Milly Shanks on her love of The Gel Bottle Inc & unusual nail art

Tell us about your training…

I trained at Total Academy in Stockton, but all of my nail art is self-taught. I have a degree in Applied Arts so I’ve always had a paintbrush in my hand!

What is your all-time favourite nail product?

Anything and everything by The Gel Bottle Inc! It’s such an amazing brand and it’s helped my business grow so much. The selection of colours is amazing, and the Builder in a Bottle is my must have product.

Who do you admire in the industry? 

There’s so many amazing nail techs, but some of my favourites are:

Amy Rickaby @beautyworksbyamy

Katie Masters @nailthoughts

Lauren Holmes @nailedit_beauty

Learnah Starbuck @polishedbylearnahstarbuck

What designs do you love to create? 

It’s too hard to choose which style I love the most! I do a lot of florals which I love, but I also love doing a bright abstract set or something unusual. I love creating something new; I’ve had clients bring coffee mugs, flowers, swatches of fabric, jewellery and all sorts of things to provide inspiration. This is my favourite type of appointment!

If you had to pick one, what nail colour would characterise your personality?

BABE by The Gel Bottle Inc; I absolutely love the colour it’s cute, sparkly and so girly.

What treatment or nail technique are you planning to add to your services?

I’d love to keep learning new nail art techniques, water decals and stamping are things that need some practice! My wife works alongside me doing lash lifts and brow treatments.She’s hoping to train in brow lamination and dermaplaning soon to add to the treatment list.

What are your next steps?

Our next steps are a new work space! We are planning to convert our garage to create more space for us both to work in. I would absolutely love to be a brand ambassador eventually so I’ll keep striving towards that goal.

What is the most exciting thing about the UK nail industry?

The sheer amount of talent in this industry is amazing. Everyone is hardworking, passionate and inspiring. There are so many helpful nail technicians open to answering questions and helping each other out.

If you weren’t doing nails, what would you be doing?

Before I started in the nail industry, I was a florist for seven years. It’s probably where all my floral nail art inspo comes from! If I wasn’t in this industry, I would definitely still be in that one. It was a beautiful job and allowed me be my creative self!