RISING STAR

Nailing it

After stumbling across her talent for nail art in lockdown, Charlotte Paradise, owner of @paradise. nailsandbeauty, reveals how she markets her business to be so successful along with her plans to offer masterclasses for fellow up and coming nail technicians.

When did you notice your passion for nails?

I have been a part of the beauty industry for over eight years, but only started my nail business last year. I have always loved having my nails done, it’s such a treat and makes me feel put together. When the initial lockdown struck last year, the thought of not having my nails done was just not an option. So, I took out my lamp along with the handful of gel colours that I had and started practicing and began creating nail art I didn’t know I was capable of.

How does your work stand out from nail techs/artists and what are your tips for helping aspiring nail techs to stand out?

I feel I have a very clear style of nail art that my followers and clients like to see.

I began creating nail art I didn’t know I was capable of.

I love to make mood boards of recent trends, adapt them and work them into my style. My advice to anyone looking to pursue their career as a nail tech would be to practice continuously and to not be afraid of trying new things. Ask your family and friends to practice on them as much as possible, this will help to build confi dence and your skills. You mustn’t compare yourself to other nail technicians as nail art is a skill that can take years to perfect, so go at your own pace and trust the process.

How do you market yourself to be such a successful nail tech?

In the very early days of my nail journey, I learnt from a friend and fellow business owner to ‘fi nd your niche’. This really inspired me and helped me grow as a nail artist, instead of trying to cover all angles and become amazing at everything, I could really focus on what I am passionate about. After fi guring this out I learned this is what I’m known for which makes marketing easier via social media.

How did you manage to build such a great client base?

Luckily, I have amazing friends and family that have supported me by becoming my clients. They allowed me to practice any designs I desired and share them to my Instagram page. They also helped promote my business by sharing my work on to their own pages. This helped me build up my following and gain an array of new clients. I also collaborated with fi ve other amazing local businesses in my area and put together a competition for one amazing NHS Hero to win a

prize! By working with these other local businesses, we were able to share each other’s work with our followers which helped gain followers. Involving yourself in social competitions is defi nitely recommended.

You obviously take a lot of pride in your social media, how important is this to succeed in a competitive industry and what tips can you offer for anyone struggling with engagement on socials?

I love to use social media to showcase my designs and interact with other nail techs. Instagram is amazing for connecting with new people and to be inspired by other amazing nail artists. I actually took a really useful social media course last year held by Georgie from @thehivesalon, she gave me so many tips on how to grow my social media platform. I would say that consistency is key, ensure you’re regularly posting new designs on your feed and stories. I also fi nd tagging relevant brands to my posts really helps with engagement for example @thegelbottle @ thesalonmagazine @tgbacadamy.

Another benefi cial tip is to always tag the account you were inspired by to create your design. This gives that artist the recognition they deserve but also nine times out of ten they will share your post to their story. This then showcases your work and your social media pages to all of their followers. I love this about the nail tech community, everyone wants each other to succeed and are always supportive of each other’s work.

Consistency is key

You do a lot of work which includes intricate detail, what are your tips for anyone trying to master this style of intricate work?

I have done lots of online nail art classes over the past year, there are some amazing nail techs that offer online master classes which I found super useful. I also practice on my own nails whenever I can, this allows me to perfect new ideas and helps with confi dence when creating new nail art designs on clients.

What is going to be your next step to further your career?

I feel like my nail career is only just beginning, my next steps are to keep growing my following and client base. I will keep attending classes and workshops to further my skills and to stay relevant with current trends. I would love to become a brand ambassador or to collaborate with industry faves such as The Gel Bottle and Nail Stamping Queen. I’m also hoping to offer master classes of my own over the next year as I found them so useful when I started my nail journey, I would love to help aspiring nail artists on their journey. @paradise.nailsandbeauty