Pang My Nguyen, 24, has won several local and international prizes for nail decoration, and has become well-known locally for her skills.
Nguyen was judge of a domestic nail care contest
Career selection
Nguyen always had a natural aptitude for painting and began applying that skill to nails when she was studying in high school. She soon began teaching courses in the craft when she was a 12th grade student.
Because of her passion for painting nails, Nguyen decided to pursue this career instead of attending an university.
In 2009, Nguyen beat out 200 contestants to win the first prize in the Asia Nail Care Contest.
Recently, she was awarded with the 2011 national-level Young Talented Craftswoman Prize.
Currently, she acts as a teacher and director in charge of fine art for a nail care training centre in Ho Chi Minh City.
In order to improve her professionalism, Nguyen continues to attend training courses overseas, in such places as Japan and Hong Kong.
Famous for nail care for well-known artists
Her clients rank among the top Vietnamese celebrities, including the runner up to Miss Universe, Hoang Yen, Models Ai Chau, Lan Huong, Quynh Thu, and Ngoc Quyen.
One of the memories that sticks out in Nguyen’s mind is the time when she attended a nail care contest in Singapore. After working on Model Hoang Yen’s nails for several hours, some passer-by bumped into them, forcing her to repair it.
“I was so embarrassed at that time because the judges were coming around in just a few minutes. I tried my best to reassure myself and repair the nail. I was really surprised and moved when I was announced the winner,” Nguyen shared.
She said that nail care is not an easy career, especially when it comes to dealing with celebrities. Many of them want quality work and intricate designs in a short amount of time.
"Some customers are quite demanding. They want very nice designs very quickly. Sometimes I need my colleagues' help in order to explain to them the limitations of the trade," she said.
Nguyen won first prize in Asian nail care contest 2009 from her work called “Love angel”
