Meet The World’s Star Nail Artist shortlist: ELIZAVETA BEKKER, UK

By Scratch Staff | 10 May 2023 | Feature, Tech Talk

**Elizaveta Bekker is a nail artist from Kent, UK, and one of the 21 shortlisted applicants in The World’s Star Nail Artist competition 2023. Get to know her…**

What’s your background in nails? When and why did you enter the nail industry?

I was fascinated with nails as a young child. I would melt candle wax and use it to do my nails. When I was in high school, I glued plastic tips because I wanted long, beautiful nails but mine were thin and brittle. I dreamed of making strong, beautiful, wearable nails but I didn’t know how; there were no gel or acrylics then.

In 2007, the first silk nails appeared in my country Estonia, and I immediately ran to get my nails done. I completed a two-day course at the salon and that’s how I started practicing on my friends and family.

I had a two year break in nails from 2009 when I moved to the UK because of my new job. I met new friends and started practicing again, then when I was on maternity leave I wanted to work as nail technician legally in UK so I went to college in London. As I continued learning, I gained a VTCT NVQ3 in Nail Services at The Beauty Academy in London, and later I did an AET course to start teach.

My private life been changed and I became mobile self-employed in London and Essex, as it was easier for me as a single mother of three children .

In 2016, I started working in the beauty salon in Harrods; this is where I learned about customer service, timing and working as a team player. In the same year I went to Kiev, Ukraine for training.

In 2018 I was trained as an educator by Magnetic Company and I have been working in this company for three years. In 2021, I opened my own nail academy in Ramsgate, Kent (Lash & Nail Academy Kent).

What’s been the highlight of your career to date?

The highlights of my life are happening right now, as I’ve been nominated as one of five Scratch Stars Awards finalists in the category Nail Stylist of the Year and shortlisted 21 in The World’s Star Nail Artist competition 2023.

What are your career goals and aspirations?

To be an international educator. I want to travel over the world and teach all; to make my own nail courses based on my experiences and teach everything I know to students. I want to open my own line of quality nail products and do celebrities’ nails and make more friends within the profession. I’d love to compete as much as I can in different countries and work my way up to being a judge in the future.

What kind of nail artist are you? What’s your signature style and favoured techniques?

I’m a versatile nail artist but I love combining techniques; my favourites include 3D acrylic faces, airbrushing nails and all kind of inlays. I always want to try something new.

What do you love about working in the nail industry?

What I love most about the profession is that you can always develop and grow. In recent years, the industry has grown and developed so much that at some times it wasn’t possible to keep up with all the new products, but I think that in itself is incredible.

This is my passion and there are no limits to my creativity. My customers and students have become important people to me and the happy faces of the people who leave my place. There is no amount of money that can buy the joy that gives me to fuel my creativity.

How did you feel to be shortlisted in The World’s Star Nail Artist competition?

To be honest, at first I didn’t believe it because it all happened on April 1st, which as you know is April Fools Day. My colleague wrote to congratulate me and I didn’t believe it; I said she was joking but when I saw she wasn’t, I couldn’t speak for happiness! I was jumping for joy and couldn’t believe it was all happening to me. This is a new chapter in my life; I’m now acquainted with the other competitors, we’re all following each other and we each share our experiences and skills. It gives me inspiration to create.

How did you find the preliminary challenge?

Unfortunately, due to English not being my first language, I misunderstood the challenge. I was also on a family holiday at the time so I was more limited on time. I enjoyed every minute of the creating process where I used a 3D inlay technique. Colour blocking is a very long and difficult technique and while I didn’t get into the top 12 semi-finalists, I was accepted into the Wild Card stage with my gorgeous nails where I still have the opportunity to compete a place in the Top 3.

What is this competition doing for your profile and skillset?

This is my first big nail competition and it’s helping me to discover a new me as a nail artist. I’m learning new skills in the art of nail aesthetics; my brain explodes from all the inspiration around me. This competition showed me how important it is to always continue to grow; I am very grateful to be able to work and learn alongside the other professional competitors.

If you could create artistic nails for anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and what design would you create?

I used to imagine how I would do Rihanna’s nails. I imagined the designs, how she would look with long nails with my designs to compliment her inspiring outfits.

What would it mean to you to win this competition?

For me, winning this competition will mean that all this is not in vain, that I am on my right path. It would prove to myself that I can do this and that new doors will open, like creating beautiful nails for celebrities, competing in different countries and making new friends all over the world. If I win, my dream will come true.