Nail Tech Talk: Kassie Payne of Nailz by Kass

Luxury press-on nail artist, Kassie Payne, shares what sparked her passion for creating portrait nail artistry and her social media journey, and reveals the journey to launching own range of nail products…

Kassie joined the world of nails as a means of income. She says: “The first three years I offered nail extensions on a part-time basis and didn’t enjoy it! I never set out to do nails as a career: I just started doing my own to save money and became really good at it.”

Working primarily as a model at the time, any free hours were spent tending to clients’ nails and eyelash extensions. She reminisces: “In fact, I even preferred offering eyelash treatments over nails!” She rarely posted on social media, and never really dipped her toes into the online nail community, until 2021.

“I came across an amazing press-on nail artist called Vivxue and was blown away by their work. I had never seen anything like it, and my passion for artistry was ignited. Just like that, I knew nail art was my calling,” reveals Kassie.

“From then, I bought some press-on nails and started practicing. I’ve always been skilled at art, however I stopped creating art when my son was born 17 years ago. Parenting took over and I forgot I had talent,” continues the talented tech.

“To start, I created a few Disney nail designs, then I attempted my first portrait, which took three days. Luckily, I have a lot of patience! My second one was even better and I felt motivated.”

Kassie started to promote her nail art on Instagram, but the initial response wasn’t what you may expect: “I lost so many followers! I gained some too, but thousands left due to my new content being art. I didn’t let that stop me and in 2022, I got myself onto TikTok.”

It was her third portrait, detailing Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, which saw her career snowball, and she became a core member of the online nail community.

Kassie says: “At the end of 2022, I took a huge leap and decided to venture out into the press-on nail business.” While selling a few sets of these nails, she found herself unfulfilled, not able to paint as many character sets as she would like.

She decided to launch her own brand in 2023, focusing on nail art products. She relays: “It can be tough at times as I work on a solo basis and do everything; from designing packaging to organising orders, admin, creating content and artwork. But hopefully one day, I’ll be able to employ a team to help.”

When asked about her best-selling item, Kassie says: “It’s the nail art planner I designed. The reason I created this is because I was always drawing out nail templates and scribbling down ideas. There are some amazing nail planners available, however I wanted one for nail art designs only. It also provides a cool way to practice drawing skills.”

While her incredible nail art has drawn the attention of thousands online, Kassie’s content creation also captivates her mass following. “Alongside painting, I love creating videos and truly believe when you enjoy doing something, it shows in your work,” she notes. “I don’t get much sleep though, as my mind is constantly thinking of new ideas for nails or content.”

As for the tech’s top tips for beginner nail artists, she says: “Never compare yourself to others – we are all on different parts of our journeys, and have fun! It will show in your work.”

Shop Kassie’s products at www.kassiepayne.co.uk and keep up-to-date with her via Instagram and TikTok.