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Zayauna Liddell

Nail Artist

Zayauna Liddell is a licensed nail technician, educator, and beauty entrepreneur. She is best known as the founder of Nails By Zay, a thriving nail brand based in Pittsburgh, PA. With over seven years of hands-on experience, Zayauna began her journey in high school, turning a passion for nail artistry into a full-fledged business. In 2021, she opened her own salon, establishing a go-to destination for trendsetting nail designs and professional services. Beyond the salon, Zayauna is the creator of a growing nail product line that caters to both everyday consumers and professional nail techs. Her innovative style, attention to detail, and commitment to quality have earned her a loyal following of over 140,000 supporters across social media platforms, where she shares tutorials, nail trends, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into her business and creative process.

Professional Achievements

  • Seasoned nail artist whose work has graced the runways of New York Fashion Week, where she brought bold, editorial nail designs to life for top designers
  • Backstage experience at NYFW
  • Nails By Zay has grown into a trusted name online, with viral content that consistently educates, inspires, and connects with a global beauty audience

Certifications & Organizations

  • Licensed Nail Technician

Favorite Piece of Advice

Start where you are, with what you have. Consistency and passion will take you further than perfect conditions ever will. Invest in your craft, keep learning, and never be afraid to stand out. Your brand is built one client, one post, and one opportunity at a time, so treat every moment like it matters.

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Forum Comments (3)

What are the best nail shapes?
For nail shapes, my clients most frequently ask for almond and tapered square. Oval and almond are pretty similar. Almond is just a little bit wider than oval, oval is a little bit more narrow. Then there's regular square , which is a little bit wider than a paper square . Paper square is a little bit more narrow. Another popular type is coffin , which kind of points in like a vampire coffin shape. Another option is ballerina , which is an even skinnier coffin, which gets even more narrow, almost comes to a point. There's stiletto , which are the really pointy ones that people might call "cat paws". Finally, there's a shape called lipstick , which is shaped like a lipstick. These are a lot of the really popular ones now.
How do you take off shellac nail polish at home?
Shellac is another name for regular gel polish. You can remove gel nails at home by soaking cotton balls in acetone and wrapping them around each nail with tinfoil. Just make sure you’re using 100% acetone, because sometimes people get nail polish remover and 100% acetone confused. Nail polish remover won't soak off the gel, it’s meant for basic nail polish. I just wanted to be sure to note that because I’ve had my clients get confused before when they’ve tried to do the soak off themselves.
Easiest way to remove gel nail polish at home
You can remove gel nails at home by soaking cotton balls in acetone and wrapping them around each nail with tinfoil. Just make sure you’re using 100% acetone, because sometimes people get nail polish remover and 100% acetone confused. Nail polish remover won't soak off the gel, it’s meant for basic nail polish. I just wanted to be sure to note that because I’ve had my clients get confused before when they’ve tried to do the soak off themselves.