#NowTrending: Mystical mushrooms by Kim Colclough
By Callie Iley | 08 December 2020 | Feature, Tech Talk
Scratch chats with Kim Colclough of Studio K Waxing & Beauty about her entry into the nail industry & the inspiration behind this psychedelic design…
I’ve had an interest in nails since the age of 14 years old, when I dabbled with corner flick nail art. I went to college and completed my beauty courses and continue to be inspired by other techs on YouTube and Instagram. Keeping up with trends also helps me to constantly improve as I spend hours perfecting the simplest of designs.
My signature nail style is a basic French mani. I can do a mean smile line, and it’s so versatile! My most popular is a natural nail with an opaque base with an obvious and bright design over the top. I use products, from IBD to Indigo to Magpie. Magpie nail art brushes and chromes have changed my life!
The design
I really wanted to do a psychedelic themed mushroom set , so I dug into the questionable side of Pinterest art and started on my background. I used a navy blue base and marbled in a forest green using a chunky nail art brush, then cured the design. Following this, I used a blooming gel, created my white spots and grass, then cured under a matte top coat. Over that, I painted my mushrooms and their patterns, then encapsulated them with a shiny top coat to create a different texture, and slight 3D effect.
I think my favourite thing about working in the nail industry is seeing the creativity and talent. It amazes me how one person sat at a nail desk one day thought ‘I’m going to recreate tortoise shell,’ and it blew up into a huge trend.
The highlight of my career, I think, was making the move to being self employed. I had to put my big girl pants on, and I’ve seen a whole new side to the beauty industry. My skills have evolved so quickly, with being able to manage my time myself, and any time someone recognises my skills I get a little buzz, like being asked to do this. It means a lot to us little fish in this big pond!
In the future I hope to be branching into education. I love passing on my knowledge and love when I know I’ve made someone’s nail life a little easier. Also to be in a Covid free world. so I can actually smile at people! And, obviously, now I’m Scratch famous, I’ll be doing Beyoncé’s nails in no time…