Meet Our Member of the Month: Nikki from @nikki_nailed.it

The Nail Tech Org wouldn’t be what it is without the amazing people in our community.

This October, we’re celebrating Nikki from @nikki_nailed.it as our Member of the Month!

Scroll to learn all about her journey as a nail technician, her holy-grail products, favourite things about being an NTO member and more…

Tell us a little bit about you!

I’m definitely a unique individual with a lot of stories! I have suffered with mental health struggles most of my life, and have recently been diagnosed with Combined Adult ADHD.

It does mean life is a struggle, but I’ve done a lot of work on myself in the last few years and my main achievement has been setting up my studio and business 🙂

I got married last month, and my husband along with my friends are my life, I would do anything for them.

I know it’s cliche, but my hobby is and always has been – nails!

I eat, sleep, and breathe nails and nail art! Even when I was at my absolute lowest, the only thing I wanted to do was paint nails.

How did you get into nails?

I’ve always loved nails and nail art.

I have a book displayed in my studio which is the same book I would admire nail art designs in when I was 6 years old – the book is from 1997!

It even still has the pages folded over on my favourite designs! I always struggled to achieve designs with regular polish (we all did back then!), but when I discovered gel nails in 2015 I couldn’t believe my eyes!! It was dry, just from being in a lamp!!?? Mind blown!!

This was when I really started to push myself with my art on my own nails.

In August 2024 I started selling press on nails on Etsy, which did semi-well but nothing I could ever pursue full time.

I was always steered in a different direction from nails growing up, so I worked in corporate 9-5 jobs for years (I was an Engineer!), but I always had the feeling there was something better out there and I wanted my life to be more centered around me and my needs.

It wasn’t until I unfortunately suffered a serious discrimination incident at my 9-5 workplace that I decided to pursue being a nail tech as a career.

I had been doing a friends nails for a few months by this point, and I knew from how rewarding it was and how much we both enjoyed the sessions that this was the right path for me. My vision was to have my own garden studio, and do the thing I love full time.

So I worked tirelessly to gain my qualification and get the studio built before my wedding, so that I could be up and running by the time my SSP ran out at my workplace – I didn’t go back after the incident.

And I can happily say, I achieved everything I set out to achieve 🙂

How did you find us?

I found Char on Instagram! Her post about how her life had changed in a year really resonated with me, and I think it was pure chance that I came across it (thank you insta algorithm!).

I sent Char a message, basically asking how she did it. How did she leave her job, how did she navigate becoming a nail tech, and that I was in the exact same position and didn’t know what to do.

Char was absolutely incredible from day one, and by the time I went for my VIP day with her I already felt so comfortable and like I’d made a friend.

What’s your fave thing about The Nail Tech Org?

My favourite thing about NTO is the community. I feel like I’m part of such a lovely and supportive group of unbelievably talented artists, and you are all wonderful!

There are a few other things I appreciate too, like the attention to detail in the courses and the content, and how informative and useful all the training material is. 

What’s your favourite course you’ve done with us?

It would have to be the Beginners Gel Course, because that was the one that taught me everything I know and started my new chapter 🙂

Second to that, I love all the nail art tutorials!

What are your favourite kind of nails to do?

That’s easy – portrait and character nails!

I enjoy the whole process, not just painting the nails but preparing the images and colour matching too.

I use a technique called the “wet on wet” technique for my portraits, and it’s so wonderful seeing the colours blend together as I’m painting.

The finished results always astound me as well!

Tell us about a holy grail product in your kit.

Ooh making me pick just one – that’s mean!!!

It would be a close call between my nail art gels and my brushes. If I didn’t have my brushes, I wouldn’t be able to achieve the perfection I strive for.

If I didn’t have my art gels, I wouldn’t be able to create the designs I do – discovering art gels was a huge game changer for me!

Who is your dream client?

Anyone who chooses me to do their nails – it’s an honour every time!

Do you have any future plans? Let us know!

I do have some plans for Christmas – I’m hoping to host another event at the studio where people who come will be asked to bring something they would like to donate to charity.

Then on Christmas day, me and my husband are planning to distribute the stuff we collected to various charities around Manchester.

I have lost the magic of Christmas the last few years due to a very tough time in my personal life, so I thought what better way to try and get it back than to give back to those in need over Christmas.

If you could sum up The Nail Tech Org in just 3 words, what would they be?

Absolutely bloody brilliant!!!

Also supportive, thorough, and safe 💜

Interested in joining The Nail Tech Org and to be in with the chance of becoming our next member of the month?

Click here to learn more and make the best decision of your life, you won’t regret it.