Nailed It: Finding the Perfect Nail Technician

If you’re someone who loves to have their nails on slay then you probably also know the struggle of finding a nail technician that does a consistently amazing job, that has all the colour and nail art options you want, and also doesn’t charge an arm and a leg. Picture me, a balling-on-a-budget student wrought with anxiety because of my O.C.D. and perfectionist ways, just trying to get my nails in order for my birthday. Girl… It was a damn mess!

I was turning 21 and it was the first time that I had gotten my nails done so I was not very experienced when it came to judging quality work. A close friend of mine had been doing her nails for years and had found a new nail technician that was able to do nail art – something that bigger and busier franchise stores would either not be able to do, or would charge ridiculous amounts of money to do. I was really excited about her being able to do intricate nail art and the fact that she was quite cheap, so I decided to try her out. To be very honest, the work was untidy and uneven and I was not ecstatic about the outcome, especially since I had gone to her with an image of what I wanted my nails to look like. To my despair, my nails looked like the ugly fat cousin of the Instagram-model nails in the picture:-(. To make matters worse, I broke a tip (nail extension) the following day while I was doing my dishes. Bro… the dispair…

Fortunately it didn’t hurt and it wasn’t anything damaging to my own nail. I returned to the technician the following day and she fixed it free of charge and in time for my birthday celebration. However, I broke another tip a few days later. I didn’t know that having beautiful nails resulted in this much suffering. The heartache that pulsed through me after I had the gelish, the acrylic and the tips removed with the use of a sandpaper-like nail file and copious amounts of acetone to reveal short, damaged nails would’ve almost been the worst part – but it wasn’t. Let’s not even begin to discuss how weak and sensitive my nails were afterwards. At least I remembered that nails grew out and they would go back to the way they were with a lot of love and attention.

After giving my nails some time to grow out and strengthen I began to get my nail-cravings again. Needless to say, I buckled and I idiotically decided to give the same technician another chance and ended up regretting my decision . However, I felt like I didn’t really have a lot of options. There weren’t a lot of private technicians advertising at the time and bigger stores, like Sorbet, were just way to pricey. Let me just state that she wasn’t horrible – she was talented but she sacrificed good quality products for cheaper options so that she could keep her prices low, however, I don’t think that worked out well in retrospect.

I then found a beauty salon that had a qualified nail technician that I decided to try. I had to save up some money and went to get my nails done. This lady was amazing! Her work was stunning and the nails were strong and lasted a long time, however, she was so expensive. I had simple tips, acrylic and nail polish done but the price was through the roof. I knew that I could not afford to go to her continuously and therefore left the fancy nails for special occasions. And my search was back on… My mom found an amazing nail tech in Ladysmith, Kwa Zulu Natal where I’m from – Just Nails Brigette , check out her page on Instagram or Facebook! She is amazing! – however, I could not wait to see her every few months when I went home on holiday. So I kept trying new technicians and kept leaving disappointed. It was not fun, guys.

It felt like a miracle when out of the blue my friend found these amazing Korean nail technicians on Instagram that changed the game! Known as Woori Bella, these lovely ladies have saved me from horrible craftsmanship, severely damaged nails, and being broke. I’ve only had my nails done by them three times – more than enough times to know that you get what you’re looking for and the quality that you want. I have been through some crazy experiences with ‘nail technicians’ that I have left out to try to savour the happiness I now experience these days. So don’t be fooled by the pretty pink and the glitter: the hunt for the perfect nail technician is a rough one, so be sure to keep your favourite one as close to you as you can! This time, I decided to go for pink marble nails with a pop of white gliter acrylic on my ring finger. They are delicious! I usually tend to stick to more neutral colours and simple nail designs with a cute pop. I am excited to say that the lovely ladies have recently opened up a beauty salon/ clothing store in Cedar Square mall in Fourways, Johannesburg and I really recommend you try them out if you’re looking for your next nail-fix. Let them know I sent you. You won’t be sorry ;-).