Students at Point Loma Nazarene University have created small businesses selling handmade jewelry, curated collections of thrifted clothing, and even offered their skillset to alter and mend clothes, but two first-year students have found a clientele seeking gel sets and painted designs. The two businesses are run straight out of their freshman dorm rooms.
Independent nail techs have recently gained popularity at PLNU and on social media. These campus nail techs have built a loyal client list of students, according to one of the techs Stella Carlson, preventing much competition throughout the semesters. They have started their own Instagram accounts to gain more customers while being full-time students.
Rea Reissner, or @pointlomanails on Instagram, is a psychology major with a minor in criminal justice who does nails out of Klassen Hall. Reissner has been doing nails for over four years and started on campus at the beginning of the 2024 fall semester.
“Everything I do is just for fun, and I started off just doing my friends’ nails,” Reissner said. “I’ve had a lot of fun. Girls want to get their nails done. I also have a few friends whose nails I do frequently on top of new people I meet, but I love talking to the girls and getting to meet new people the most. It’s also really fun to try new designs and explore my creative side.”
Stella Carlson, or @nails.by.stell. on Instagram, is an applied health major whose business is based in Hendricks Hall. She has been doing nails for about six years, but consistently for the past two.
“As a science major, it is so much fun for me to do nails because it serves as a creative outlet,” Carlson said. “It pushes me to work my brain in a different way and is just a really nice break from my academics. It is also really familiar to me because I have been doing it for so long, so there’s also a comforting element to it.”
A benefit of having independent nail techs on campus is that students without cars can get their nails done without leaving campus.
“The expenses it would take to Uber and go to a salon would cost so much more money and take way more time,” Violet Hentges, a first-year graphic design major, said. “On-campus nail techs, from my experience, are a lot cheaper than salons and might even do better designs.”
The two girls have a passion for doing nails on campus and their pricing methods differ from those of a typical salon. Carlson and Reissner both do Gel-X and gel manicures only, while nail salons tend to stick to acrylics.
According to The Essential Guide to Gel-X Manicures, Gel-X is a safe alternative to acrylic nails because it is free from harmful chemicals and does not damage the natural nails as much as acrylics do.
At Liberty Nails & Spa in Liberty Station, a basic full set of acrylics starts at $53 and a basic gel set at $42.
Carlson’s prices range from $30-$45, depending on the set and whether it’s Gel-X or builder gel. Gel-X is slightly more expensive, at $35-$45, and then the price varies based on the design details.
Reissner’s prices for Gel-X nails start at $20-$25 and increase depending on the added designs.
