How did you get into Nails?

[Oceana]

It would be interesting to know how you all got into "nails"...........

After finishing 3 A Levels I had a place at University to study French and Drama.....however in the July I decided that due to many reasons this would not be the right decision for me and cancelled my place.
So then I was out there in the world of work! I did a bit of temping, few jobs here and there simply to get some money coming in, nothing I did really fulfilled me. I was working in the sales department of a food company which i did really enjoy, a friend there had her nails done by a local technician (a very good one at that she is now a trainer) and I always admired them. So after doing £5 manicures in the stationery cupboard someone suggested I trained in Nails.

So I enrolled on a 3 day course with ibd at a local wholesalers.....and that was it! I fell in love. Every aspect enthralled me and I was the one with pages of questions staying behind at the end of the class and practising like mad on my long suffering mother and friends!
After about 6 months of practice I got a job as a nail technician at a local Hair and Beauty Salon and from there I have trained with Samuel Sweet for Creative, Antony Buckley for EZ Flow, the entire LCN programme, VTCT and have gained my BABTAC Continued Professional Development Certificate.

Long may my beautiful career continue!

Let's hear how you all got into it.............

 

[louge]

Bit bizzare really. I was working as a prison officer and got injured at work (hazard of the job!). As a result I was off for three months and my nails really grew. I decided that I wanted to try and keep them for as long as possible which is where I discovered Bio Sculpture.

I was so intrigued watching the nail tech work and took in as much as I could. My friend was also working in the beauty industry at the time and gave me a push. so I studied and enrolled on a course which wasn't all that before finding Cuticles and being introduced to the wonderful world that is Creative Nail Design...havent looked back since

 

[~shelley~]

I went to 6th form college & did GNVQ in Health & Social Care & A Level Communication Studies & had a place on a Nursing Course at Uni but decided I didnt want to do it so got a place on a NVQ L2 &3 Hairdressing & Beauty Therapy Course but decided i wanted a job instead lol so i did an apprentiship in Business Admin & got NVQ L2 & L3 I worked for the local Authority for about 3 years for Homelessness & housing & then got married and moved to Germany so i had to give my Job up, i had my little girl about 11 months later & started working for the Body shop @ Home & began to get interested in Beauty again, then a lady had a poster up in the NAAFI saying she had just qualified in Nail Extensions & was only charging 25 euro so i went & had a set done she had trained with creative & I was hooked!!! I was limited to what i could do in Germany so bought an Essential Nails course off ebay & practiced all the time but wanted more & couldnt really get it so i gave up on the idea!
Then when i moved back to uk in July 04 I got info on loads of courses but never really did anything again until September this year - I bought an Essential Nails Course Direct from them & then found this site & I havnt looked back, Ive now done...

Essential Nails L&P course
Essential Nails Maintainance Course
Creative L&P Foundation
Tantrick Tanning Course
I qualify on Saturday in Beauty Therapy L2
I do my Brisa Induction on Monday

Phew .....sorry about the long post he he!!!!

xxxxxx

 

[EllaX]

i first had my nails done for my graduation (HND in graphic design) was never into beauty or anything girly was a bit of a tomboy - the whole process - it fascinated me i continued having them done until i got a full time job then i struggled to get an appointment with my tech. my mum suggested i go do a course myself (after id gone on about how clever the whole process was) so i did the FDFC in L&P with creative and not looked back. also done spa man/ped and brisa induction and hopefully will be doing many more!! really into make up and beauty now -all them years of make up i missed!! xx

 

[Pirate Sarah]

I found a VTCT course at a local college and thought it would be a great way to earn money on the side! but when i got into it I found it addictive!!!

xxxxxxxxx

 

[kateyork1]

I had wanted to get into nails about 6 years ago - I remember everyone saying it was a bad idea and I at the time all I knew about were the long beauty therapy courses which included nails,I couldn't afford to give up work and do it. Then in 2004 I was off work sick for quite a while and was a bit bored at home, couldn't go out and do a course but my daughter Fran spotted an advert for Essential Nails in a magazine and that was it. So I did that, then I went to a company in Manchester and did a 2 day course on Manicure and Nail Enhancements, I then did a conversion with Tammy Taylor down in Buckinhamshire, then in January 2005 I started my long and fantastic road dow the Creative route! I bought my Tantrick Tanning system in June '05. I then joined Cuticles in September '05 and have done loads of training since then. I have recently become the Tantrick rainer for the North East. I am hopefully doing my Masters in L&P and Spa Manicure and Pedicure in the next few months! I would really love to be a Grand Master - but we'll see! I love what I'm doing and wouldn't change a thing (except maybe more money would be good!). xx

 

[ZOE!]

I really wanted to do nails after i got my first set done when i was around 14 or 15. I saw an ad in the paper when i was still at school to train in nails and i called it up. I then realised i had no money to pay for the course and didnt really want to ask my mum for it, so just forgot about it. I kept wishing i had asked and always dreamed of becoming a nail technician. Once i left school i went into a factory job that i was supposed to beoing for the summer but ended up staying for three years. I hated it and searched the internet about nails, it was then i saw the EN homelearn course and got so excited and bought it. I didnt really get on with it as i needed a bit of a push. Then i realised there was a creative academy in my area and enrolled in the course. I havent looked back and now im working in a fab salon trying to build up a steady clientielle. I wouldnt change my job for anything and i hope i can succeed even further.

 

[niksaki]

I first got my nails done for my 22nd birthday (gift voucher from my mother inlaw) all they did was whack white tips on slapped some acrylic over that and i just sat there thinking omg i could do better than that LMAO :lol:
anyway my fiancee knew i wanted to do nails so he sold his beloved zx9r ninja motorbike for me to pay the $2500 for my courses.

 

[Klassy Klaws]

I was off work (children's supervisor at a primary school) with a bad back and decided I wanted some thing I could do from home and was looking on the internet and found Essential Nails so a few weeks later I started the course and am now about to do the Creative Foundation Course for l&p

I do love kids but working with them can get to much sometimes as parents can and do complain about everything you say to their wonderfully little angels
You are damed if you do and damed if you don't!!! :irked:

I am still working part time until my business is up and going I just try not to speak to the kids to much lol

 

[1999judy]

I left school and went to art college (school with ashtrays at the time!!) and became a graphic artist. The printing trade had started to die a slow death and the company I worked for went bust. Went to work as a civil servant, thought it was temporary but just stayed there(bored to death) and hated it for many years. Handed in my notice when I had Rachel 5 years ago. Worked various jobs over the years and the one I loved most was my Saturday job shampooing etc at a local hairdressers when I was 16 years old. Decided to study hairdressing BUT read an article in a mag re NAIL ART, I was sold and decided to turn my life around.
Just starting out in this trade since 2004 but loving it all - hey- about time for me at 39?
See - It's never too late to change your mind

 

[Laydee Danielle]

ive always loved nails and deep down wanted to be a nail technician but it wasn't until I was talking to a lady where I get my nails done and found out she used to do the same job as I do just a couple of years before, so I kept thinking about I after and enrolled at my local college a couple of weeks later in September of last year on a VTCT Nail Treatments course (which I just found out I have passed) and then started training with LCN in Janurary - I have my sculpture conversion course on Friday!

and im loving every minute of it

 

[~shelley~]

Isnt if funny how not many Nail techs start doing this job straight from School!! I wonder why? xx

 

[lexylove]

I've always loved nails - since seeing flo jo at the olympics when I was little!!

I Read loads about courses and stuff, but ended up angling more down the fitness industry route. During which time I dabbled in my own nail art and doing my mates, then had some extensions put on afew times and loved them. I have finally started doing nails (Monday just Gone) at college, extra to the beauty specialist I started at the end of January, and I am SO happy!!

 

[Susie H]

I was moaning to Rae, our Canadian geek, about how I didn't want to be a taxi driver when Paul finished uni and she said, why don't you do this? she told me to train with creative and that if I did I'd never regret it and that by the time Paul did finish his degree I'd be good enough to take my skills anywhere. Well she's right i don't regret it, I love doing nails and want to do my masters this year, as for being good enough to take my skills anywhere, well we'll see:lol:

 

[1999judy]

I was moaning to Rae, our Canadian geek, about how I didn't want to be a taxi driver when Paul finished uni and she said, why don't you do this? she told me to train with creative and that if I did I'd never regret it and that by the time Paul did finish his degree I'd be good enough to take my skills anywhere. Well she's right i don't regret it, I love doing nails and want to do my masters this year, as for being good enough to take my skills anywhere, well we'll see:lol:

See hun - You're okay. You're a stong person and you WILL get through all the rubbish that life throws at you:hug:

 

[bling nails]

i got into nails when marco did mine..i was one one his clients in his salon...long time ago when he first set up. i used to be a door-superviser in Birmingham and i was forever being told off for having really long nails....it was a saftey issue . i know....but i love my long nails and so i give up the door work....but worked in security office observing CCTV.

Money was tight and bought L&P and silk/fibre-glass kits and learned to do them myself.....where i had my nails done the salon asked me to work for them and they paid for my nail course in L&P. i was a L&P girl.
Trained with Creative....one to one with Jane cook in salon.

Gel became popular and clients wanted to try it...so i trained with Beautiful Nails Gel ....then switched to Star nails Gel...didn't like it.
Trained with Ibd Gel..... got an allergy to it and had to find alternative....
trained with Allessando Gels.....learned to do sculpts......
left that salon and then trained with En-Vogue Sculpting gels throught Jica beauty products....loved the product
Went to olympia nail show in london and Brisa was launched.....the rest is history!! (and i got to meet Gigi.....my insperation)
Did masters in Brisa at Birmingham Academy with Marco.

 

[joanna118]

I left school went to college and did beauty therapy and after 7 months started working at a pub for spends while learning, found myself a few mates who kept me out all night and didn't make it to theory for a few weeks and got in loads of trouble so left (stupidist thing i ever did)

Got a job in sales when I left and slowly progressed to sales and marketing manager for megabowl, then to superbowl after being head hunted hated superbowl and left

so did training with nsi and love nails so back more or less where I started!

 

[Sparklepink]

mmmm....... how did i get in to nail?>

i'll start way back in the beginning....
i had always liked to look after my own nails and did the odd 'manicure' on my nan and mum... i was always the girl who had a thousand polishes...lol
so whilst i was in my last yr of A levels i did my manicure and pedicure NVQ at my local college in the evening
i was kinda a lazy girl who wasnt that interested in getting my school work done... i was more interested in going out down the pub or out wiht my mates (i was only 17!) so having dropped physics and art i picked chemistry which i also ended up dropping out of (see i was such a lazy 16/17 yr old!) i was left doing design technology ( i wanted to be an archietect/designer person ) well im sure you can guess i also dropped out of that a few months before my exams and i was kinda left with a what do i do now???

as i was still doing my evening class (which i loved) i decided to go and do beauty full time and also did my nail enhancements as an additional evening class

so i finished college with my wee NVQ and set out to get a job.... i wasnt that interested in the beauty side.... facials bored me... i like the way you can see a change when you do nails where as all the facial clients i did either looked pale n pastey or a bit red in the face....lol

i was a v lucky chickio and found a job in a local salon where they taught me to sculpt and i kinda nev er looked back.....

im sure most of you know the rest....so ill nt bore you with it too much!!...... went self employed.... found ezflow... became an educator etc..... opened my own salon just over a yr ago

there ya go my wee journey that im still on learning all the time

Jess
xox

ps.... dont think i could ever do anything else now

 

[ariaaland]

hi.. my story is this.. i have alwys kept my nails in good order and it always fascinated me but never thought of it as a career until i was made redundant from the bank about 2 years ago. so i decided to use that break as an opportunity to take a "break" from the stressful corporate rat race and spend some time with my kids as for years they had been either shuttled off to nurseries (day care) or been at home with "horror story helpers" so i gottired of changing helpers very month and having stuiff missing from my house so i decided to stay home and be a homemaker. unfortunately, after a few montsh i was bored out of my mind.. withthe kids at school during the days and the hubby at work you can just imagine.. so i decided to get involved in something i did not want a 9 to 5 job anymore cuz i needed to be flexible enough to do pick ups and extra curricular activities PTA etc with the kids so i did not want to be tied down to that kinda job. i could not do sales cuz i cant sell a thing to save my life and i wanted something i could do at home. so decided to enroll in a beauty school that taught nails make-up massage therapy aromatherapy etc. i got my certifcate then did another course with another lady who taught nails from her salon. then i set up a little something at home.. nothing fancy just comfortable.. in jamaica there are not many follow up courses here and not many nail company that you cantake courses from so its hard to have continuing education so i keep abreast of stuff by reading this board, subscribing to NAILS mag and reading other sites that deal with nail and everything nails. for example creative is not in jamaica their nearest distributor to me is in trinidad, thats not fair, neither is ez flow nor ibd so allwe learn is from the few schools that teach the little they know and all they do is touch the basics everything else you learn on your own as i did.. its hard.

 

[MINKUS]

i felt i was CHUGGING a long in my office job..... and i'd always liked to have my nails done so went on a one day course:cry: thought i was mrs bees knees at nails off to earn my fortune.

found this site and soon found out i wasnt pulled finger out and did more training....more training and more training Its MY FiX.....love training.

Strive to be the best......still lots of strivingto be done:green: ! lmao

I dont think i will ever STOP training always something new to learn.



Amb xxx