Beautician’s ‘crazy’ nail art takes 14 hours to create — and can cost up to $1.8K

A beautician spends up to 14 hours painting a single set of nails with intricate 3D designs — and says her most expensive set cost a whopping $1,800.

Lisa Kim, 27, started painting nails in 2022 but would initially only use block colors.

She soon realized to get noticed for her work she’d need to think outside the box and began creating incredible designs including an afternoon tea set, an ocean-themed design and a “Wicked” theme.

Lisa can spend anywhere between two to 14 painstaking hours on each intricate design — which she usually comes up with on the spot.

Clients pay anywhere from $110 to $140 an hour for her work.

Lisa, from Melbourne, Australia, said: “When I first started doing nails, I knew I wanted to be the one known in Melbourne for doing crazy designs.

“It did take a lot of work to get to this point.

“Fortunately, I am very lucky to have clients that trust me.

“When I first started, I was doing very simple designs, I was doing what everyone else was.

“I realized that what I need to do to be different is to think outside the box with my designs.”

Lisa launched her business three years ago after quitting her job as a table games dealer in a casino.

She took part in a nail course and quit her job without having any clients.

Lisa said: “I don’t like being simple or plain, I like shocking people.

“I started right out of COVID — Melbourne had a big lockdown so I started doing nails full time.”

Lisa says she doesn’t practice her designs — opting to do them for the first time with her client.

She asks the client what color or theme they’d like and usually gets given free rein to do what she wants.

Lisa said: “Most of the designs you see on my clients are the first time I am ever doing it.

“I wing it on the spot.

“My usual appointments will take around two-and-a-half hours.

“The longest appointment I had lasted 14 hours.

“It was ocean theme with a lava lamp effect, every finger had a different sea animal on.”

Lisa said she finds a lot of inspiration for her designs through watching old Alexander McQueen runways.

She said: “I take a lot of my designs from fashion runway pieces, especially Alexander McQueen.

“His old runways are very dark and edgy, his fashion pieces tell a story and I am trying to do that through nails.

“Doing nails is my creative outlet, it puts my mind at ease.”

On average, Lisa will take on one to two clients a week. 

Lisa said: “In a good month, I will earn $8,000 to $9,000 with nails, social media and brand deals.

“The majority of my income comes from nails and nail art classes I teach.

“On average, I will have one or two clients a week and the rest of the time I spend doing social media or working with brands.”