I just wanted my nails done like all the other baddies...
March 2021, 1 year after everybody's lives changed forever, I was in my emerging baddie era: going out with friends for drinks (for the first time in my life!), stepping up my self-care game, moving up at work, etc. After weeks of researching and saving up my coins, I thought I'd finally found a professional nail salon that could execute the perfect set for me. I wanted a long, bold, durable acrylic set with a kind of blue and white porcelain inspired design that would be unique and fit my vibe (at that time, I was obsessed with blues and greens!).
Well... here's how it went down and how it led to me starting my own nail business and becoming the nail artist I am today.
How it started...
I chose to go on my day off just in case it was going to take longer than I anticipated. I show up, the young woman at the front desk greets me and checks me in. When a seat becomes available, I'm escorted over to the nail tech and asked if I would like anything to drink. Like, wow, fancy. Then I looked around and saw multiple huge, like, 60+ inch TV's, all with different things showing, and I honed in on the one conveniently positioned in above me... HGTV, endless House Hunters marathon. IFKYK. At this point, I'm sipping on my little soda, all excited until I found out they also serve champagne. I started thinking, "Come on now, this just might be the most luxurious anything I've ever been in, much less a nail salon!"
Mind you, I had done WEEKS of research to find this place, and to be honest, it had stellar reviews. So, I was pumped. As long as it took me to find the place, it took me even longer to decide what I wanted to get. I finally found some inspiration in those blue and white porcelain bowls and jars somebody's mom has at least one of in her cabinet. Back then, I wasn't really seeing it around and it didn't start trending until the past year or so, for me. So, hey, let's give it a shot and see where we land, I thought... foolishly.
Should have known better...
Everything started out normal: the tech prepped my nails as we discussed my desired design and length. I should have known something was about to turn a little south when she looked confused about the design choice. She kind of winced and squinted her eyes as if she couldn't see the images from a foot away from her face. Her confidence slightly faded and she would periodically pause her casual filing of the long-ish nail tips (at least one of which was applied crooked, but I let it go because my fingers aren't all straight to begin with). This is when I should have either switched techs or designs, because at that point, it wasn't clear that she could execute it. Still, we continued on our journey together...
Almost 2 hours later...
Turns out, she couldn't execute the design! She ended up calling over a second tech to give it a shot. I had a little hope in me that at least he was maybe more experienced and she was just probably more skilled on the prep and simpler designs. I was so wrong. The both of them struggled for another 45 minutes to an hour trying to execute this "super difficult" blue and white porcelain design, like they were taking turns at a seemingly unsolvable math problem. Meanwhile, in the seat right next to me, was another patron getting this beautiful pastel rainbow ombre XXL square set, with Louis Vuitton hand-drawn luxury art. I know, right! They were everything I was hoping to get out of my experience: uniqueness, bold length, and vibrant colors. I knew I should have waited to get that nail tech. I mean, sis was in and out, sat down after me, left before I did... embarrassing!
I remember heading up to the front desk to pay and remarking to the receptionist that I wasn't happy with my set. She told me the total was $150, and I of course had to tip like $30 because two techs were involved! I didn't even want them to retry. Knew it would be too painful (because they were acrylic), it would take forever (because they would need to be soaked off to fix them), and it was too expensive (the receptionist let mw know I would have to pay for the new set as well, at least for the new design). All in all, wouldn't recommend.
I ended up going to lunch with the girlies the next day. They pointed out the chips that had formed on the edges of the nail where the acrylic wasn't applied correctly, and the nails themselves were bumpy from uneven filing post-acrylic application. Needless to say, I wasn't happy with the attempt at the design, the shaping of the nails, nor the fact that I paid almost $200 for nails that chipped not even 24 hours after I had them done!
Kind of like a superhero origin story... or supervillain, depending on who you ask...
Something shifted in the air in the 24 hours following my expensive trip to my first luxurious nail salon experience. I kept discovering more issues with the set, increasing my level of dissatisfaction. Something had to give. I've been in love with long nails since I was in 4th grade, and I was obsessed with the craft that the numerous nail techs possessed. I never had a set I wasn't pleased with in all my years, nor did I ever fork out as much as I did this time.
That was the last day I got my nails done in a professional nail salon. After wearing the nails for about 3 weeks to a month, I finally soaked them off and went bare for another year. Then, I had an epiphany while watching a nail tutorial on LongHairPrettyNails' YouTube channel. (If you haven't heard about her, definitely check her channel out, asap!) The thought I had was simple: If SHE can do her own nails, so can I.
I researched endlessly what materials I would need, where to get them from, and how to do designs with my left hand, since I was going to attempt the gel-x route. However, this is where things shifted again... I couldn't quite get my right hand's designs down, and the research restarted. While on Pinterest looking for design ideas, I stumbled upon the phenomenon I thought was outdated. Yep. Press-On Nails. Long story short, it was much easier to do my nails when I made my own press-ons. They were easier to apply, much easier to design consistently, and I could easily switch shapes and lengths depending on my mood.
I got so good at consistently doing my nails that people started asking me where I was getting them done at! That's how I knew I was on the right path, y'all. I kept going, kept growing, kept learning. I followed nail artists, nail techs, and press-on nail businesses and I studied their techniques. I created Pinterest boards to stay inspired, and I ALWAYS. TOOK. PICTURES. Even when I felt like my designs weren't the best, most luxurious sets, I displayed them with pride. I even did my nails while traveling, proving that I could even take this gig on the road, if necessary.
However, I learned a very valuable lesson in all this: sometimes, a bad thing can lead to a great thing. My worst waste of nearly $200 at a salon would lead to me spending nearly $200 on the supplies I needed to start doing my own nails. Who knew?
What I learned...
- Not all salons and nail techs are created equal. If you realize that your nail tech just isn't meshing with you or maybe they're just not capable of executing your design(s), it's time to switch techs, babes. Or even switch shops.
- If you're not happy with your experience or the outcome of your desired set, say something before it's too late and before you pay a dime. We as patrons should be able to be understanding of certain circumstances that may impede on the process, but firm on what we want. I feel that so many of us just don't want to inconvenience them, but we're only doing the shop a disservice by not speaking up when we're not happy. Be respectful, but firm. You're the one wearing the nails after all!
- If you can't seem to get more use and durability out of your nails, give press-on nails a shot! I know there's a stigma that press-ons are outdated, but not so much these days. Custom press-on nails that you can get the most use out of, are nowhere near like the cheap, thin, plastic frenchies we get from the pharmacy. Press-on nails, like the ones here at Pressed By Talia (not a shameless plug if it's literally on the same website), are durable, reusable, and handmade using quality and artistic skill.
Though I know I'll never get that $180 back, I'm grateful for that terrible experience for igniting my passion and giving me a purpose that combines my love for the arts with my obsession for bold and unique nails.
xoxo