By Kalena Reynolds | Staff Writer
Business owner and nail artist Minah Reynolds started pursuing her passion for nails when she was just 16 years old. Now, Reynolds has a unique niche of clientele she loves to serve — Baylor acrobatics and tumbling.
The girls began working with her four years ago after a recommendation from senior tumbler Aliyah Kaloostian. Each team member has unique preferences and flair that Reynolds flawlessly executes.
“[Kaloostian] was the first person that liked her, and then she said that she regretted giving her to us because now our whole team uses her,” sophomore tumbler Payton Washington said.
What makes Reynolds’s business unique is the pricing. While most nail salons charge based on material and design, she charges based on length.
“She’s super flexible, she knows that we’re super busy too, so she works with that and our practices and our needs,” Washington said. “So she’s great, and she’s amazing. … She’s so good at what she does, she can literally just look at a picture and just draw it in like an hour.”
While the team requests all sorts of nail designs, from charms to plain polish, Reynolds’ specialty is hand-painted intricate designs.
“I’ll normally get some gold, some white when we’re getting closer to, like, natties. And for more meets, so it’s matching, but right now they aren’t matching at all,” Washington said. “But everyone does different stuff. For Disney, I did Stitch nails, and she drew Stitch on there. So she really can do anything.”
Reynolds’ original love for design came from an early love of painting and art, which she transferred to nails to create one-of-a-kind images for her clients.
“I’ve always been an artist, I like to draw, I used to paint, and so I just put that into a smaller canvas, you could say,” Reynolds said. “They just bring me their inspiration, and I’ll do it. And then sometimes they can’t find something, and they ask me to freestyle a set, but most of the time, they will find something and an inspo [picture] and have me do it.”
After high school, Reynolds put herself through nursing school by continuing her nail business. After graduation, she began working but eventually quit her job and returned to doing nails after realizing how much she missed the creativity behind it.
“I missed doing nails,” Reynolds said. “It’s like my calling.”
Reynolds moved from California to Waco in 2020 and worked in a nail shop for two and a half years before opening her own studio in 2023. She said that it was a difficult process at first due to “upfront costs and having to put everything together yourself.”
Because Reynolds is able to craft her own schedule, she can accommodate the athletes’ hectic practice and class schedules. Not only does Reynolds find time slots that work for them, but she also curates nails that are ensured to stay on through any type of damage they might go through while tumbling.
“It all comes down to the prepping of the nails,” Reynolds said. “I do a really good prepping clean up before I apply the acrylic, and after that, you clean it really well, and that is shaped into the nail so that you don’t [leave] any space for air bubbles to come in so that they won’t come off.”
While most of Reynolds’ customers ask for gel nails, she also does dip, acrylic, builder gel and gel-x to accommodate any client’s needs.
“I will never try anything on people now that I don’t know how to do because that’s your money, and if you work hard for your money, I want you to be happy with your nails,” Reynolds said. “I want you to walk out of here happy and love your nails. I just want to make girls feel pretty with their nails.”
Reynolds also said that she is “incredibly appreciative of the acro girls and is very thankful for their support.”
Reynolds’ salon is located at 716 Lake Air Dr. in Waco. To schedule an appointment, follow her and connect on Instagram @minahguyennails.
