TECH TALK: Georgina Ironside of Ginalicious Nails

Scratch catches up with Georgina Ironside of Ginalicious Nails about her life as a nail tech and the importance of personal growth…

What is your all-time favourite nail product?

My all-time favourite nail product would be Candy Coat – Bubblegum Clean, Prep + Wipe, not only because it smells amazing, but also because it dehydrates the nail bed so well. All my customers comment on it too.

Who do you admire in the industry?

Firstly, Kirsty Meakin, she is an amazing personality. I love her YouTube videos. All through my training, I would refer to her videos, as she gives so much guidance and answers all the questions you don’t even think about. I’m also a huge fan of Nuka Nails – they’re huge on Instagram and are a massive inspiration for me. They’ve come so far with their business and the nails they create are so detailed and really original.

What designs do you love to create?

I love to create encapsulated glitter designs as it looks so amazing when the light hits the sparkles. I also love to create any sort of intricate and complex design, which is probably my strongest skill.

How do you keep your own nails?

How I keep my own nails really depends on my mood at the time. I mainly go for longer nails with bright colours and designs, but if I’m feeling lazy then I’ll have them short with one colour.

Tell us about an average day in your nail life…

The first thing on my list is a cup of tea! I then have a little catch up with the rest of the ladies at my salon, before checking my first customer to begin preparing for them. At the moment with everything going with coronavirus, cleaning is how I spend my time between customers. Usually my clients will come with a design already chosen or we will search for inspiration on Pinterest and dig through the huge amount of glitter I’m collecting.

If you weren’t doing nails, what would you be doing?

If I wasn’t doing nails, I would hope to be selling portraits through commission due to originally studying fine art at college.

Why is it so important for nail techs to advance their skill and artistry?

I believe this is so, so important! I don’t think you can ever stop learning and growing, as the world is constantly changing with new trends and products. Keeping as up to date as possible highlights personal growth and how passionate you are in the nail community!

Follow Georgina’s nail journey on Instagram and Facebook.