Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

How Nail Artist Rayah Naji Turns Modern Manicures Into ‘70s-Style Ads

How Nail Artist Rayah Naji Turns Modern Manicures Into ‘70s-Style Ads

Using her keen eye for vintage typography, the graphic design student and nail artist creates gorgeous imagery that’s caught the eyes of beauty fans on Instagram.

There are some decades that evoke nostalgia so potent that you can't escape their influence. The '70s is one of those time periods. The decade gave us voluminous, bouncy blowouts, the ultra-glamourous disco era, and bold, graphic liner trends that we are still salivating over today. This time around, we're seeing its influence in artist Rayah Naji's work, in which she combines her beautiful nail art and graphic design skills to create stunning "advertisements" that look like they came straight from a '70s magazine.

Naji's "ads" got a significant amount of attention when her tweet showcasing her work went viral. The caption was succinct and effective ข "my design skills 🤝 my nail art." The designs typically feature a cute manicure (like the Louis Vuitton French tips below,) with slogans rendered in retro fonts.

    

The 21-year-old artist told us that her inspiration first came from some of her design classes. (She's studying graphic design at Simmons University and will be graduating this semester.) Naji's professor frequently shared vintage magazines with the class, and she quickly fell in love with the fonts typically used in the ads from back in the day. "I prefer old advertisements to current-day ads because the products were always presented in a more appealing and entertaining way," she shares with Allure. "I like to give new life to old ideas."

Her graphic design abilities may have been honed in the classroom, but her nail art skills were not. Her prowess comes from dutifully studying other artists on YouTube and lots of practice. This year, the self-taught artist has been taking the craft more seriously. "I love graphic design, but creating art with my hands brings a different type of satisfaction," she explains.

But how exactly does she put all this beautiful work together? Naji always starts with creating the manicure (typically using gel nail polishes from The Gel Bottle) before taking photos and beginning the editing process. On average, it takes anywhere from one to two hours to get the finished image.

Down With the Swirl


    

The white, orange, yellow, and brown swirls on each coffin-shaped nail give a retro vibe to this modern manicure. The gold chunky rings are the cherry on top. For the mock ad, Naji took inspiration directly from the Diana Ross and the Supremes 20 Greatest Hits album art. On the cover, each group member's red-manicured hands are adorned with a gold "Supremes" bracelet. Using that, she "began with choosing a single image, removing the background, and multiplying the image" to come up with the finished product.

Gator-Ade


    

We may not be able to tell the difference between alligator or crocodile skin over here, but we do know that this set is gorgeous. Naji combines two popular nail trends we've seen take off: crocodile manis and gradient nails. The square tips are shaped to perfection, and we love the contrast between the deep black color and pinky hues.

Orange You Glad


    

These lengthy Aprés Gel-X extensions give the classic French manicure a welcome twist. On the pinky, index, and thumb fingers is that traditional tip with globs of white polish and tiny silver gems artfully placed on each nail. The ring and middle ombré nails remind us of creamsicles with the nude beige hue that fades to a bright orange color.

Dennis Rodman Realness


    

As a fan of the eccentric, former professional basketball player, Naji drew inspiration from Dennis Rodman's iconic hairstyles. She recreated the different designs on an oval-shaped, French manicure because the tips "resembled a hairline". She discovered an old hair-color advertisement featuring Rodman from the December 1996 issue of Mad Magazine while scrolling through Tumblr and used that as the perfect template. In her remake of the ad, she changes all the text and replaces his face on the box with the unique neon manicure. We hope Rodman gets to see this tribute.

Steady Hands


    

It's amazing how Naji combined beautiful pink, teal, and brown shades to create a tie-dye effect that doesn't look like a muddy mess. We also love how she shaped this pastel set with a tapered squoval tip. If you look closely, you'll notice tiny Swavorski rhinestones on each nail, adding just the perfect touch of bling to this mani.

You can follow Rayah Naji on Instagram and Twitter to see more of her creative nail ads. We know we'll be watching to see what dope designs she dreams up next.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×