Salon in the Spotlight: Gelalicious, Medway
By Callie Iley | 09 June 2022 | Feature, Salon & Spas
Previously working from her nail room within her home, Michaela Phillips outgrew the space, moving to a bespoke salon in her garden.
“We have since converted my previous space into my son’s bedroom. Being a first-time mum has made me adapt my working life in various ways – I now work part-time and I love that my home life and business is now separate.”
“I plan to expand and build another studio which will be bigger to accommodate a larger working space for me, and allow me to be able to teach and train other nail techs,” Michaela explains. “I gained my teaching accreditation this year, so having a bigger space will help me utilise my newly acquired skill.
“I can’t wait to give other nail techs my experience that I’ve learnt throughout my time in the industry.”
“Expanding the space will also allow me to showcase all my achievements over the years, as I’m proud of what I have accomplished.
“This includes achievements ranging from features in magazines and competitions,” she smiles. “I push myself now more than ever since having my son, as I want to make him proud of me and I do all this for him. ”
“The nail hut definitely reflects my style as my personality is bubbly and friendly,” she beams. “I’ve added my stamp on the space and when my clients come, they feel relaxed and at ease.
“My clients are more like friends and I love catching up with all of them. What’s said in the nail hut stays in the nail hut.”
“The services I offer are builder gel, gel and extensions,” Michaela reveals. “I specialise in nail art as I love creating designs for my clients and content for my Instagram.
“I’ve always loved art since being at school and it’s a staple in my services.
“I get excited creating new designs and pushing myself to be better every day.”
“I use Pure Nails Halo Gel Polish. I love using their gels and they have an amazing range of colours for my clients to choose from,” she shares. “I also use The GelBottle’s Builder in a Bottle. I have converted all my clients from acrylics to builder gel, and seeing clients nail journeys has been so satisfying. They’re amazed they can grow and help strengthen their natural nails.
“For my prep, I use TheNailLab tools,” Michaela explains. “These tools make my prep work effortless and their sleek design looks stunning.”
“When I knew we was creating the nail hut, I knew I wanted to keep things neutral but with some accent features. I knew I wanted a neon sign with pampas and I get a lot of comments on this when clients come in – it’s definitely a statement piece.
“I wanted to keep the accent colours to gold and oranges as they are warm and inviting and creates good energy,” she notes. “My favourite is my orange chair, it’s so vibrant and provides comfort to my clients.”
“My salon is the perfect retreat for clients to come and relax, and I love escaping to it when I don’t have clients,” Michaela laughs. “Being in the garden I can really zone in, especially on a warm sunny evening and get really creative.
“The decor shows me how far I’ve come and the spaces I’ve worked in prior. I’m always working on my next step and what I want to achieve. The sky’s the limit!”
