NAIL TECH TALK: Stephanie Connolly of Nailed it! Nails by Steph

Scratch chats to Stephanie Connolly of Nailed it! Nails by Steph about dealing with self doubt and her advice for aspiring nail techs…

My favourite all time nail product is my complete Kokoist USA gel collection as they are so pigmented and apply beautifully. I’m a massive nail art fan so having gel that I can use for full coverage colour as well as nail art is just the dream, I would be lost without them!

I’m obsessed with doing nails because I love the feeling you get when you put a smile on your client’s face, and they can’t stop looking at their nails! That feeling is indescribable and so amazing.

Being able to express my creativity through nail art has really helped me with depression and anxiety… Painting nails is my therapy.

I have another job as well as being a nail tech, so I have to do a lot of typing. Because of this, my own nails have to be plain and short, but if I had my way I would have long  and super jazzy nails.

I’m love lilac as a nail colour. As a colour, it’s such a chilled and happy shade, which I think would describe me quite well.

There are so many amazing nail techs out there – it’s so hard to not doubt yourself, or constantly compare yourself and your journey to others. Early on in my career, Faime Bass said to me, ‘just be you, stay in your lane and focus on yourself, then good things will follow’. That was the greatest piece of advice I’ve ever received, and I still say it myself to this day if I’m ever doubting myself.

If I couldn’t do nails, I would love to be a tattoo artist. It’s something super creative, where you can make people happy, and I’m also covered in them!

My tips for any new techs would be that it can be overwhelming coming into the industry as a newbie, not knowing what brands or products to invest in, so it’s so important to do your own research about what products and brands work best for you and your clients.

Also, do the kind of nails that you love and make you happy. Your own personal style is what makes your nails special, so embrace that.

Follow Stephanie’s nail journey on Instagram, here.