This week we caught up with Chyna Stevens, a nail artist based in Beverly Hills, California showcasing her talents at Chi Nail Bar and Organic Spa.

The Trend: Nail charms (also known as nail jewelry) are a great way to add shine, texture and drama to your manicure. Not to mention, they look pretty darn cute. In this case, nail artist Chyna Stevens went under the sea for inspiration and came up for air armed with unconventional trinkets to adorn her digits. Read on to learn more about this charming manicure.

EBONY: What inspired the design?

CS: I was inspired to do this design when I was shopping at a local bead store to make necklaces. I bought a bunch of necklace charms and ended up using them on my nails. I used the shell and crown charm to go along with my mermaid costume for Halloween.

EBONY: How did you create this design?

CS: I created the design using hard gel extensions (for length), glitter, gold net stickers, pearls, microbeads, acrylic (for the 3D starfish and bubbles), and I adhered the shell and crown with soft gel.

EBONY: How did you become a nail artist?

CS: I became a nail artist after a year of working as a receptionist at a high-end nail salon. I worked for my manicure license at Santa Monica College and that’s where I got to practice designs all day long.

EBONY: What do you feel is your artistic significance when it comes to nail art?

CS: I always use gel rather than polish to get more layered 3D effects. I like when nails match with jewelry, clothing and other accessories.

Loren Lee