Check Out Sarah Nguyen’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Nguyen

Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I know over our last interview with you all, I had mentioned briefly how I ended up in NYC and doing nails, yet never disclosed the match that lit the fire. This was back in 2013 after going through a serious break up. We had been together for 6 almost 7 years, which at the time I thought I was in love. Yet, both of us were heavy into partying (going out every night, drinking, doing drugs – coke, ecstasy, mushrooms) and really being in the scene in LA. The best way I can describe the relationship would be that we were like water and oil. Both components have their own benefits, yet they never go well together. There were a lot of areas that both of us played a part in the relationship that was toxic, yet we were young and in love. Towards the end of the relationship, he had been sleeping with my best friend, which was the straw the broke the camels back. At the time I didn’t have the understanding, yet God had been tugging on me to wake up for some time so eventually it had to get to this point. God didn’t force it to happen, yet he allowed these areas to continue so eventually I would be able to speak on it, knowing that He had his hand on me the whole time. After taking some time to move back home with my parents, I started a new job, went to nail school and ended up in NYC for 10 years.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t believe life is ever a smooth road, yet I believe everything happens for a reason. It can be a narrow road contingent on where you’re headed. I believe all of life’s experiences are the best teachers. They truly can make or break you by the choices you make. When I had moved to New York, I had taken a huge paycut with this new retail job (making $400/week before taxes) which was not sustainable at the time, so I was doing housecleaning for my bosses’ apartment, working full time with this fashion brand and doing a few extra hours a week with Glam Squad. I wouldn’t call them struggles, I would call them humbling moments. A lot of my experiences were based off of choices I had made, either going with my gut, or going against it. Either way, I look at everything as a lesson or blessing.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a nail architect, artist, manicurist & creative. I am known for not only my CHARMS (sculptural adornment on nails) I am known for my client experience, working well with natural nails, focusing on cuticle work & nail health. Oh and being a coffee enthusiast. My friends and clients know me for my at home CHRMD Cafe… back to nails … I’m known for my charm-work, using high quality crystals and hardware. A lot of my clients have called me Jacob the Jeweler for how I create and design my sets. Keep in mind, I don’t pre-plan my designs and no one taught me how to do these build-outs. It all came from God and him flowing through me. I don’t want to say I’m proud, per-say, yet I am honored and humbled with my work and where I’m at. God gave me so many gifts and talents, that I give it all to Him for where it’s taken me. When you look back through the history of nails, and you see how and where it started in America, culturally you see who was wearing nails as well as who was doing nails. Nails have always been around and been a thing, especially since I come from a family of Vietnamese immigrants who were working in the nail salons. Yet the way I place my hardware, crystals and charms is different from how others do it. When you look back through photographs and even when you google images of nail art with hardware, crystals and charms from the 70s, 80s, 90s & early 2000s and you won’t find any aesthetic that looks like mine. When you work in the nail industry, and you know who’s aesethetic belongs to who, you know their specialties. For example, Astrowifey in Chicago is known for her beautiful hand painted motifs. Theres nothing she can’t paint on a nail. Spifster also from Chicago, is known for her mixed media & deco line work. Especially her bananas and pixel work. Ohriginails for her acrylic and her geometric hand painting. Asabree for her pigments, colorplay and handpainted patterns. The list goes on.

Work I’m grateful for has to be when I was featured in the Museum of Modern Art alongside Dapper Dan as well as being published in different fashion magazines (Vogue, Elle, L’Official, etc) having different advertising jobs and campaigns. More recently, since 2022, I’m most thankful for being able to work for Vera Wang. I’ve had A LOT of doors shut in my face and a lot of people for years saying my nails were too much or its too over the top, so the first campaign I did for her, she wanted the works for not only the models, but herself. Mind you, I was flabbergasted at the time. This was my first job as lead for her, and she needed 7 sets of nails (all CHRMD out) and I didn’t have any of them prepared. She & the photographer Til, walk up to me (mind you I’m calm cool and collect on the outside, but the inside, I was low key nervous) and she was so excited about my work. They both were giving me my praise and she said “In all the years I’ve been in fashion, I have NEVER seen anything like your work. This is art. You are a real artist” and I was fighting back tears. In those moments, I know what it is that I offer and I have heard these from my friends and clients, yet for someone of her caliber especially when I had been told no so many times from so many other fashion brands, this one was one of those moments.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Apps… love some good Tik Toks and Instagram reels, especially when you create an algorithm that caters to the things you admire. Books…I stay reading the word. I always have my bible app ready to go when I have some downtime, I read and meditate on scripture. It keeps me grounded. There is literally an answer to every sense you may be experiencing. If you ever have moments of doubt, uneasiness or areas of needing to feel uplifted and empowered. I go to scripture. Jesus really is my Lord & Savior. Since following Christ and allowing him to change my heart, I’m able to do anything. Where I was at before and how I used to do things didn’t allow me the peace that I have now. In addition to that, I’ll of course go on walks, grab coffee or listen to some old school music and change the atmosphere or I start creating nails or making croc charms or start CHARMING out some things!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chrmdbysarah.com
• Instagram: CHRMDbySarah
• Other: TIKTOK CHRMDbySarah