The grotesque can be palatable. While most tend to recoil from horrifying elements, there is a strange allure to them. In a world where polished perfection is often regarded as the norm, we visit the underbelly of the beauty sphere—a look into alternative beauty. Horror gives us permission to explore the uncomfortable, to examine the shadows, to delight in the strange corners of imagination. And increasingly, that fascination has begun to seep into the mainstream. What was once confined to niche subcultures and Halloween horror marathons now appears across social media feeds. Creators and beauty lovers alike are gravitating toward the uncanny, embracing motifs that challenge traditional notions of what is beautiful. The grotesque, it seems, has become a language of its own, one that pushes beauty into new, thrillingly unconventional territory.
And there’s a good reason for this. In recent years, cultural shifts like the “anti-hot” movement, which gave rise to trends such as “man-repelling makeup,” for example, have pushed the masses to explore alternative forms of beauty that exist outside the conventional. It’s within this cultural moment that meltedmanicures, the moniker of Singaporean nail artist Melanny—better known as Mel— has carved out a space of her own.
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Her work, which could be seen as outlandish and monstrous, reads more as stunning and surreal, transforming fingertips with claw shapes, decay, insect parts, and uncanny textures. A scroll through her page feels like wandering into phantasmagoria: haunting, delicate, yet impossible to look away from.
Melanny’s relationship with nail art began early. At just thirteen, she started experimenting with designs and even sold press-on sets under a different alias. But as school demands grew, she made the difficult decision to pause her sales and focus on her studies. During that break, she immersed herself in O-level art, where she discovered a deep fascination with surrealism. Themes of insects and metamorphosis captured her imagination—interests that would later become signatures in her work.
After completing her O-levels, burnout hit hard. She couldn’t bring herself to paint or even pick up a pencil. Yet, almost unexpectedly, nail art reignited what she thought she’d lost. In January 2024, she revived her nail practice and introduced a new identity: meltedmanicures.
Today, nearly two years into the rebrand, this Singaporean nail artist has built a distinct creative voice and a studio of her own. Below, she shares with Vogue Singapore her journey and an inside look at her evolving artistry.
Give us three words that describe your niche.
The three words I would use to describe my niche would be organic, raw, surreal, alternative, grotesque, and maybe fluid. Maybe versatile? I know this is more than three, but to be honest, I don’t have many words in mind to truly describe my work. I’d usually just say it is very ‘me’, and everyone around me would say the same.
Out of all of your work, is there a set you like most?
I don’t actually have a set in mind. I think every set and client that comes in shares such interesting stories. I treasure my relationships and stories I have with my clients more than the sets, actually. That is something that no one can ever take away from me.
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What made you pivot to more macabre nail designs, is it something you’ve always liked?
Studying O-level art definitely pushed me to be able to discover my interest in a very different style of art that is conceptual, not everyone understands it, but that was what made me find it so interesting. I found the beauty in things most would fear. Like bugs, or whatever it may be that I could encapsulate and display their beauty. From a very young age of seven, I was insanely attracted to butterflies, caterpillars, moths, and literally any kind of bugs I could get my hands on—mealworms from my school science projects included as well. I liked observing them. While everyone else found them disgusting, I saw the beauty in them.
I would say I was a peculiar child, I was fascinated by dirt, ashes, sand, bubbles, leaves, literally anything that you see around you. It’s the coolest thing ever to just look around and absorb the environment around you. There are patterns everywhere; you just have to open your eyes and look around. Having such exposure to all these organic and natural elements in our day-to-day life, finding beauty in them, I wanted my art to reflect that beauty and show that we can always find beauty in the strangest things. I started by grabbing all these random things, like hair, and sticking them on the nail. Everything was a ‘just try it’ mentality.
On your Instagram page, your real bug sets definitely stand out. When did you first have the idea to encase insect parts in your nails?
I first had the idea of displaying moth and dragonfly wings. I always loved preserved insects, which allowed me to study the bugs’ beauty. I think that is probably the only time people wouldn’t be as grossed out as they usually would be compared to if they saw the bug alive and roaming around.
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When I was doing traditional art, I liked layering bugs on top of body parts, fusing myself with these insects and organic materials like flower petals, too. And I guess once I stopped drawing or painting, some part of me subconsciously still wanted to be able to express and emulate the beauty of preservation in my work, so I started encapsulating these insects and other raw materials, creating tiny exhibits in my nail art.
You are also experimental with unique and mismatched claw shapes. What would the biggest technical challenge be for creating something like this?
There aren’t many technical challenges to overcome, to be honest. I’ve been doing nails for almost 6 years now, and I have yet to watch a single tutorial video on how to do any of the things I know now—other than sanitising and disinfecting whatnot. I think the only challenge I face is finding time to eat between appointments. Which is a very common challenge amongst other nail artists. The main point is, I believe, that there aren’t any challenges if I set my mind to it and practice enough. I don’t see any part of my work being a challenge, because if I do, it makes the issue look way too serious. Figure it out and move on, practice every other day. There’s no such thing as technical issues.
And let’s be real, there’s no such thing as challenges in art; it is an expression, it is never that serious. I don’t have any favourite ideas, but I do love it when clients come in and give me complete artistic freedom. I love it even more when they bring random stuff for me to put in their nails; it makes my whole day.
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Are there any new designs you’d love to try next to push the boundaries of your artistry?
Even though I’d sometimes joke around and throw a tantrum because I’d have to choose a design for a client—when I can’t even decide one for myself—I secretly love it. As much as my branding leans toward grotesque nails, gross-out elements, or whatever you want to call it, I actually really enjoy applying pure technical skill as well. Like those simple designs that rely on precision for their beauty—I want to master the art of Russian manicures. It’s truly beautiful. I love doing all sorts of nails. I like being reminded that I have range, I think it keeps me in check.
There is such a wide range of nail designs, literally endless possibilities to explore and experiment with. I am open to trying everything and anything. I definitely want to venture into extreme lengths and strange fusions. Who knows? I want to be surprised by whatever weird, strange, or peculiar designs come my way. If you think something is impossible, just come find me, and we’ll somehow make it possible, turning your nails into my canvas.
