulina said, red & green in a non-christmas context goes so hard.

 

WHO'S THE DREAM CLIENT?

Misha: I would pass away, ascend into heaven, and be reborn anew if I got to work with XG someday. I also love PinkPantheress and her style so much, I would love to work with her! And lastly, any and all of the One Piece live action straw hat cast, hehe.

WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE?

Misha: I remember the very very first career dream I had at like, idk 5, I wanted to be an astronaut. LOL that didn’t happen, but I’m super into astrology and can read birth charts so close enough.

(So maybe she didn’t end up in orbit, but she can read you for filth via your birth chart and is channeling the cosmos through custom sets.)

 

 

TOP 4 NAIL TRENDS YOU'RE INTO RIGHT NOW?

Misha: I love a claw nail. I get really excited when I get to do them, so I can keep practicing. Getting the shape right is not easy, and I’m still trying to get my technique down. Tryna be like fellow F(VEX) BAddie Rachel, you know, LOL.

I love “ugly” nails, or sometimes I like to call them SFX nails— making them look bloody, dirty, grown out, bruised, etc. when ugly is intentional it’s a MAJOR SLAY. 

I also like doing inspo board nails, where you take a bunch of cool non-nail pics from like pinterest or anywhere and create a set that captures them. My clients and I freestyle those types of nails a lot. It’s always a challenge coming up with designs on the spot, but I really enjoy that process. Last, I can’t eva forget my roots— ANIME CHARACTER PORTRAITS! The weeb in me is permanent, and my skin clears anytime I get to paint an anime character on a nail.

 

 

THAT'S OUR NAIL BABE, MISHA!

Nail artist. Anime portrait queen. Egg sandwich evangelist. Living proof that the DIY girlie can go from Amazon kit to Oscars-level editorial in less than two years.

This is what we mean when we say artistry meets identity! No rules, just instinct and drive. It’s not about following trends, it’s about trusting your gut, pushing through the ruts, and creating work that feels like you, even when your brain is doing backflips.

 

 

 

Who’s next in the Nail BAbes files? You’ll see soon.

For now, we’ll be over here recharging our creative cups, bookmarking anime inspo boards, and figuring out if we can expense a plane ticket to Family Mart.