Why We Started Curio Nail

If you’ve ever wondered why we’re called Curio Nail, the answer is actually pretty simple.

“Curio” means something curious, interesting, or a little unusual. And honestly, that is exactly how we felt when we first started playing with press-on nails.

There was something weirdly fun about being able to sit down, try on one design, take it off, try another one, and then another one.

In five minutes, you could try on 10 different styles and suddenly realize that the design you thought you would love wasn’t actually your favorite at all.

And then you find the one.

That little feeling of discovery is what Curio Nail is about.

Nails should be fun. They should feel like trying on clothes, jewelry, or a new pair of shoes. You should be able to experiment, change your mind, and find something that actually feels like you.

Not sit in a chair for two hours wondering if you made the wrong choice.

The Real Reason I Started Curio Nail

There are three founders behind Curio Nail, and I’m one of them.

For me, the idea started from something very simple:

I was tired of nail salons.

I was tired of making appointments.

I was tired of spending hours sitting in a salon.

I was tired of paying a lot of money for a design and then realizing halfway through that I didn’t actually love it.

And I’m a pretty picky person.

There were so many times when I looked at my finished nails and thought, Hmm... this isn’t really what I wanted.

But because someone had already spent all that time working on them, I felt awkward saying anything.

So I would smile, say thank you, pay, leave a tip because that’s what you’re supposed to do, and walk out with nails I didn’t even really like.

It sounds like a small thing, but after doing it again and again, it became exhausting.

And my relationship with nails actually started long before Curio Nail.

I’ve loved doing my nails since middle school.

For years, I changed my nails around twice a month. Sometimes even more if I got bored with a design.

I loved how a new set of nails could completely change my mood.

But eventually, my natural nails started paying the price.

They became thin, fragile, and incredibly easy to break. Sometimes I would run my fingers through my hair and a nail would catch and break.

It made me anxious because I knew I was damaging my nails, but at the same time, I really didn’t want to give up the feeling that came with having a fresh manicure.

That was when I started taking press-on nails seriously.

I had known about press-ons for a long time, but once I actually started using them regularly, something clicked.

I could still have beautiful nails.

I could still change my style whenever I wanted.

But I didn’t have to keep putting my natural nails through the same cycle over and over again.

So during my final year of high school, I started using press-on nails while letting my natural nails grow and recover underneath.

Slowly, they became healthy again.

And honestly, that changed the way I thought about nails completely.

Then Curio Nail Became More Than Just My Idea

The other two founders of Curio Nail have been there with me throughout this whole process.

They’ve constantly challenged my ideas, given me new creative inspiration, and helped us figure out how to explain what actually makes our nails different.

Sometimes I’m focused on a design.

Sometimes they’re focused on how it feels on the hand.

Sometimes one of us thinks a style is perfect and another person immediately says, “No, something is missing.”

That back and forth has become a huge part of Curio Nail.

We never wanted to simply sell another box of press-on nails.

We wanted to make something that people actually enjoy discovering, trying on, wearing, taking off, and coming back to again.

By the end of last year, we had sold more than 10,000 sets of nails.

I still think about that number sometimes.

10,000 sets means at least 10,000 pairs of hands have worn something we created.

Someone wore them to dinner.

Someone wore them on vacation.

Someone probably wore them on a first date.

Someone might have put them on at home at midnight just because they needed something to make themselves feel a little better.

That is probably the part that means the most to me.

Curio Nail started because I wanted a better way to do my own nails.

Somewhere along the way, it became something much bigger than that.

And we’re still figuring it out, one set at a time.

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