Local technician ‘nails’ it

Charlotte Burgess, owner of the Nail and Beauty Boutique at Bournemouth’s Castlepoint Shopping Park, returned from Italy recently after providing three days of cover as a nail technician for Gucci at the Milan Fashion Week. Even as part of a team of 20, the challenge was immense given the task was to provide hand and sometimes foot manicures to 120 fashion models who were about to take to the catwalk.

Fortunately, after doing the same for two previous London fashion weeks and also Paris last year, Charlotte knew what to expect within the chaotic environment as a team of hairdressers, makeup artists and the ‘nail girls’ worked around each other as a model sat patiently before taking to the runway.

“Just don’t ask me to say how many nails I worked on – you don’t have time to count or break your concentration,” says Charlotte who was able to get the assignments after attending a nail technician master course and learning of the opportunities available. “Many of my clients have asked for treatments that reached the catwalk; we are now doing more embellishment work, including genuine Swarovski Crystal nails, which we help to minimise the price of by carefully removing the crystals for future use when a customer wants a change.”

Nude, natural and black were also key themes at Milan. Colour changes and acrylic structured enhancements at now the most frequent requests at the busy nail salon, where over 320 gel colours are currently stocked.

“We see colour options change with the seasons and I am confident that pastel shades will again be popular for Spring. The festive reds of Christmas are now disappearing from fingertips.”

Well-manicured hands can add confidence and help to project a desired image. Hands are used to express and communicate with throughout each and every day. They also are essential for most professions and skills. Musicians, especially guitarists, attend the salon to ensure that their nails are shaped to have good contact and release points on strings, and are sometimes strengthened to cope with day to day life.

“Its not just guitarists who need only one hand treated, we also have a few amputees and disabled people who we are delighted to advise and treat,” said Charlotte. “Everyone deserves to look and feel confident, not just models in Milan!”