Unless you've been stuck under a house for the last 2 years, you know exactly why we needed this Q&A with exceptional celebrity manicurist Shea Osei.
Wicked: For Good is this year's Wicked Part 1, which was 2024's Barbenheimer, but instead of melding two major movies, it brought together two vocal powerhouses, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, to star in a live-action re-imagining of the Broadway play of the same name.
Talk about a pop-culture tongue-twister.
Osei has worked on both Wicked and Wicked: For Good and has delivered some deliberate, thoughtful work both in the films (spot her fave if you can!) and on red carpets from Paris to Singapore.
In this interview, Osei shares with us the experiments, lessons, and opportunities she's had while helping bring the world of Oz to life with her long-time client, Cynthia Erivo.
Were you on set for Wicked: For Good? If so, how has that experience influenced the nails you’ve created during the premiere tour? How have you seen the manicures you’ve created progress over the course of the tour so far?
Yes, I was on set during Wicked: For Good, and that experience shaped my entire approach to the premiere tour. Being there allowed me to understand the visual world of Wicked and being in Oz on a deeper level: the colours, the lighting, Cynthia’s costumes, the movement of each scene. It helped me design nails that felt like an authentic extension of the film rather than just themed press tour looks.
During the tour, my manicures have naturally become more elevated and more daring. Each appearance has been an opportunity to build on the last with more dimension, more intentional symbolism, and more storytelling. I want every set to feel like its own little moment in the Wicked universe.
Have you learned anything new while working on Wicked? Have you explored art or design in a way you haven’t before?
Absolutely. Wicked pushed me creatively in some aspects! I hand-sketched many of the designs before ever touching a nail tip, which gave me the freedom to explore shapes, shadows, and character-driven details in a deeper way.
I also worked with colour and texture differently, especially different shades of greens, blacks, and metallics. Because I created over 35 sets of press-on nails for the film, I had to think about durability and performance too, especially since Cynthia did her own stunts. That added a whole new layer of engineering to the design process.
How do you normally approach the art and design of nails? How is that impacted by travel or setting?
My approach always starts with intention: What story are we telling? What energy do we want to bring? What’s the outfit saying? What’s the moment? From there, I treat nails like mini canvases, balancing shape, colour, and embellishment so the final look feels cohesive and elevated.
Travel and setting definitely influence the process. When I’m away from my nail studio, I rely more on preparation, and what I mean by that is more pre-planned sketches, custom press-ons, and curated kits that allow me to create luxury-level work anywhere in the world. Being adaptable is a big part of staying creative at a high level.
Erivo has made it clear how important it is for her to have her nails done to the 9s. What is it like to work with a client at the celebrity level who recognizes nails as an intentional accessory, critical to completing a look?
It’s a dream. Working with someone who sees nails as a central part of their presentation and not an afterthought makes the collaboration incredibly fulfilling. Cynthia understands that nails carry energy. They complete a character, a mood, a look. She just gets it! Because she values that, she gives me the space and freedom to create and she always trusts the process.
That level of mutual respect elevates the entire process. It’s not “just nails,” it’s part of the art direction.
Do you feel like these really beautiful and sometimes complex designs showing up on a celebrity like Erivo has positively affected the “PR” for nails, nail art, or manicurists in general?
Definitely. When someone at Cynthia’s level shows up with nails that are considered, bespoke and deeply tied to storytelling, it shines a spotlight on our industry.
Nail techs are artists, and we don’t always get that recognition. Seeing these designs go viral, get photographed and get analysed the same way as a dress or a piece of jewellery has helped people understand that nails are part of fashion full stop. It lifts all of us.
What creative or collaborative opportunities have come from working with someone who sees their nails as an extension of themselves? How much of it is you, and what do those conversations look like?
Working with Cynthia is very much like collaborating on a couture garment or a commissioned piece of well-detailed artwork. She’ll bring the energy, the theme or the feeling she wants to embody, and then she gives me space to interpret it.
I’ll sketch, pull references, choose colours or textures and build out the story. We go back and forth until it feels right for both of us. Some sets are 80% my vision, some are more evenly collaborative, but the key is trust and shared intention. Which I absolutely love!
Courtesy of Shea Osei
What’s your favourite set so far from Wicked—either in the film or for a press appearance?
My favourite so far has to be the long coffin set from the 2024 premiere, the rose gold, green and black gels with hand-placed embellishments.
And for the 2025 press tour so far, I really enjoyed doing the nails for the Paris premiere. There was a lot of depth and black shimmery glitter involved and I was so here for that look!
Is there a specific design or effect you find yourself returning to?
A technique I keep coming back to is working on building up a design, and what I mean by that is adding more depth and colour, which creates more vision and looks appealing to the naked eye. With rich gel colours, especially greens and metallics, and cat eye. There’s something magical about that contrast.
