WOW my first EVER blog!!

My passion for the Nail and Beauty industry started at a really young age. I think I was about 8 when I first started to experiment with different nail designs. Me and my sister would paint each other's nails and use biro's as dotting tools to create 3D polka dot effects. "It took aaaaaaages to dry but felt really cool" As a kid my mum used to get her nails done at a local salon. I would often go with her to appointments and watch intensely as her nail technician created beautiful nail extentions. I loved every stage from the minute we walked through the door. Watching the technician carefully apply the forms was fascinating. 

Fourteen and full of it

My 14th birthday I was allowed my first set of Acrylic nails. I went to back to school after the summer holidays and couldn't wait to show my friends. I had started asking family members to buy me the Rio nail art sets for Christmas and birthdays. I would sit for hours painting fake nails finding inspiration on the Internet and generally teaching myself along the way. By this point my friends had started having extensions done and soon they were asking me to do their designs and paying me for my creativity!! 

College days 

In 2005 I left school with very few grades. I found school frustrating and struggled all the way through. I knew what I wanted to do for a very long time and couldn't wait to get out and peruse my career in the Nail and Beauty industry. Although looking back I wish I had gained better grades but there were a number of reasons I hadn't. "I'll divulge that in another blog". I studied NVQ levels 1,2 and 3 in General Beauty, qualifying in the summer of 2008. During that time I'd secured myself a job in a local salon called Relaxed and waxed covering shifts and working evenings as well as maintaining a job in "The Body Shop" for a year and 8 months. 

Revalation

Once I had gained my level 3 qualification I left college and took on the full time position as Beauty Therapist at Relaxed and Waxed. I continued to gain additional qualifications in lots of areas of Beauty and Teaching including: 

• Spray tanning 

• Red vein advanced Electrolysis 

• Acrylic nail enhancements 

• Dermalogica's on going skin care specialist courses

• Advanced intimate waxing 

• PTLLS

• LVL lash lifting

 In 2009 we introduced CND's Shellac to our treatment list. It was then that I was able to take my passion for Nail Art to the next level. I was able to apply shellac as a solid base colour to the nail before adding intricate nail designs with either Shellac, Polish or Acrylic paint. I could correct any mistakes without ruining the whole nail saving me hours of time before setting the design under the shellac top coat to guarantee long lasting beautiful nails.

(some of my first ever shellac nails with nail art)

My Aim

Over the last 17 years I have tried and perfected a number of amazing techniques and I want to share them with as many of you as possible. I plan to document different areas of my work including step by steps tutorials and video to help demonstrate ways in which you can achieve similar results. I'm not saying I know everything, there are always ways in which you can continue to develop your knowledge and skills and i would love to know how you have mastered different techniques. The Beauty Industry is constantly evolving and if there is anything I would like to say to anyone starting out it would be:

1. Get ahead of the game - use the Internet to your advantage. There is a wealth of information you can obtain at the click of a button that will help expand your knowledge to become an expert in whatever area of beauty/business you have decided to specialize.
2. Gain legitimate qualifications - ensure that whoever you decided to do training with can provide you with guaranteed insurable certificates. 
3.  Believe in yourself - nobody becomes and expert over night but by practicing and researching you will gain the confidence you need to become a professional.  
4. Ask your self - one thing I ask myself during every single treatment is "would I be happy to leave a salon with this level of service myself" 
5. Constant self development - you can become anything you want to if you put your mind to it set ,your self little goals like "learning how to engage with people  successfully through your business Facebook page or developing your customer service skills. 

obviously there is a whole load or other elements i haven't been able to cover in this small introduction but that's why i'm now "A Blogger"

Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog and feel free to comment

Kolaine