From dorm room side hustle to full-on nail boss, Trin Nguyen is proving that passion and polish go hand in hand. Growing up in a salon, she mastered the craft early, but now she’s bringing bold, Gen Z-approved designs to campus. Juggling college life and business, she’s built a loyal following through social media, giveaways and seriously cool nail art. Whether it’s 3D textures or Y2K vibes, Nguyen keeps her sets as fresh as her ambition.
Trin Nguyen, a University of Miami student, has mastered the art of nails as she owns her own small business, Nails With Trin. Nguyen is no stranger to the world of nails. Growing up in a salon owned by her parents, she grasped the tips and tricks from a very young age.
Nguyen said she decided to take her knowledge and love of all-things-nails a step further when she began her business.
“[I] started in the dorms, but really started doing nails for money and publicly at the beginning of my junior year,” said Nguyen.
When the senior began her small business, Nails With Trin, she was given the creative freedom to grow as an artist, which contributed to the business becoming massively successful.
The beauty of the artistry in nail trends is that they are forever evolving.
“3D was never a thing until last year,” said Nguyen, explaining the fast-paced nature of nail trends. Now, she she finds herself doing 3D nails quite often.
Despite having clients almost daily, Nguyen hesitated to say whether she’s mastered nail art. She said there are always new products, techniques and things coming out for her to learn.
Nailing Design
A nail set might look incredible when it’s done, but it’s often overlooked just how much time and effort is put into such masterpieces.
“It depends on the level of intricacy,” said Nguyen of how long a nail set may take to put on. “It can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half for a simple set. Something more intricate will take somewhere from two to four hours.”
Nguyen said timing includes more than just the application and design, because she also always has to think about the removal.
“Averaging out the number, it would normally be about two hours,” said Nguyen.
One of the most important parts of having your own small business and getting good reviews is making sure you have quality products.
“Apres is one of the most common brands used for Gel X,” said Nguyen of the range of products she uses. .
Nguyen also said that along with using typical cotton and nail polish remover, she uses a lot of Korean products. “They are a lot better for you because they are paraben-free,” said Nguyen.
Nguyen’s success can be partially attributed to her mother acting as her built-in mentor.
“My mom will usually bring stuff like materials she can’t get here,” said Nguyen. “A lot of it is my stuff because my mom is very traditional.”
Some of the modern-day nail trends involve fashion’s newest influences.
Nguyen said she does what is considered very modern and “in right now,” as she puts it.
“I do very Gen Z, something that your grandmother wouldn’t approve of nails,” said Nguyen. “One of my favorite sets I’ve ever done has a lot of textures. I like nails with a lot of textures and 3D. I definitely like multi-color sets and I like doing pink because I love pink.”
Nguyen said her favorite design is cheetah print, and it’s one of her best talents.
Other creative inspiration comes from everywhere.
“Having a community of other nail artists my age helps me stay on trend,” said Nguyen. “A lot of young girls are starting to be nail artists, which I think is really cool because a lot of them understand modern art and pop culture references.”
Standing on Business
Being a small business owner in college, Nguyen invests lots of time and energy to create a well-rounded service. One of her biggest considerations is pricing.
“Pricing ranges from $35 – $115,” said Nguyen. “But if you economically break that down in Miami, it’s not bad for the intricacy of my work.”
Although Nguyen is trying to make an income, she said she still understands the struggles of being a college student scrounging up money wherever you can.
“I do try to keep remotely low prices for my clients and I try to keep in mind the economy and what other businesses are doing around me,” said Nguyen. “I know college kids don’t have unlimited funds.”
A fun way that Nguyen helps to promote her business and give back to the community is through giveaways on her Instagram page. For her giveaways, she gives her clientele special prizes or free nail sets.
There are always highs and lows when it comes to running a business, and Nails With Trin is no different.
“The cons of being a small business owner, especially when you’re in college, is separating business from friends and empathy of learning people’s stories and still having to charge them,” said Nguyen.
It can be difficult to manage a social and personal life while running a business all by yourself. Managing, cleaning, posting and setting up are only some of the intense processes she accomplishes all by herself. One of the most financial and time-consuming aspects, Nguyen said, is investing in materials herself.
There are plenty of benefits to running her own nail business, and Nguyen gave some insiders on what those are.
“The benefits are getting to meet so many girls I never would have been able to meet, and it’s also very rewarding when people come,” said Nguyen.
One of the most impactful ways that this happens is when girls are happy with her work and share it with other people to spread the word of her business.
“I make a lot of friends from it, like my roommate is my roommate because I did her nails,” said Nguyen. Now, Nguyen said she’s “like a vault” from all of the gossip her customers tell her.
Keeping the business growing is no easy task.
“I’ve grown a lot of followers on Instagram the past year. I have like 700 followers and I usually gain a few people each week,” said Nguyen.
She uses social media platforms to help gain customers. “Since I started I have had a little desk in my room and a lot more customers and products. I get about 10 DMs a week from new clients.”
Starting a business can be scary, especially if you feel like you don’t have the right advice or guidance.
“I would say just go for it. I would have never thought I would be doing so many nails and meeting so many girls,” said Nguyen. She continued by recommending to know your worth and be confident. “Nails is a form of art and if they don’t like your art they can go buy from someone.”
“I plan on keeping this forever and maybe opening up a studio in the future and maybe doing famous people’s nails,” said Nguyen.“I think I’m addicted to doing nails because of the art side of it.”
Now, she has at least one client a day that she fits into her busy schedule. As much as she enjoys doing nails and growing her business, she keeps her aspirations in the present despite her future goals.
words_lucy-carlson pietraszek. photo_valeria barbaglio & leah bahamonde. design_sal puma.
This article was published in Distraction’s Spring 2025 print issue.
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