Tech Talk: Eloise Oakes of Elle’s Gels & Beauty
By Callie Iley | 01 August 2020 | Feature, Tech Talk
Scratch chats to Eloise Oakes of Elle’s Gels & Beauty in Hertfordshire about her journey as a nail tech and the next steps in her career…
“I found my love for nails as a child aged around seven or eight. I used to play around with my mum’s nail polishes and watch YouTube videos about nail art. I began my professional nail journey working at Salon Beauty Clinic which helped me gain loads of experience as a nail tech, for which I am extremely grateful. I then decided to focus on creating a salon space for my business, Elle’s Gels & Beauty. This means that currently, the average day for me is working hard to complete my salon, trying to find out everything I need to know and making it the best it can possibly be.
“I source a lot of the inspiration for my nails from my local area, which is rural, so a lot of my nail art designs are inspired by nature. I keep my own nails simple, but of course I make sure to look after them. Looking after my cuticles is a key factor in keeping my nails healthy – I regularly applycuticle oil and hand cream! In terms of products, my all-time favourite has to be the Builder in a Bottle from The Gel Bottle Inc. It helps give nails extra strength and support growth.
“The best tip I could give to an aspiring nail tech is to practise. If you try something new on your nails and it doesn’t work out the first time, try again. You can only ever get better! I’d also say to always push yourself to try new things and do things you wouldn’t expect yourself to be capable of, because you will be surprised at how much you can achieve. The one piece of advice I was given that changed my career is to always do what I love. I have always loved art and found my canvas in nails. There isn’t a day where I get bored of what I do – there is no end to what you can create!
“My next steps will be completing my salon to make it the best it could possibly be. Opening my own salon is such a huge step for me, but it felt like the right time to make it.”
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