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She’s nailing it.
Kassie Payne, 34, quit her full-time job to become a press-on nail art designer, which now earns her up to $1,800 a week.
The Bristol, England-based mom started out creating Disney-inspired designs as a hobby, but when people began to inquire about the intricate designs, she was encouraged to take her pastime full-time.
“I’ve quit my old job completely and decided to sell stick-on nails,” Payne told SWNS. “It never feels like I’m working, I’m just doing my hobby every single day and getting paid for it.”
She discovered her passion for art at a young age, but had to put it on the back burner when she became a teen mom at 17.
“I always was good at art growing up,” she admitted. “My whole life, I’ve been good at it, and I did art at college.”
She left the craft in the past and prioritized her time with her son. Years later, during the pandemic, Payne was able to rekindle her love.
“I started doing my own nails and got good, and then I started painting pictures onto my nails,” the young mom explains.
Payne started designing more press-on nails and showed off her technique on her TikTok account, @nailzbykass, which has nearly 24,000 followers.
She gained popularity after posting a series of Johnny Depp portraits that went viral on the popular social media app.
“It’s made me feel so much happier and helped my mental health as well,” she said.
Whenever people inquire about purchasing a set from the Bristol resident, she lets them know her work is more than press-on nails.
“I just say that I’m not selling nails, I’m selling art you can wear on your nails — that’s the big difference,” she said.
That sentiment allows her to charge up to $1,000 for a full set — which typically takes 45 hours to complete. She sells her art in frames, making it appear as collectible pieces.
“I’m best known for my magic color-changing nails. I did a Snow White set where the mirror reveals a face when heat is applied,” Payne said.
As a lover of Disney, she’s curated nails inspired by Mulan, Little Mermaid, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.
“The Sleeping Beauty set is my favorite that has sold,” she admits. “I do hate when people buy them because I have to let them go.”
Payne’s elaborate nail design has garnered a large social media following of interested buyers.
“98% of the comments are positive and encouraging, but I always get a few comments asking who would pay that for nails,” she shared.
Unbothered by the naysayers, Payne has expanded her business beyond press-on nails, to design equipment such as brushes, display boards and other essential tools to help others execute their own nail art.
“It’s like a hobby that I’ve turned into a job,” she said. “I absolutely love it and am never going to stop doing it, ever.”