Nail Tech Talk: Meet Nikki Mikellides, SMHBA National Nail Tech of the Year 2023
By Callie Iley | 14 November 2023 | Feature, Tech Talk
Social Media Hair and Beauty Awards (SMHBA) National Nail Technician of the Year 2023, Nikki Mikellides of Nails By Nikki M, shares her career journey and divulges the details of her win…
“I’ve always been creative; I enjoyed art at school and was always interested in hair, make-up and nails growing up,” Nikki remembers. “I especially loved having my nails done, whether I was doing them myself or going to a salon. I enrolled on a women’s hairdressing course at East Surrey College in Redhill after I finished my GCSEs. When I finished, I undertook a nail course.”
Shortly after completing the nail course, Nikki found a job working in a beauty salon in Croydon, where she stayed for three years as a full-time nail technician, gaining confidence and experience. “I then moved to a salon in Sutton, where I worked for almost five years, before choosing to become self-employed and mobile in early 2022.”
“It’s a very scary process starting your own business, but if you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never achieve it.”
Offering L&P acrylic enhancements, gel polish and builder gel overlays, and luxury manicure and pedicure services, Nikki notes her passion for creating hand-painted nail art and adding a touch of glitter and foil. “I would say that my signature nail style is medium to long L&P acrylic nails, as these offer space for creative designs,” she reveals. “I’m always looking on Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok for nail inspiration.
“I first entered the Social Media Hair & Beauty Awards in 2022, when I made it into the top 10 for the National Nail Technician of the Year category,” Nikki recounts. “It was an amazing experience and I knew I wanted to enter again in 2023, with an even better entry post. I spent hours designing a set of Disney nails with hand-painted characters on them.
“I was absolutely overwhelmed by all of the positive comments written by my friends, family and clients who voted for me,” she continues. “When I found out that I was one of the five finalists, I was so excited. Then, to find out that I’d won was incredible. As I had only recently started my mobile nail business prior to the win, it meant so much to achieve the award. I feel so proud of myself and very thankful to everyone who voted for me.
“I want to continue growing my nail business, hopefully one day expanding into my own salon space and training future nail technicians,” Nikki smiles. “I would also like to enter more nail competitions. I love the creativity within the nail industry and seeing the smiles on clients’ faces during treatments.”
She adds: “To any nail technician who is thinking of entering the SMHBA, I would say have fun with it. Show off your best skills and take your time, ensuring the quality of your work is perfect. You have nothing to lose, but so much to gain by entering. Whether you win or not, the lovely comments your voters leave for you can be used to promote your business, and entering competitions can open so many doors within the industry.”
Scratch is sponsoring the SMHBA Nail Technician of the Year Award 2024. To enter, click here.