Lover of all things pink & sparkly, Jamiyla Deniran, known as Jamy, shares an insight into her life working from a tattoo studio in Hackney & reveals her plans for her future in nails

Jamy’s nail journey began as a teenager when she began recreating nail art she had seen online. “When I was about 16 years old, I used to follow a band called STOOSHE. I was always obsessed with the nail art they used to post on Twitter – the artist was Sophy Robson.

Copying the nail art with a toothpick and Tweeting it to the band as a hobby, Jamy would always receive compliments for the designs she recreated, which gave her the confidence to pursue nails as a career.

Training in beauty therapy at Croydon College, Jamy qualified in 2013 and has since obtained qualifications in gel polish and Gel-X Extensions. Jamy worked full-time in various salons across London since qualifying, however, she lost her job at the salon she was working at when the lockdown hit.

“Not being able to work gave me time to think and expand my treatment menu, such as Apres Gel-X Extensions, and I spent time improving my nail art skills,” she remembers. “When things opened up again, I started doing mobile work until January 2023, when the idea of setting up in a tattoo studio was suggested and I thought… That’s a great idea!”

Jamy is based at private tattoo studio, Nirvana Studio, in Hackney. The space features bright, leafy green walls with plenty of pink touches and kawaii-inspired elements, and a bold, pink neon sign displaying the studio name.

“This is my first time working in Hackney, and in a private studio. I absolutely love my set-up in the studio, and I love that I can be myself there. Studio owner and tattoo artist, Courtney Lloyd, has made the space so comfortable for me.”

“I don’t feel like I’m fitting into a space at Nirvana,” she says. “Instead, a space was made for me there, and I feel like I’m meant to be there. 

“Working at Nirvana is combining two things I have a passion for – nails and tattoos. I love to walk around and see what the tattoo artists are working on, and I’m always amazed at the art they create.” 

“My clients like pink just as much as I do,” Jamy laughs. “Chrome is the most popular nail art choice with my clients right now. I picked up some gorgeous pink chromes on my travels to South Korea.

“Another popular choice is French manicures, as much as we try to fight it! Whether it’s your classic French or French with a twist, it’s very popular with my clients currently, and always will be. Swirl designs have also been extremely popular with clients.”

The GelBottle Gel Polish in Miami

“The nail colour that characterises my personality is Miami by The GelBottle. If my life had a theme colour, it would be this shade.

“It’s the most gorgeous bright pink I’ve ever seen,” she gushes. “My personality is very bright, bubbly and outgoing, and I think Miami characterises this well. I also just love pink – pink is part of my personality!” 

“Tekking is such an engaging job – there’s always something new to learn, and I love being able to make my clients smile.”

“The highlight of my career would be finally being able to do nail art on clients on a regular basis, and working in a tattoo studio space,” Jamy reflects. “I would love to get into doing nails for events, set work, fashion shows and brands in the future, and to have my own private studio space that’s pink, and all things sparkly and cute.

“I’d one day love to teach the knowledge I know to other nail techs, and I’ll also be working on building my brand, so that JamyGelz will become a well known name.”

Follow JamyGelz on Instagram, here.