“What nails should I get this time?” is a question you may ask or hear from your friends.
From self-expression to self-care to self-sufficiency, nails serve many purposes in students’ lives on campus. Many students have their own unique journeys with and ideas about nails.
One student who regularly gets her nails done is Bella Kaplan, a freshman social and behavioral science major.
“I painted [my nails] a lot as a child, and then I kind of was anti-girly for a while, and then my freshman year [of high school], I got them done for homecoming, and I never went back,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan’s sister, Ava, was her source of inspiration for getting her nails done.
“I always saw [Ava] with really cool and pretty nails because she has a very artistic style of expression and I was like ‘I want to do that too,’” Kaplan said.
Mary-Gail Smith, a freshman a diplomacy and international relations major, has also been getting her nails done for a while—since she was in middle school.
“I think I started getting acrylics in maybe eighth grade because my mom was like ‘Okay, I’ll let you get acrylics,’” Smith said.
Smith’s mother is her source of inspiration, as she has gotten her nails done for as long as Smith can remember.
“She’s very supportive of my nails,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, Rachele Bifulco, a sophomore political science major, started getting her nails done right before coming to Seton Hall.
“Something about the new environment kind of just made me want to take care of myself a little bit more,” Bifulco said. “It made me more confident.”
South Orange is home to many nail salons, including Zoe Nail Salon, Vinny's Nails, and Jinny Nail Salon. Although there are nail salons in the area, some students opt to do them on their own, like senior psychology major Andromeda Tong.
Tong started getting her nails done when she was 16 years old for her prom. She “used to go to the salon every month or so” before she learned to do them herself with gel strips.
Each new set of nails takes Tong about an hour to complete, a time in which she can decompress and listen to music.
“I love the time of reflection,” Tong said. “It’s nice to just dedicate something [to] yourself.”
Unlike Tong, many students do not know how to do their own nails and rely on nail technicians for their designs. Angelic Dominguez, a senior criminal justice major, is one of these local-student nail technicians.
Dominguez started doing nails during her freshman year of high school when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“At first it was just for my own purposes and then I started to expand,” Dominguez said.
Now, doing nails is one of her main jobs, and she does them four times a week, which she posts on her Instagram.
Olivia Cirillo, a junior exercise science major, is another on-campus nail tech who also started doing her own nails during COVID-19. About a year ago, she started doing other people’s nails 2-3 times a week.
“I love the new connections and friendships it has brought me,” Cirillo said.
In terms of picking out nail designs, Smith, Kaplan, and Tong all pull ideas from various sources, including TikTok and Pinterest. On the other hand, Bifulco prefers to spontaneously choose her designs when she arrives at her nail salon.
“It’s fun to change things up every couple of weeks,” Bifulco said.
When picking out nail designs, Smith advises others to simply do what they want to do.
“Don't let others dictate how you do your nails—how you live your life,” Smith said.
Kaplan believes that people use nails as a form of self-expression and treat them like accessories.
“I know a lot of people get nails according to their personal style,” Kaplan said.
From the nail technician's perspective, clients’ nail choices say a lot about them.
“Different nails tell a different story,” said Dominguez. “Long nails, short nails, simple designs, more intricate designs, etc... it’s all a part of who you are and how you want to express it.”
"I also love being able to see other people’s personalities through which nail design they choose,” Cirillo echoed. “The shape, length, and design can surprisingly tell me a lot about someone.”
Nails show Smith’s creative side.
“I like to stand out, and I like to do things differently,” Smith said.
Nails also say something about how she puts herself together. “[They are] a part of that first impression that people get of me,” Smith added.
Bifulco also noted how her nails are part of how people perceive her.
“I feel like people get a certain idea of me based on the colors I wear [on my nails],” Bifulco said. “Sometimes it’s a conversation starter, and I make friends that way.”
Not only do nails portray a person’s personality, but they also help people feel more put together, as Smith alludes to.
“Nails may seem so minuscule and insignificant, but [they] really can elevate your look,” Smith said. “It can mean a lot to a person just to have their nails done.”
Tong feels similarly, as she says, having her nails done “feels nice.”
“Something small can make you feel better,” Tong said.
Tong’s nail advice for other Seton Hall students? “Go get them done!”
Carly Hunter is a writer for The Setonian’s Features section. She can be reached at carly.hunter@student.shu.edu.
