Nailed It: Euphoria's Nail Artist Natalie Minerva is More Than Meets the Eye

February 07, 2022

HBO’s mega-hit Euphoria has kept us all glued to our screens, making the past few Sundays exhilarating — and, of course, a bit anxiety-ridden, as we watch each character sink deeper into their personas, for better or for worse. We’re collectively wrapped up in the thrill of it all, so much so that we may overlook some of the central creative decisions that truly propel the plot.

Maddy’s vintage couture outfits aren’t just extremely well-informed stylistic choices, but a reflection of her tough “I’m that bitch” outer shell. Labrinth’s immersive melodies aren’t just pretty background tunes, but a way to instill even more emotion into each raw scene. When it comes to Euphoria, the nuance has always lived in the details. But perhaps some of the most unsuspecting details are the most monumental — perhaps even a manicure can tell an entire story.

Interview by Kayla Curtis-Evans
Photos Courtesy of Natalie Minerva

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 just think that a lot of people look at nails as just beauty and I want people to look at nails as real art.

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.

Beauty

Kindred Black: Love for Our Mother

Throwing factory-produced recipes and excessive packaging to the wayside, the ethical beauty and scent brand collaborates with herbalists, farmers, and expert perfumers to create sustainable perfumes and cosmetics — while also marrying the worlds of art and beauty through their one-of-a-kind hand-blown glass vessels. Because beauty is truly an art, and we should decorate ourselves as worthy canvasses. office sat down with Kindred Black’s co-founders to discuss their unique process below.

What originally spurred you both to introduce a disruptive, apothecary-esque brand to the beauty scene?

Alice— I think it’s kind of age-old: I had this need in my own life and couldn’t figure out a way to fill that need in a way that aligned with my values. We’re both makeup and skincare lovers but with packaging being what it is, there was so much we didn’t feel right buying. We wanted an alternative where as much thought is put into the packaging as it is in the ingredients, where every single element of the line is considered.

Jen— We always said we’re not going to be the “please recycle this plastic bag” type of company — that’s such BS! Companies need to invest in alternatives so the public isn’t left guessing how to make their products more environmentally friendly. We spend a lot more money than we would have to if we just mass-produced bottles overseas and bottled up some pretty skincare. But we’re super anti-greenwashing — we want our behind-the-scenes to be 100% true to the ethics and values that we put out there to our community.

Your packaging — artisan-crafted glass bottles — really takes thoughtful production and consumption to the next level.

Alice— When we initially set out to design the collection, we envisioned a vanity with beautiful vessels, no branding, just pure oils and scents in colorful shapes and silhouettes. Life is already so cluttered; we think of the beauty routine as a quiet time, a private, sacred space. The entire line is plastic-free and every single item in the collection comes in an individually handblown glass vessel. Behind each bottle is an artist blowing out the glass, one by one. They’re not producing mass quantities; everything is designed to be treasured.

Tell me about the Kindred Black community. Not only do you work closely and travel to meet farmers and herbalists, but you also partner with artists and artisans for your one-of-a-kind glass bottles. What does this community mean to you?

Jen— They’re everything for us and we couldn’t have such a special line without them. We’ve met such extraordinary people doing this — a chemist turned perfumer who only creates using ancient methods of extraction with the flowers and plants that she grows. An herbalist that specializes in Sonoran Desert flora. Glass blowers from all over the country who show their work in museums and create our bottles one by one like unique sculptures. Even a collective in Mexico that creates bottles using glass from residents and restaurants because there is no municipal recycling. They all have different specialties, but our community shares a set of values when it comes to our planet.

You also mentioned that the brand is historically rooted. How does the past inform every scent, cosmetic, or rich skin serum?

Alice— We’re both hugely into history and just curious people. When you start to look into it, some botanicals have been used for thousands of years to heal and scent the skin and as primitive cosmetics and ‘medicine,’ dating back to the earliest civilizations. People have always used what’s around them for beauty. Our formulas all start with who used this plant, what for, and whether or not there is a good reason to still use it on the skin. For example, our Aker Fassi lip and cheek pigment is a recipe that makes use of a dried poppy flower that North African Berber women have used as makeup for centuries. It’s a beautiful, flattering shade of berry red and we were just so taken by its place in history.

What is your favorite scent you have created to date?

Jen— This is hard — I love Earthly because it’s just so different from anything I’ve ever smelled. It’s like grassy damp moss and violet leaves but also has a lot of lilac enfleurage in it. Not many people use real lilac because it’s incredibly difficult and time-consuming to make and has a more subtle scent than say a jasmine or a rose. But real lilac is incredible and complex.

Alice— Delta Dawn is my current favorite. It's a classic floral rose but has real depth to it — an underbelly. The star ingredient is a night-blooming Damask rose that’s harvested before the sun rises. You can smell the cool night air, but also the warmth and muskiness of the jasmine oil, known as the perfume of love.

How does art play a role in Kindred Black? Many of the handmade bottles sold are antique or vintage-inspired. Where did that shared interest spur from?

Alice— We’re both big collectors, verging on hoarders, and have shelves and boxes full of trinkets and treasures we’ve picked up over the years — everything from piles of shells and rocks to antique Lalique perfume vessels, antiquarian snuff bottles, folk art liquor jugs, and on and on. We often find ourselves using an old glass piece as a jumping-off point — or a piece that we’re lusting after in an auction or Museum catalog. The halls of The Met are filled with incredibly beautiful glass perfumes and cosmetic tinctures that have survived millennia. Pre-plastic everything, in the early 20th century, many cosmetics were refillable and came in the most exquisite packaging — lipsticks in sterling silver canisters, blush in bejeweled compacts. They were practically pieces of jewelry. We like to think of our bottles as precious objects that people will hold on to and cherish as the years go by.

You just launched your refill program. How do you hope this sways the wider beauty industry?

Jen— We were really excited to start doing refills for our skincare — like I said, our bottles are like little, individually made sculptures. We chose aluminum for the refills because the necks are wide enough to clean the bottle out and aluminum is the most easily recyclable material. We’re hoping that if a tiny company like ours can spend the money and do it, more of these million and billion-dollar brands will start paying attention to their footprint. They have such power to create real change, it’s heartbreaking so many of them choose to sidestep the opportunity.

Tell me about one of the strangest ingredients you have worked with.

Jen— We made a light summer perfume and skin treatment once to benefit the Ocean Conservancy and infused the ingredients with sea salt from the Sea of Cortez. Not a strange ingredient but it definitely gave the scent a unique profile. We once gathered large sacks of rose petals from the world’s largest rose bush that sits inside the courtyard of an old hotel in Tombstone, AZ. We had a lot of grand ideas for it but the petals couldn’t be cleaned well enough to be made into anything marketable, so we had to give up on it. Sometimes these experiments fail!

Alice— Maybe the strangest right now is quite widely used for cosmetics by everyone from Chanel on down because it’s a safe alternative to chemical dyes. The rich berry red of Night Venom is from a pigment that is made from the cochineal beetle, an insect native to parts of North and South America. It’s actually a stain that has been used for centuries – Cleopatra is said to have ground up the beetle in beeswax to achieve her renowned red lips. The Aztecs also used the pigment for dyeing and painting, and it was then brought back to Europe with their Spanish colonizers.

You just celebrated eight years. What do you hope is in store for the next few and how do you hope to continue revolutionizing the beauty space?

Jen— We’re always looking to make things less wasteful in everything we do. There’s always room to improve. We’d like for our line to be 100% refillable and are working on bottle design tweaks that would make that achievable. We’d also love to expand the glass operation down the road and begin recycling our own glass. Our mantra is “love for our mother” and it informs everything that we do.

Beauty

It's Good, it's Weird, it's GoodWeird

December 04, 2023

It’s Silly Bandz, Japanese denim, Maui Punch Pixy Stix, the model "dressed as the giant fur ball at the Christian Cowan show,"; it’s the highest compliment. Founders Jon Wormser and Stephen Yaseen have coined the term “Good Weird” to celebrate the beauty found in being athentically and uniquely yourself, as out there as that may be.

From the “Back from Vacay” bronzer to the “Balmy Weather” stick, Good Weird understands that beauty can be defined by universal experiences rather than conventional standards. Creative direction by Maui-born skate icon Evan Mock ensures that the brand takes a genderless, inviting approach to cosmetics. In our conversation with the trio, we delved deeper into what makes something truly good and weird.

Interview by Soph Lucina
Photos courtesy of GoodWeird

Sophia Lucina— Hi, I’m so stoked to have you all here. I’ve been loving your brand for a minute now. So, give me the rundown.

Stephen Yaseen— Yeah, well I’ve always been super into skincare, and on the beauty side, one of my first favorite products was this tinted sunscreen. It kind of introduced me to the idea of having a beauty product that also acted as a skincare item, something with immediate payoff. That was my conduit into me realizing that beauty doesn’t need to be reserved for a subset of people.

Jon Wormser— I’ve always been one to experiment with beauty products, which meant stealing products from my mom’s makeup … I was always wearing things incorrectly [laughs]. But that led me into this world we’ve built where beauty doesn’t need to fit the heavily pigmented, complicated product … something that doesn’t require a bunch of tools to use. Good Weird was founded out of frustration with the current product offering.

Evan Mock— For me, my earliest memory of using beauty products has to be when I was growing up in Hawaii and applying Shiseido sunscreen before going surfing and being on the beach.

SL— I think one thing that immediately stands out to me about you guys is how you’ve infused pop culture into your brand approach. What’s that been like for you?

JW— Well, obviously when we’re serving consumers like Gen-Z, it would be remiss to leave out pop culture. I think some people might see our branding and ask, “Why are there skateboards and surfboards?” ... for me, that’s the antithesis of mainstream, we wanted to emphasize that Good Weird is all about embracing your own shit, not letting societal structures and norms set expectations for what you should do.

SL— For sure. I can tell you bring in a certain crowd of people, and it’s dope. If you could tell me, what was the first idea you had for Good Weird?

SY— Yeah, so we wanted to go forward with this idea of minimizing the footprint of a product by combining a bunch of steps together, so it’s the concept of infusing skincare and low-pigment beauty, for a “beauty routine in a bottle”. Operationally, that concept didn’t actually work at first, so we ended up focusing on the “white space” in the beauty world, for people who are curious about entering a world that might not feel so welcoming.

JW— And that’s been the fun part for Stephen and I. We’ve gotten to experiment with how much pigment goes into a product, how much of a serum goes into a product. We’ll chat like “Well, I didn’t see much of [blank] at the store,” or “I like [blank] concealer, but it’s really intense,” and be able to share our ideas towards creating something new. We really jive when it comes to product development.

SL— Especially because you guys don’t have a precedent to go off of. You’re building something that we don’t see.

JW— Right, we’re trying to create a new lane. If we’re going off the beaten path, then it’s important that our products reflect that.

SL— How has the process of creating a “genderless” beauty product been? Why is that important to you guys?

EM— There really aren’t any other options for everyone that exists, until now with Good Weird. It's important that all aspects of life are inclusive to all, but also, who doesn’t want to look good?

SY— I think that the products that are super pigmented, part of “transformative” routines … don’t necessarily have to do with gender, even so we wanted to make products that anyone can feel comfortable using. With anyway you identify, from a gender perspective, everyone deserves to have beauty products that are accessible.

SL— I see. A less intimidating approach, so to speak.

SY— And of course, historically, the cohort demographic for the beauty industry is overwhelmingly female. So it’s really about giving everyone an intuitive, simple product with a low barrier to entry.

JW— A big barrier to entry for me growing up was having to use all these tools. If you look at our products, there are no tools required. Additionally, the way we’ve named our products — yes, “Back From Vacay” is a bronzer, but the name of the product is more emotive. It’s less intimidating to tell your friends, “I use this Good Weird product, called 'Back from Vacay’, instead of 'I use this bronzer.'"

... historically, the cohort demographic for the beauty industry is overwhelmingly female. So it’s really about giving everyone an intuitive, simple product with a low barrier to entry.

SL— For sure. These experiences “Balmy Weather”, “Back From Vacay”, aren’t gendered experiences. You’ll see other beauty products be labeled “Pure Seduction”, “Afterglow”, which evoke these sensual, intense, suggestively feminine experiences.

JW— And it’s not that we don’t like those words. But it’s all about making our products less intimidating. All of our stuff is buildable and sheer, so it can be another step in your routine, or it can be the main star.

SL— Evan, you’ve partnered with Jon and Stephen on creative direction. What's that been like?

EM— My job is to give the people what they want — do it with excellence and have fun doing it along the way. It’s been a great few months with Jon and Stephen, and the word is traveling fast.

JW— Evan was a muse to the brand before we even started working with him. He embodies the whole concept of “Good Weird”, he’s someone who can skate all day then wear a corset to a fashion show later that night. He also holds an amazing place in fashion and culture, and we wanted people in those spaces to feel open to trying the world of Good Weird.

SL— He’s someone that I can actually see reaching for these products, too. As the creative director, are you frustrated with any aspect of the current beauty climate?

EM— Yes, I think the general public’s view of what beauty is, needs to change. People need to realize that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes; it's also subjective.

SL— Subjective, yes. My last question for all of you — what’s something you’ve been recently thinking of as very “Good Weird”.

SY— Oh, yeah, let me think. Definitely what we’ve been posting on Instagram, the 90s vibes are very Good Weird, like those AI-generated yearbook photos.

JW— I’m trying to think of any moments from fashion week that stood out, even.

SL— The model dressed as the giant fur ball at the Christian Cowan show is very Good Weird, the smiley Collina Strada show — all of it.

JW— Exactly.

EM— Japanese denim, pickled mango … eating sunflower seeds with the shell still around it.

SL— Yes, heavy on Japanese denim. Even pickling your own vegetables?

JW— Any brands that feel like a nod to nostalgia. JNCO for sure.

SY— Anything that brings you back, anything that feels welcoming.

JW— Dippin’ Dots!

SL— Oh my gosh, and those spiky, jelly pens. I just saw a ring that was made out of that rubbery, jelly stuff. Well, you guys have created this great community, and I’m so excited to see where it goes. Thank you for taking this time.

SY— Thank you!

JW— Thank you.

EM— Thanks!