Look and Listen: Kelsey Lu

If we’ve learned anything from the show so far, then we should know that that is absolutely true. Natalie Minerva, aka Nail Swag, is the celebrity nail artist who is bringing yet another layer of personality and depth to the beloved series.

Behind the Euphoria cast’s perfectly primped and polished nails actually lies a macrocosm of meaning, and office sat down with the mastermind behind it all to get the details.

How did you get started with nail art? I know it takes a really steady hand, so did you have an interest in other forms of art before?

I was definitely always an artsy kid growing up. I wasn't big on TV or video games. I really was more interested in painting and making things, so that's definitely always been a part of me. And my whole family's like that too. My mom has always been that way. My grandma and both my sisters work with their hands too. One of them is a makeup artist and the other one is a chef. So it kind of runs in our blood. But originally, I started doing nails kind of selfishly. At the time, I was going to school and I didn't have a lot of money — but I wanted cool nails to go with my outfits because I worked for this really big party. It's called 'A Club Called Rhonda' and it's very eccentric, gay, straight, trans — just kind of a mixture, a mish-mosh of people. So I always wanted to bring it when I was there. I started doing my own nails and posting on Instagram and I started garnering some interest from friends and stuff. I thought, 'Maybe I should go to nail school and do this as a side hustle.' Then actually that year at Coachella, I was talking to a friend and they said, 'You should just go for it. You should do it. You love doing this.' And I thought, 'I really do. I can't stop thinking about doing nails.' So at Coachella I actually called my dad and I quit college and I went to nail school. And that was that, that was it. That's how I started Nail Swag.

That's amazing. But that's how it goes with anything that you're passionate about. Like you said, you couldn't stop thinking about it. That's when you know that you kind of just have to make that jump.

Oh, I was obsessed. And even to this day, I mean, I've been doing it for 11 years now. And I still feel that way. It's crazy. It's a really fun job. I get to work with so many different kinds of people and I get to make art every day. And I think making art in the traditional sense, like physically painting something or drawing something, is sort of more rare these days. Most art is in the digital form, so doing something in a more traditional sense is really cool to me. It brings me a lot of joy. And it brings other people joy too. It's a feel-good job.

How would you describe your artistic vision or just your general approach to nail art in three words?

In a very simplistic way, 'Read the room.' And what I mean by that is, when I see a person I immediately am trying to pick up on their style and their personality. I'm not gonna give hot pink nails to a girl who is kind of goth-y and wears a lot of black. It's really important to interpret their taste. That's another three words I'd use to describe my approach too — ‘interpret their taste.’ Another three words would be, 'Just have fun.' It should be fun. It should be filled with joy, you know? I always try to be in that mindset when I'm coming up with stuff and also talking to the person and interpreting what it is that they like and what they're feeling.

And I think that’s what makes this medium of art so unique. As you said, there's so much freedom to do out of the box things — especially now that you're working on Euphoria. When you're approaching these designs for the characters in the show, do you usually already have an idea in mind for a certain character or is it more of a collaborative process between you and them?

It's super, super collaborative. Alexa has such a creative mind. She and Barbie — and all of them — they know their characters best. So I really listen to what they have to say and their input. They always come up with really great ideas and then I'll kind of take that and we'll put our own spin on it. So usually, I'll make a few samples and then I receive guidance from them. They'll say things like, 'I like this one the best,' or 'Can we combine those two?' And, of course, Donni has input as well, and Sam, the director and creator. So it's really such a team effort. It's great because there are things that maybe I wouldn't have necessarily thought of myself, but when I get input from the actors and the team, new things come up. That's what the goal is, right?

Other types of art, like painting, can be more internal processes. It's an independent process most of the time — but this is so different. The cool part about this is that your canvas is someone who also has beneficial contributions. It makes these ideas come to life even more because you have many different minds working at it.

Clients, all the time, bring new concepts to me and I'm like, 'Oh my God, I would never have come up with that and it's epic.' I love it. And that brings new creativity to me as well. It's really a symbiotic relationship.

And I know even prior to Euphoria you've worked with other celebrities for red carpet looks and for editorials, but how did it feel joining the Euphoria team and starting this new chapter?

Oh my gosh. It's so gratifying and awesome because not only is it such a creative show, but everybody that I work with is amazing. Alexa has been such a good friend, truly. She's someone that I trust and she's a good person, and Barbie too. I mean — all of them, they're all amazing. That's been what I'm most grateful for. Not only do I get to create really interesting designs, but I get to work with people that I like and that I vibe with, and that's the ultimate goal — always, with any job. Working with people that you really appreciate and respect.

I read that you watched Season One of Euphoria and something that stuck out was the lack of nail art present, and how that was something you thought you could help with. Especially since it's a very artistic show. They're very focused on really displaying the style of each character and putting these powerful Gen Z trends at the forefront of fashion. So on that note, why do you personally think nail art has become something so synonymous with Gen Z style?

I think Gen Zs are really good at noticing and noting the details of things. And I think that might have something to do with their upbringing, because of them having more exposure to technology earlier in life. I mean, even Millennials, I'd say, are not as good at that because we kind of lived this half-life. The first part of our childhood had zero to do with technology. And then the second half had everything to do with technology. So it's kind of like we're in this sort of mid-zone, but with Gen Z, that's not the case. I think that they enjoy breaking these things down; I've noticed that on Tik Tok and stuff. Someone mentioned, in a radio interview I heard the other day, they called Gen Z the 'I Spy' generation. I thought that was really great because that makes so much sense for them. And I think Gen Z in general, with their style, they're a lot more exploratory and they're colorful. They're a very colorful generation. So nail art makes sense for them.

Definitely. You talked about 'the details,' and I think a lot of what your work is about is the details and the nuance and very small things that maybe sometimes you wouldn't even notice. That's something I really wanted to talk about because I love Euphoria. I'm literally about to watch tonight.

Oh yeah. Me too!

I'm very excited. Something that really stands out to me about this new season is how much growth we see in each character. It's not just one of them. It's all of them. That's a lot of what Season Two is about — showing that growth. How do you show that through your art with each character? Are there certain things that you feel like your work is heightening or showing to the audiences that are watching?

Definitely. For instance, with Cassie, she's going through a lot of transitions — clearly. Not necessarily positive ones, but she's going through transitions. And so with the nails, we kind of wanted to add a little more glitz and glamor for her. Because I think she's paying more attention to that part of herself — whether it's in a positive manner or for a boy or it's for herself — that's happening. Same with Maddy; she's finding her own self right now.

Yeah, she's kind of going the opposite direction.

Yeah, she's weaning away from the codependency with Nate and she's finding her own voice and her own identity. So the nails reflect this sleek, sexy independence. That's how I felt about it. And when talking to Alexa about it, we both wanted it to feel unique for her character.

Speaking of looks in Season Two, do you have a favorite nail look? Maybe it's something that we haven't seen yet?

I do have a favorite nail look and it is coming. There are actually two that I'm really, really in love with. I'll just say this — both are on Maddy. She brings it, you know?

I mean, everyone loves Maddy's style. She's always the style icon, so I'm ready for the nails.

One of them is like an Alexa brain-child, and it came out so cool. I love it. But you'll be seeing it soon. You'll know.

Okay. I'll make a mental note — I'll remember when watching that we talked about this.

You're gonna know....you're gonna know.

You're at such a pivotal moment right now, being a part of the show, and there's probably so much more growth down the road. How do you plan to continue growing in your work and just bringing new things to the table?

Well, first of all, I'm doing a collection with Mani Me, which is those stick-on gel stickers. That collection's coming out in March and there will be a Euphoria-inspired one, which will be really fun for the fans. I'm also doing a Coachella one, which will be really cute too. And yeah, I think for me, it's just about continuing to do really unique and creative work. That's what fuels me. Maybe some educational stuff too. Sometimes I think that the nail industry kind of lacks good education, so I've always wanted to do that, but it's never really been quite the right time because I'm so busy. Beyond Euphoria, I do Demi Lovato, I do Halsey, I do Paris Hilton. I'm constantly bouncing around from house calls. I also have this idea — I'm in the works of it right now — of doing a nail art exhibition at some point. And doing it properly. Doing it service. I just think that a lot of people look at nails as just beauty and I want people to look at nails as real art, you know?

Yeah. There's so much that goes into the process that I feel like a lot of people just aren't super aware of. That's why circulating educational information could be a really interesting concept.

It's definitely a plan. I'm talking with Apres Nails about doing some education with them.

Well, I'll look out for that. I need to learn more about it too. I love the creative aspect behind it, but I'm so bad at doing my own.

It takes time, it really does. Whenever I talk to beginners, I say, 'Just be patient with yourself.' My greatest advice is, if you are interested in doing nail art, try to do something nail art-related every day. And that doesn't necessarily mean doing nails, but maybe also looking up new trends or tutorials or just seeing what's going on in the industry at the moment. I think that's so important. Keeping up with the current styles is huge.

I think one of the most intriguing parts of Euphoria is that it almost predicts trends before they happen. The makeup, clothes, nails, hair — it all is projected by the show before we even see these trends forming in real life.

I think it has the potential to be one of those very iconic shows and Sam is just so creative as well. He makes the scenes so cinematic; it's almost like you're watching a bunch of movies which I think is super cool. It's definitely a generational marker.

Take a peek inside Natalie's inner workings through viewing some behind-the-scenes Euphoria photos below.