The Passion of The Nail...

[Ms.Matrix]

I was sitting thinking back and I realized that I have always had a passion for nails, even when I was young as 9 or 10 years old. I had an 2 older cousins and a aunt with long beautiful natural nails and I remember just being fascinated with them, I would try to get my nails to grow long, (but of course at that age, wasn't much I could do, besides polish) I used to sit and ask them all sorts of questions...and I know you guys are going to think me some sort of a nut case for this, but my aunts and cousins used to save their broken fingernails for me to play with (Gross I know) One aunt used to actually save them away in a little sanwhich bag...

As you can see there has always been that deep desire to have something to do with nails.

I go into all this detail to ask this:
1) Do you have a passion for nails? 1a) When did it start?
2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?
3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?
4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?

 

[Good Skin Day]

Fab thread hun :green:

I go into all this detail to ask this:
1) Do you have a passion for nails? I enjoy what I do with nails at the moment, as I am very much part time. I wouldn't say I am as passionate about nails as some geeks are.

1a) When did it start?
Before birth probably! My mum started her career in nails in LA a little before I was born, so I have effectively been weaned on them! I've never known life without nails....:green:

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?
Nope, I don't make a lot of money out of the nails I do, my mum is very successful though.

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?
I presonally prefer my nails without enhancements. They are very strong and naturally white-tipped, and look fab with hardly anything done to them. I like performing manis, but I also enjoy the creative side of enhancing and extending nails. It's all about making the most of what you or the client has got, and tailoring the enhancement to their needs (and wants!).

4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why? No, I know I'm good, and my clients are always happy with what I do, but I feel my real passions and talents lie in other beauty-related treatments/enhancements.

 

[Mrs Geek]

I go into all this detail to ask this:
1) Do you have a passion for nails? Not until I was about 21 and started working in mum´s salon as a receptionist. The passion grew!

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?
Hmmm... well, I started helping mum and dad to make a fast buck (I was 21 and needed ´party´money)... as I got to see the industry grow, I became obsessed with nails and particularly Creative Nail Design... all that they stand for, the people I met and wanting the UK industry to be a great one.

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?When I did nail enhancements, I wasn´t very good at them but I always tried to maintain the health of the natural nail. Whatever I did I tried to do well but I am not artistically inclined. That´s my grandmother, mother and oldest son´s forte!

4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?
No, but I have a god-given talent for people... the rest and belief in our products come naturally!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

1) Do you have a passion for nails?
I love what I do more than other job I've ever had. I have a passion for improving both my own standards and teh industry standards as a whole.

1a) When did it start?
When i first had my own nails done about 6 years ago, I thought it was the most clever and fascinating thing to watch ... and I still do.

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?
My first salary was £3.70 an hour so I don't think so! I wanted to something creative and get out of the rat race

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?
Yes I certainly do. I get so annoyed at the damage not only caused by some nail techs, but more so with clients. I tell them time and time again that if they don;'t want them any more to have then professionally removed as most damage is done if they are not. But I do so few removals it really winds me up. Apart from the odd accident that a client may have there is just NO NEED for damage, it just means that a tech is poorly trained or cutting corners for this to happen .. or that a client is not following the after care advice.

at the end of the day there is nothing nicer that when a client says "but they look so real!" Make me all warm and fuzzy inside!

4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?
No!!! I know I have a huge artistic talent (without sounding like my boots are pinching) and I think that helps, we are a very artistic family. But I think that it is rare for the ability to be there without training. However good training can make a tech with talent an outstanding tech with talent.

 

[Sarita360]

1) Do you have a passion for nails? 1a) When did it start?

Yes, it started when I was a child (however my family was so not into beauty or anything like that!!)
Really became a true passion when I took my first cosmetology course at 15
I just can't explain how much I loved reading about nail anatomy, nail care, techniques, practicing manicures etc.

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?

I still haven't truly entered into the field like most of you, but when I do it will not be for the money.

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?

I personally prefer natural nails but whether natural or enhancements, something about nice beautiful hands and neat nails that complement them that just look so whole and pretty.

4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?

No, because even though I love nails I have always had to work hard to avoid making mistakes, I am not a natural!
I do have a G-d given love for them though

S

 

[oey]

1) Do you have a passion for nails?
i have had a passion for nails since i worked in a dirty job in a garden centre where i was always having dirty nails and they felt awful. Plus i used to bite my nails until my wedding and didnt want horrible nails for that.

1a) When did it start?
When i got married 15 years ago.

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?
No - because i thought why not do something that you have a passion for.

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or
without enhancements? Why?
Yes for both, but feel you can achieve things with enhancements that you cant always with natural nails

4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?
No - only the passion and determination.

x x x

 

[becki x]

1) Do you have a passion for nails?

Defiatley,i love the challenge

1a) When did it start?

When i was 15 and had my first set of enhancements,one of wich broke when i was scrapping with my brother,mum thought i was gona kill him !

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?

I wish it were that easy !

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?

My desire is to create the perfect set of ehacements


4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?

I feel god put me in this industry,not sure i was at the front of the que when he handed out the talent.

 

[clara doon]

here goes

1 do you have a passion for nails
yes i do and it is turning into a burning passion, this is what i want to do for the rest of my working life.

when did it start?
like you my aunt always had long painted nails when i stayed with her i would spend ages playing with all the bottles of enamels, i would notice all these glamorous ladies with bright painted nails i wanted to grow up to be like this, my aunt (who is now 70) is still the most glamorous lady i know !!

did you get into this field to make a fast buck
no but i do need to earn a living, it helps if you love what you do !! i had been a pottery teacher, but left when trying for oscar when the first go at ivf didn't work i really need to learn/do something different, i'd been having my nails done for sometime and loved the whole thing, hubby bought me my foundation course for christmas, i loved it and threw myself 100% into it, 'nails helped take my mind off ivf and by march i was pregnant !!! its all down to the nails!!
(hubby says this!)

do you really desire to make healthy,beautiful nails with or without enhancements?
yes i do, i really enjoy transforming someones short and broken nails into something more, i wouldn't say they were works of art, but hopefully one day... i'm inspired to work harder and to learn as much as i can.

do you feel you have a god given talent for nails
no but i do think it helps if you are a little artistic, when it comes to nail art most of the techniques i use now i used during my time working with ceramics, or at art collage i wouldn't say god gave me a talent for nails, but without sounding bigheaded i think he made me arty.

 

[clara doon]

brill thread by the way gets you thinking..

 

[*JOANNE*]

*do you have a passion for nails.
most definately its like an addiction the more i do the more i want to do, i love each and every appoinment and dont think....not another set of nails, the more i learn the more i want to learn.
*when did it start
only in 2003 after having my first set of enhancements done on my self by a nail technician i was fasinated at the skill she had
*did you get in this field to make a quick buck.
no but i did get into for a) was fasinated by the process b) i have allways been arty, making things, designing things, painting things.
*do you desire to make natural nails healthy enhanced or unenhanced
most definately you have to, thats what drives you thats your job and although health of the natural nail is paramoint i do love doing enhancements and i am enrolling to do vctc manicure and pedicure in september as i love enhancement services and the courses i have been on but i also i think its my job to actually totally understand natural nail care whether enhancing or not.
*do you feel you have a god given talent for nails
lordy no...but i love it and i think if you love something so much then it must be a vocation thing, like you where ment to do it and that is what talent is i suppose a love for something an enjoyment then that means you have some sort of talent for it, or you wouldnt love it so much if you really couldnt do it (not saying i am fan bloody tastic but i aint bad:lol: )

great thread yolanda

 

[ariaaland]

Do you have a passion for nails? 1a) When did it start?
i have a passion for nails.. just dont know if it has a passion for me:lol: i have always taken care of my self from head to toe and especially as a pre-teen and as a teenanger i always kept my nails in excellent condition and throughout my adult years i kept them that way until the kids started coming.


2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?

no i never came in it to make a fast buck (i dont make anything:irked:) seriously though i came into it about 2 years ago when i left the bank and was at home bored and not wanting to leave the kids to go out to a full time job. so i wanted something that i could do at home and on my own time leaving me time to be a proper mom ...and nails was it. i love it so much i am totally obsessed, not that great at it yet but i aim to be. every minute of my spare time is taken up either on this board or any other board that deals with nails and also with practisng on my hands and anyone else who i can get my "nails" into:lol:

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?

yes i would love to be able to do both well, natural and enhanced nails, because people have different needs and so you haveto cater to them. its called being on the edge of this profession by keeping up with all the latest trends/new products/techniques/education etc. like anything and everything else,... nails "evoloute" what sense does it make to only cater to one type of clientele, that would be so unfair. everyone wants to look good so i have to be able to provide that service. its just that simple!!

4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?

"God given talent" hmmm?? do i? i wonder?.. all i know is that i am loving something very much for the first time in my life that has me fulfilled, whether i have the talent is another matter all i know is i have the drive to try and be the best

 

[VHunter]

1) Do you have a passion for nails? 1a) When did it start?
I was nail biter since birth LOL (ok, probably not, but you get the point). I started applying false nails (yes, those nasty full tips glued on bought at the pharmacy) at the age of 16. Would file them and shape them for a seamless fit. Would do nail art with my nail polish doing art before it was the rage. My first are: candycane patterned nails for xmas lol
I LOOOOOOOOVE doing nails. Sometimes if I'm having a quiet week, I will call up a friend and offer a freebie JUST TO DO THEM. I LOVE doing them. Natural or enhanced. Either way, LOVE IT.

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?
If I wanted a fast buck, I'd go back into Office Admin and make over $45K a year plus bonuses, plus overtime and all kinds of lovely benefits. I'm taking the hard road, not making much now. Just getting by, making enough to have spending money for myself and do things for the kids. It's a start.
I do it because I love it. Because I always hated office work. Because I love the beauty industry and always leaned towards it whether with hairdressing, makeup artistry or whatever. I love working with people (even the challenging 'special' people that make you nuts).


3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?
I want my clients natural nails to be HEALTHY. that is why I take so darrrrrrrrrrrn long half the time. Out of concern and fear of filing the natural nail, avoiding that like the plague. While I prefer doing enhancements (particularly my new skill that I'm practicing-sculpting) and nail art because more often than not, enhanced nails are longer; I also like doing natural nails just for the sake of doing them and making someone smile and making them feel special and pampered. I love that smile at the end of it all. The only thing that beats it is when my kids smile at me.

4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?
No. Why? I'm atheist-Pagan ha ha ha:lol:
Do I feel that I have a natural talent for it? Yes, I do. Everything I've tried, I've learned pretty quickly and am mostly self taught. And although I still make goofs and am by no means the best here, I think I do pretty darn tooting good for someone who had pitiful courses and is learning mostly on her own. Do I think I could be better? HECK YEAH!!! And I will be too!!!:green:


PS: have enjoyed reading everyone's responses and look forward to reading more.

 

[neko]

1) Do you have a passion for nails? 1a) When did it start?

I've never had a passion for nails. I still don't. But I love doing my job because my clients have a passion for nails and I've made them feel 100% better. My passion for *doing* nails comes from my passion for people

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?

Actually, yes. I wanted a way to supplement my income to make a better life for my daughter and myself. I thought, relatively low startup costs, high profit (shows how much I knew). But as soon as I started my course, I realised that I just LOVED it. I've never been happier than when I'm absolutely run off my feet, with client after client.

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?

I want people's hands to be presentable. It makes such a difference to someones over-all appearance. Every time I apply enhancements I do it with a view to preserving the natural nail underneath. I will never recommend that a client with strong natural nails, who is capable of growing them out, get enhancements. I always explain to my clients the hows and whys of enhancement care, and I get quite technical about it so that they understand in depth. I've found that that increases the likelihood of aftercare.

4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?

I don't know if it's it's God-given, but I think that the only reason that I've become good at nails is because I have a passion for what I do. I love it so much that I want to be the best. It's still early days, but I'm improving in leaps and bounds. So, really... it's a bit too soon to tell if I'm talented.... but I think I might be... All my clients are very impressed.

 

[Ms.Matrix]

I have enjoyed reading everyones answers and I think that it is only fitting that I answer my own questions...:lol:


1) Do you have a passion for nails? As stated earlier I do indeed have a deep in dwelling passion for the nail industry.

1a) When did it start? It started when I was just a young girl fascinated with nails and when I watched a friend do my nails I said "Hey, I could do this" and I did. This passion eventually lead me to school and ultimately to this site

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck? Nope, actually the money thing never once came into play for me, this is something that I could do all day long even if I never made a penny!

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? I have a sincere desire to see all nails healthy and beautiful, because I believe there is nothing better than seeing a person with well manicured hands. When I start my nail salon I want it to be world-renowned for promoting the health of the whole nail and hand, with or without enhancements, I truly want to strive to educate and inform first and foremost. It troubles me so to see ladies who wear enhancements to think that acrylic damages nails or that your nail beds are supossed to have dents, holes and be paper thin.

4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Well, I for one do believe that any talent or skill that we have starts as a seed planted by God. It is up to us to water the seed and make it grow. Why? If he had not given me the thirst and the desire to do this, even from a young age, I would not be here now!

 

[~Emmsybabes~]

I go into all this detail to ask this:
1) Do you have a passion for nails?
yes i do a huge passion,i never realised i would love this half as much as i do,
1a) When did it start?
when i was about 6 and my nana told me her new puppy wouldnt like me if i bit my nails,but then bought my first set of falsies when i was about 10...hooked!!!!
2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?
no way,i did it mainly to do my own,i never dreamed i would even have a "client" as i had no confidence whatsoever,i didnt think id ever be able to do a set on anybody other than myself!
3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?
yes but my main interest is enhancements,i think it should be a legal requirement to wear them lol!,the reason...the look on my clients face when i have finished thier nails,everything changes,even the posture ,they feel femine and pampered,i love making them feel that way,it makes me happy and proud
4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?
i wouldnt say a god given talent,but i do think i have a flair for nails,i seem to pick things up quickly and be able to adapt to new things easily,and my creativity is growing all the time.i do think i have found my way!

 

[The Beauty Zoo]

1) Do you have a passion for nails? 1a) When did it start?
I think I do have a passion and it started about 12-13 years ago when I had my own nails enhanced......and I was hooked!!!!

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck?
Hell NO!!!! I can think of other ways to make a fast buck....but nothing else that I would enjoy doing as much :lol: 3 years ago I was travelling a 60 mile round trip just to work on a Saturday to get some experience and confidence. I think I was left with about £10 for 6 hours work once I had taken out travelling and parking costs etc!!!!!

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Why?
Yes I do and I don't mind if it is with or without enhancements because no matter which service I perform the emphasis is always on the health of the natural nail.


4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Why?
:lol: :lol: :lol: NO!!! I have been a qualified nail tech for almost 8 years but I was so not confident that it took me until 3 years ago to even consider working on a client. I have had to work had for what I have achieved in my professional life and I will continue to do so.

BTW great thread Yolanda.....how's the marmite going???!!!!

 

[Ms.Matrix]

BTW great thread Yolanda.....how's the marmite going???!!!!

Well, I realized quickly that I did not like it on toast...so I'm looking for something else to try it in. I refuse to give up on it!!!:lol:

 

[Ms.Matrix]

Alright guys, I'm waiting for more replys!!!!!! :smack:

 

[Lady Mac]

1) I do have a passion for nails. It started when I was about 12 and used the 'stick ons'. My sister moved to Vancouver to stay with my cousin who had a salon/training school so when she came home for a visit she would bring her enhancement products with her. She eventually came over to Scotland for a month to train myself and my other sister how to do nails. (Oh my god, that was 16 years ago!!!)

2)My cousin wanted to get the nail business going in Scotland so she came over from Vancouver and got us set up in a salon, so the Fast bucks weren't for us I'm afraid LOL. I actually had a full time job but enjoyed doing nails so much I gave it up to do nails full time.

3)I do love to see healthy beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements. I do not work in a salon any more as I run the one stop in Glasgow and teach but I love to instill into my students the importance of keeping the natural nail healthy.

4) I do not have a God given talent for nails, my customers used to think I had and that I must have so much 'patience'!! I think I do have a God given talent with people and love to teach people the art of nails.

 

[madferrit]

1) Do you have a passion for nails? YES i think you have to in order to create something special

1a) When did it start?When i was about 13 and always had gorgeous natural nails and then always ended up doing my friends nails.

2) Did you just go into this field because you felt it was an easy way to make a fast buck? Never thought it was an EASY way to make money as im not naturally artistic and knew i would have to work hard to become something special and not just another tech who slapped it all on then filed it all off!!

3) Do you really have a desire to make healthy, beautiful nails be it with or without enhancements? Oh yes!! i'd love everyone to have perfectly manicured hands and feet at all times, i love doing manicures and most people cant believe the difference they make.Enhancements are what they say they are; they enhance the look of your natural nails-look after your nails and your enhancements will look fantastic!
4) Do you feel that you have a God-given talent for nails? Nope just a passion to be the best!!!