Chaun Legend’s nails don’t just slay — they empower

This story is brought to you by our partners at Lexus.

The first time Kylie Jenner walked into the Beverly Hills salon Chaun Legend worked at for a session, he almost mistook her dog for a billy goat.

“I wasn’t sure what it was at first,” the celebrity nail artist laughs. “She walked in, sat down, and introduced me to the dog. I’m thinking, ‘Okay, we’re doing this!’”

What Legend didn’t realize in that moment — nervously sculpting her nails while trying to play it cool — was that this one appointment, this one set of acrylics, would change the course of his life.

“She double tapped the photo I posted of her nails on Instagram,” Legend says. “And I watched my phone blow up in real time. I didn’t eat. I didn’t sleep. I just kept refreshing. Ten likes turned into 500, then 2,000, then 10,000. And the next day? I was booked back-to-back.”

That kind of instant transformation — from unknown to undeniable — mirrors the exact energy that Lexus celebrates in its mantra: the standard of amazing. It's not just about appearance, it’s about presence. Whether it’s slipping into a Lexus or stepping out of Legend’s chair, it’s about tapping into the version of yourself that’s ready to turn heads.

But to understand how a Cambodian kid born in a refugee camp became the owner of his own beauty brand and Hollywood’s go-to nail artist — known for his stiletto-sharp shapes and avant-garde sets — you have to rewind. When Legend was around 3, his parents moved him to Philadelphia.

“It all felt foreign,” Legend says. “We were one of the only Asian families in the neighborhood. I didn’t speak English. I cried every day at school.”

Legend recalled kids used to call him slurs when he introduced his name as “Chaun.”

“I didn’t know what to say,” he confesses. “So I’d just take it.”

Bleak — but it’s also where Legend’s resilience was born — and, eventually, his artistry. Legend’s first exposure to the nail world came from his aunts and uncles, whose salons were where Legend’s parents would drop him off to be babysat when they went to work.

“I hated the smell there,” Legend recalled. “I didn’t want to be there.”

But after a post–high school stint hopping between jobs, he took an unexpected offer from a friend: move to Lexington, Kentucky, and work in a new, massive nail salon.

“It was a fresh start,” Legend explains.

At first, he was doing basic services with mostly regular polish. According to Legend, polka dots were considered extravagant at the time. One day, a client came in and told him to go wild.

“She changed everything for me,” Legend says. “I painted turtles, hibiscus, every idea I had on her. And she loved it.”

Since then, Legend has found his signature style.

“I like things with a bold statement,” he explains. “Even if it’s a muted nail set, there has to be a moment. A main character. Something that says, ‘I’m here.’”

Clients now flock to Legend for his dangerously sharp stilettos and dramatic lengths.

“My stilettos? Lethal,” he says. “They slice and dice. They’re weapons.”

But beyond the glam, Legend is about transformation.

“If you’re getting your nails done by me for the first time and I throw some stilettos on you? You’ll transform,” says Legend. “You’ll tap into your inner badass. You’ll change the way you type, or even open a soda. It’s a lifestyle shift.”

So what does Legend want people to feel when they see his work?

“Confidence. Attitude. Power,” he said. “I want you to look at your nails and feel like a badass.”

In a world where style meets performance, Lexus champions that same emotional electricity — the bold confidence of walking into a room (or rolling into one) knowing you’re the moment. And just like Legend’s iconic stilettos, Lexus isn’t just about getting from point A to B — it’s about how you feel on the ride.