I had always been interested in the beauty industry, but after doing a school trident at an up-market beauty salon, I was put off, as I didn’t feel it would be creative enough for me. (The salon didn’t do nails.) In my last year of school, I started babysitting for my mum’s friend who did nails from home. She was great at nails and even better at nail art, as I was doing art at school, she let me have a go. I loved it, so as well as going to Art College, I also did a 22-week nail course at another college. I was hooked: I loved the creativity I got with nails that I didn’t get from other beauty disciplines.

My first ever nail job was as a trainee nail tech at a salon in Doncaster in 1997. I did mobile and salon work for a few years, and in 2000, I became a salon manager for the first time. In 2002, I opened my own nail and skin care centre.

I’m probably best known in the industry for competing. I’ve entered dozens of competitions and won several championships, and I’m looking forward to more, both at home and abroad!

In fact, I first started using Kinetics after winning vouchers for their products at nail competitions in Birmingham and Edinburgh in 2008. I placed my order and fell in love with what I received. This motivated me to become a Kinetics Instructor. I had already been teaching for quite a while – I’d started in 2000 at a local adult learning college, then gone on to a beauty course and was asked to do a nail art course – so this was a natural next step. I love seeing my students progress and go on to become great nail techs. My favorite thing about teaching is when you see the information click in the student’s mind. All of a sudden they understand it, and there’s no stopping them then. I love it!

Now my job has a huge amount of variety to it, which is so much fun! Along with teaching, doing clients’ nails, and competing, I also work on photo shoots with makeup and nails, tutor apprentice students on their courses, and advise other nail techs on competitions. Every day holds something different. It keeps me interested and on my toes – I’m literally never bored!

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