Nail tech launches clothing & product line in lockdown

Jaki Logan, of Nova Nails, found inspiration within the weeks of lockdown in order to keep her business alive by launching Break Hearts, Not Nails – a clothing and product line for both professionals and consumers alike.

“I started doing nails around three years ago,” explains Jaki. “I was approaching 30 and working in banking – I was a creative person and this side of me wasn’t being catered to in my day-to-day job. The thought of turning 30 and looking back on my life with regrets made me get off my bum and go back to college. After two years of building my confidence and skills I woke up one morning, quit my job and Nova Nails was born!”

Making the decision to become self-employed in 2019, Jaki rented a space in a salon up until UK lockdown restrictions were put in place in March. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the toll it was taking on businesses, Jaki decided to leave the salon with no real plan.

However, to keep herself busy and ensure her business was kept alive, Jaki designed and developed a merchandise line titled ‘Break Hearts, Not Nails’ as a sister company to Nova Nails.

“I’ve always said I never wanted to be just a nail technician, I wanted my business to have so much more to it and for me it’s all about branding,” says Jaki. “I want people to recognise who I am and my work outside of seeing someone’s nails. I’d toyed with the idea of producing merchandise for a very long time but never had the chance to give it my full attention. Covid-19 gave me the push I needed to go for it, as I had so much time to look into everything and do things properly!

“I came up with the name ‘Break Hearts, Not Nails’ because it is a well-said quote in the nail industry – I love it as it rolls off the tongue, and its cute and cheeky!

“From the start, I knew the type of products that I wanted to retail but I’d never dealt in working with products before. I did a lot of research into how to retail and the best ways to sell online. At that point I felt confident enough to move onto design – I got help from an amazing illustrator to bring my logo idea to life and then it was onto finding the perfect suppliers to make my products a reality. After just two weeks in lockdown my first product was ready to buy online from my website and delivered straight to your door!”

“Being off work for four months made me evaluate so much in my life and I knew I always wanted bigger and better things for Nova Nails,” – Jaki Logan, owner of Nova Nails and Break Hearts, Not Nails.

Break Hearts, Not Nails sells nail care products as well as merchandise inspired by the love of nails. The line includes cuticle oils (re-selling from Emoki Nails), press-on nails, gel polish removal kits, at-home spa pedicure kits, t-shirts and stickers; and the next product added to the line will be branded pin badges. Jaki also places an importance on charity donations through the brand, as she retailed t-shirts where 10% of the profits were donated to food banks and designed stickers to raise money for Black Lives Matter.

What’s more, in the final weeks of lockdown, Jaki decided to take a leap of faith and open her own salon in Glasgow City Centre. “Being off work for four months made me evaluate so much in my life and I knew I always wanted bigger and better things for Nova Nails,” smiles Jaki. “Renting a small nail desk wasn’t going to cut it. I wanted to call the shots and do everything I could to make my business the best it could be! I officially opened the Nova Nails salon in Glasgow City Centre on the 22 July – of course within the parameters of the Covid-secure guidelines set by the First Minister. We off a range of nail services including acrylic, gel polish and nail art, as well as spa pedicures all in a very Instagram-able salon!

“I love the nail industry because of the support from other nail technicians – we come together from all over the world to help and boost each other. I love how creative we all are and how we can make someone’s day with a fresh set of nails. The sky is the limit with the nail industry – there is always something new to learn and room to grow.

“My hopes for the future are that I can follow in the footsteps of the techs I aspire to and that Nova Nails will continue to grow and be the first place clients want to go to when they think about booking an appointment!’

Break Hearts, Not Nails products are available via www.nova-nails.co.uk/shop and can be found on social media here. 

Follow Jaki’s nail journey here and/or here.