Britney Tokyo on working with A-List celebrities
By Sophie Nutt | 31 January 2020 | Feature, Tech Talk
Hello! I’m Britney Tokyo, I began my career as a manicurist in a nail salon, which was around the same time as I started my Instagram account on which I posted photos of the nail art I was creating every day. At that time, nail art definitely wasn’t as popular as it is currently, but now I’m lucky enough to have over 220,000 Instagram followers.
My very first celebrity client was actress, Vanessa Hudgens, who enquired about my work after spotting it on social media and asked me if I could work on her nails. Luckily, she loved what I did for her so much that she showed her appreciation by posting a photo of the nail look on her social media and tagging me in it. After that, other celebrities started reaching out to me asking if I could create nail designs for them, including Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Rita Ora, Charli XCX and Rosalia.
Working with celebrities is extremely different to working in a salon because a nail technician has to create a design, not only to make the hands look good, but incorporate themes and fashions of the season. Unlike being in a salon, the nature of the job means I am always in different locations and so I am constantly inspired by my surroundings, which helps me to create new and interesting designs.
When working on a music video, the nail art has to ‘pop’ more than everyday designs in order for it to stand out. Usually I have already created the tips before the shoot, so I can quickly apply them on set. For a photo shoot, the nails are usually shot in detail so the designs tend to be created on set. Depending on the make-up and what the model is wearing, I adapt the design accordingly. Celebrity house calls are all about privacy: famous celebrities have a hard time going to nail salons as the paparazzi follow them, so it is often easier for a nail technician to visit them in the comfort of their own home.
Over the next 12 months, I hope I can share with you some of the hottest nail trends and products from around the world, as well as give you an inside look into my life as a celebrity manicurist!
Follow Britney’s nail career on Instagram and check out her monthly columns in Scratch magazine throughout 2020!
