Fereida Lydiate on fibreglass nails and the importance of CPD

We chatted Scratch Stars Awards 2019 L&P Tech of the Year, Fereida Lydiate…

How did you career in nails come about?

I originally trained as a beauty therapist as there weren’t courses available just for nails and completed my beauty training in 1996. From there I worked in a salon as a therapist. As they had no nail tech, they trained me in nails to cover their nail clients too.

I quickly found where I wanted to be in the industry and although I continued with beauty alongside doing nails, I knew my passion was for nails. I went on to complete my NVQ in Nail Techniques in 2000 and from there completed numerous courses with CND™ becoming a CND™ Master in 2002.

What are your thoughts on education?

I believe CPD is vital to our industry. Although I feel I have a good knowledge of the industry, I still absolutely believe that I can always learn new skills.

What is your all-time favourite nail product?

L&P acrylic will always be my go-to product. I love that in one day I can easily go from creating a simple overlay to add strength to a natural nail, to creating an extreme nail length and shape for a client. You can even build 4d art elements or sculptures to create fantasy nail art work. The possibilities really are endless as the system allows nail techs to explore their creativity.

What designs do you love to create?

I absolutely love anything with bling. Swarovski crystals literally take me to my happy place – so the more bling designs I can do, the better. As a busy tech in the salon, these designs are also super quick to fit into a busy day and I know they will see clients leave sparkly and happy.

What treatment or nail technique are you planning on adding to your service?

At the moment, I am getting an increase in enquiries for natural nail care. I trained with the fibreglass system as part of my NVQ training and think this would be a great addition.

I feel it is a product that is often under used but it is fab for natural nail repairs or for clients who need to add a little extra strength to their nails.

What are your next steps?

I am currently still trying to decide if I am going to enter Nailympia London this year, as it takes so much of my time away from family. It’s a big decision that needs running past them too as they also take this journey with me and it affects us all –financially and emotionally. They also have to put up with my mood swings when I’m competing if my practices don’t go well!