Inside the Leeds nail salon known for its Y2K decor & viral nail art

Meet Freya-Poppy Bowden, the Y2K-obsessed nail tech whose Leeds-based salon is every millennial’s dream!

Growing up in a family of artists, it is no surprise that Freya-Poppy’s creativity flourished early. At the age of 11, she began experimenting with nail art and quickly fell in love with the medium. She used anything and everything to enhance her skills, saying: “In high school, I used to take distilled water from science to try the water marbling trend!”

After living in Berlin, Freya-Poppy became inspired by the fashion and art scene and started her life as a professional nail artist at 19 years old. She describes how, ‘back then, nail art wasn’t a popular service, and I was one of very few offering it.’ She even created nail art for free for a while to help people see the creative possibilities.

As a child, Freya-Poppy dreamed of owning her own nail studio. Fast-forward to today, she is proud to run Sugar Rush, a studio known for its bold, creative nail art and sense of community.

The studio is based in Leeds and caters to a plethora of clients. The space is rooted in Y2K nostalgia, with neon signs, disco balls, and a leopard print bathroom that solidifies its status as not-your-average nail salon. The salon prides itself on inclusivity and Freya-Poppy notes that: “Everyone is welcome at Sugar Rush. We celebrate individuality, diversity, and the confidence that comes from feeling truly seen and valued.”

The creative output of the studio mirrors its décor. “I’m obsessed with character and cartoon-inspired nail art,” says Freya-Poppy. “The brighter and bolder, the better!” Her favourite designs include a vampire Betty Boop set for Halloween and ‘be mine’ Finding Nemo design for Valentine’s Day.

Vampire Betty Boop style for Halloween.

Finding Nemo Valentine’s Day nail set.

These intriguing and creative designs have gained Freya-Poppy, and Sugar Rush, a lot of online attention. The studio’s Instagram, @sugar.rush.nails444, has 23.8k followers at the time of writing, with a variety of posts going viral. “One of my most popular designs has to be my Greggs nails from 2021,” she says. “They went viral and even got featured on a few news channels!” Alongside the pastry brand-inspired viral moment, Freya-Poppy gained traction with a black cat design inspired by Monet’s Water Lilies, which sparked requests for similar sets featuring other famous artists like Van Gogh.

The viral Greggs nails.

This Monet-inspired set garnered a lot of attention on social media.

“I’ve noticed that my most successful designs tend to be those with unusual concepts, which also feel relatable and nostalgic.”

As someone with a wealth of experience in the online nail sphere, Freya-Poppy recommends that artists who want to grow their social media profiles should post consistently, think outside of the box, and stay true to themselves. “Uniqueness draws attention,” she comments.

Freya-Poppy’s career in the nail industry keeps growing, and she has worked with brands such as New Balance, Little Moons, Nike, and Red Bull. However, she has other talents that people may not know about. “Outside of the studio, I love DJing and recently learned how to fire breathe: something I hope to start performing alongside my nail work in my favourite place, Ibiza,” she says.

Outside of work, the talented creative enjoys DJing.

Freya-Poppy and her passion project, Sugar Rush, are whirlwinds of colour and vibrancy, advocating for all forms of creativity. She notes: “Embracing playful self-expression brings a spark of joy to even the most ordinary days.”

Follow Sugar Rush and keep up-to-date with Freya-Poppy on Instagram.