Jenny Bui, the ‘Queen of Bling’ and Cardi B’s nails

New York, Feb 7 (AFP/APP): In a city with thousands of nail salons, Jenny Bui’s has managed to carve out a niche: people come from all over to have their acrylic nails done by the “Queen of Bling,” who has turned nail art into jewelry.

It’s a far cry from the zen, trendy salons all over Manhattan: visitors pas through an unremarkable door in a Bronx shopping district, and then climb a steep staircase to reach “Jenny Spa.”

Once inside, the reason for its popularity becomes instantly clear: poster-sized photos of Jenny Bui and Cardi B cover the walls.

The rap star, known for her songs “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It” and her extravagant nails — nearly two inches (five centimeters) of glittering crystals that she waves around like a fan — has helped skyrocket Jenny Bui, a 50-year-old mother of five, to social media stardom.

Cardi B was relatively unknown in 2012 when she “found” Bui. At the time, Bui, a Cambodian refugee, only had a small salon in Harlem.

“The first time (Cardi B) came, I didn’t have time to do her nails,” Bui said, who had been busy trying to feed her new Instagram account.

But the second time was the charm: Cardi B left delighted, and she has been back every month since to see Jenny. The rapper regularly shows off Jenny’s creations to her 58 million Instagram followers.

Fans come from all over the United States, ready to pay hundreds of dollars for similarly flashy, glitter-covered nails that will last them four to six weeks.

Cardi B “helped me a lot for my business. She is loyal and humble. She never forgets who helped her from the beginning,” said Bui.

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