Nail Tech Talk: Rosie Leek of Nice Girl Nails
By Callie Iley | 03 April 2024 | Feature, Tech Talk
Rosie Leek of Nice Girl Nails, Wolverhampton, shares her sources of inspiration for her eye-catching nail art and reveals how her pink palace nail salon ties to her personality…
Recalling a love for nail art from a young age, Rosie Leek highlights airbrush looks and Tumblr-trending crackle nails as old favourites. “I remember having nail varnish art pens and drawing bumblebees on my nails as a teenager,” she shares.
Rosie worked in a variety of roles before taking on nail training following lockdown. “I worked as an account manager, a customer service manager, a call centre agent and a health care assistant. I wanted to get out of the 9-5 life and be myself at work, so I walked out one day and never went back.
“I had no plan, no space and no clue what I was doing, but I had a dream and a girlfriend who believed in me, so I’ve not given up since,” Rosie smiles. “It’s been hard but so worth it, and I have the most amazing clients.”
Rosie trained with Lux Beauty Academy, Cannock for her initial qualification, before pursuing further training with Becci of Blossom Academy, Shrewsbury. “It was important for me to do extra courses so I can keep my knowledge fresh and up-to-date,” she says.
“My favourite thing is when a client gives me a brief and says do your thing. ‘A Christmassy window scene possibly with a cat’ was a particularly good one,” Rosie remembers. “Nail art allows the wearer to express themselves and I love being the person to make that a reality. I enjoy working with different mediums: art gels, watercolours, chromes and any tinted rubber base from Kiki London. It’s the perfect base for nail art.
“I gain a lot of my inspiration from things I love, like music, fashion and tattoo artistry. Inspiration is everywhere! Sometimes it can be something as simple as a belt buckle that’ll get my gears going. I also spend so much time on Pinterest, looking at things from vintage greeting cards to wedding centre pieces. I find elements that I’d like to recreate on nails.
“I love experimenting with new things, so my nail style is constantly evolving.”
Rosie continues: “With my fiancé being a tattoo artist, we’ve always talked about a space where creatives from all walks of life can gather to share their art, including nail techs, tattoo artists, photographers and more. We want to build a space where they can come to create and share their passion through seminars, training and networking events.
“I would love to have a future in mentoring alongside creating beautiful art every day. I had the best support when I completed my training and still have it to this day. Being able to pass that support on while helping people grow their art skills would be a dream.”
Creating a unique salon that reflects her personality has been a career highlight for Rosie. “I’ve adored creating my pink palace,” she beams. “My home salon is my safe space and it’s so important that my clients experience that, too.
“I’ve been told that going to my salon is like going to a nan’s house on a Sunday. The mix of vintage décor in the space combined with the weird and wonderful prints, plants and ornaments is a perfect expression of who I am as a person, and I couldn’t be happier that I get to share that with my clients.”
