THE STORY BEHIND THE CLAWZ
MEET THE GIRL
BEHIND THE CLAWZ
Hi, I’m Josie! The girl behind the Clawz.
I’ve been obsessed with all things beauty for pretty much as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was very into makeup, nails, and hair, and for a long time I was convinced I’d become a makeup artist. I remember writing an essay in eighth grade imagining our 20-year reunion and decided future me would obviously be a celebrity makeup artist.
But somewhere along the way, nails became the thing that stuck.
IT STARTED WITH STOLEN ACRYLIC KITS...
I probably started doing my own nails when I was around 12, usually by stealing my sister’s drugstore acrylic and dip kits. I’d even buy press-ons just so I could repaint them myself.
I was completely fascinated by nail art. I’d fall asleep watching nail videos on YouTube, partly for the art and partly because one particular nail tech had the most soothing voice ever lol.
Throughout grade school and high school, I was constantly experimenting doing nails on myself. Were they always good? Absolutely not. There were plenty of thick, clumpy manicures that my friends and I still laugh about. But every questionable set made me want to figure out how to make the next one better.
By high school, I was bringing more and more elaborate inspiration pictures to my local nail salon. Eventually, the designs I wanted started getting a little too elaborate, and I realized, okay… maybe I need to learn how to do this myself.
FROM GEL-X TO THE CLAWZ
Once I got into college, I started doing Gel-X on myself and really experimenting with nail art. I fell in love with it.
During 2025, I kept thinking about making press-ons, and maybe actually selling them. Everyone around me kept telling me to do it, so eventually I started seriously researching what it would take. I even reached out to established press-on artists for advice, and I was lucky enough to have people be incredibly kind and generous with what they had learned.
In October 2025, JosieAndTheClawz officially launched.
I was hesitant at first. There are so many insanely talented press-on artists out there, and I wondered what I could bring to the space that was mine.
The answer ended up being pretty simple: anything.
YOUR VISION, YOUR VIBE,
YOUR CLAWZ.
I never want JosieAndTheClawz to have one definition of what a “good” set of nails looks like.
I want to make the short, solid-color set. I want to make the ridiculously detailed, maximalist, charms-on-charms set. I want to take an idea that exists only in someone’s head and figure out how to turn it into ten tiny pieces of wearable art.
Because your nails don’t have to fit into one aesthetic. And neither do you.
WHY PRESS-ONS?
I also fell in love with press-ons because they give you something a traditional manicure can’t always give you: freedom.
- Wear them for weeks or wear them for a weekend.
- Take them off when school or work requires bare nails.
- Reuse a favorite set.
- Bring them on a trip instead of gambling on a nail salon you’ve never been to.
- Skip hours sitting in a salon chair when you’re busy, or when sitting there physically just isn’t comfortable for you.
Some people prefer press-ons because application can involve fewer salon products. Nail adhesives can still cause irritation or allergic reactions, so always follow the adhesive manufacturer’s directions and stop use if irritation occurs.
And instead of spending $100 on nail art that eventually has to be filed away, your Clawz can become something you keep, reuse, and wear again.
Good nails shouldn’t have to be temporary art.
SO... WHY JOSIEANDTHECLAWZ?
That part goes back even further.
Growing up, my family played Josie and the Pussycats for me all the time. With a name like Josie, I heard the reference everywhere I went. It became one of those things that just followed me.
So when I needed a name for a nail brand built around my own creativity and personality, there really wasn't another option.
Josie and the Pussycats became JosieAndTheClawz.
And somehow, a name that had followed me my whole life ended up fitting the thing I’d been unknowingly practicing for since I was 12.
OUTSIDE OF THE CLAWZ
When I’m not painting tiny things on even tinier canvases, I’m still a creative person through and through. I’ve earned my bachelor’s degree in Media & Culture Communications, and I love anything that lets me create, tell a story, or turn an idea in my head into something real.
I’m also the youngest of three siblings, which may explain why stealing my sister’s nail supplies at 12 felt completely reasonable.
Another part of my story is living with POTS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a chronic illness that affects my autonomic nervous system. Since being diagnosed at 18, It’s changed the way I move through the world and has taught me to listen to my body, even when that means doing things a little differently than everyone else. It’s also made me realize how many everyday experiences, even something as simple as getting your nails done, aren't always as simple or accessible as they seem.
That’s part of why I love press-ons so much. There’s no appointment you have to push yourself through, no hours you have to spend sitting in a salon chair, and no rule for how long you have to wear them. You can make them work around you.
And if you’re someone living with POTS, chronic illness(es), a disability, or just a body that sometimes has other plans, I hope there’s a little piece of JosieAndTheClawz that feels like it was made with you in mind, too. <3