I think it's pretty clear by now that I love all things nails. My Instagram feed is littered with nail artists whose work I admire and appreciate, people whose work inspires me daily. And at the top of the list? Katie Masters of Nail Thoughts. Katie's work is unmatched -- it's meticulous, unique and downright beautiful. I'm pretty sure I've liked every photo she's posted for the last year! All that's left now is for me to visit her Santa Monica salon for some gorgeous nail art of my very own. Read on to find out what led her to become a manicurist, the gel she can't live without and so much more.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I grew up in Long Beach, California, and now I have my own private salon in Santa Monica called Nail Thoughts. I opened my salon when I was 23, and two years later, I'm booked almost a month out at a time and still constantly learning and educating myself as much as I can.
How did you first become interested in nails, and what led you to become a manicurist?
I was always a crafty person, but most of my crafty hobbies only lasted a couple months at a time, so I would always get over them and be on to the next. So one day in college I saw some really cool nail art design somewhere on the internet and thought to myself, "I want to get really good at nail art," and from then on I would do my nails every three days or so and practiced a ton of designs. Now, years later, I'm still doing it and still obsessed with the art of it. I figured wow, this is the one hobby that has lasted for more than a couple months and I'm still not tired of it? Maybe I should make something out of this.
What are your top 5 nail essentials?
An electric file. I use it for all of my prep work and when you know how to use it, your manicures have such a clean finish. It's such a necessity for prep work.
A good self leveling base coat and a good semi hard gel. They're both important to me as well because the more you level out the nail bed, the cleaner and smoother the gel manicure will turn out. It'll also help prevent nail breakage from daily wear and tear!
Presto potted gels. When you use such pigmented colors from the pot (as opposed to the bottle), you can get some serious fine lines and great art techniques out of them.
Great nail art brushes. They are hard to find, and honestly I'm still on the hunt for the perfect brush. Sometimes you have to cut bristles off of brushes to make them perfect.
Cuticle oil. Put it on the cuticle areas to hydrate dry skin and put it under the nail as well to replenish some hydration back into the nail itself.
What are your top 3 nail tips?
1) Stay educated! Take tons of classes and never think that you know everything.
2) Never rush. If you do a rushed job you are not only going to disappoint yourself but you will also disappoint the client.
3) Practice, practice, practice. If you think you have perfected your technique, do it one more time.
What is the most rewarding part of what you do?
I would say the most rewarding part is having my clients loving my work and being happy. But the problem with that is I ALWAYS find mistakes in my work. They will look 110 percent perfect to any normal person, but I will over analyze it like crazy. When they love it, I might hate it. So their happiness does not translate to mine. So there is nothing more satisfying and rewarding than doing such a clean and solid job that even I approve of. Seeing improvements in my work is honestly the best feeling.
Being a manicurist must be fun, but what do you do in your spare time?
Oh my gosh, to be real honest here, I sort of hide from social interactions on my spare time. I really wish I could socialize more on my free time, but spending all week one on one with people and constantly being "on" really takes it out of me! It's crazy! I am a very extroverted introvert so as much as I would like to be cool and say "I love to go out and party and be around great people all the time!" I really can't. I have to recharge completely, and that usually means being on my own and relaxing quietly. I like going to get coffees at cute quiet coffee shops and relaxing with my puppies. That's a dream day for me.
How can The Beauty of Life readers find you on social media?
You can follow on me on Instagram. You can also book an appointment with me here.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I grew up in Long Beach, California, and now I have my own private salon in Santa Monica called Nail Thoughts. I opened my salon when I was 23, and two years later, I'm booked almost a month out at a time and still constantly learning and educating myself as much as I can.
How did you first become interested in nails, and what led you to become a manicurist?
I was always a crafty person, but most of my crafty hobbies only lasted a couple months at a time, so I would always get over them and be on to the next. So one day in college I saw some really cool nail art design somewhere on the internet and thought to myself, "I want to get really good at nail art," and from then on I would do my nails every three days or so and practiced a ton of designs. Now, years later, I'm still doing it and still obsessed with the art of it. I figured wow, this is the one hobby that has lasted for more than a couple months and I'm still not tired of it? Maybe I should make something out of this.
| A manicure inspired by the Beverly Hills hotel. I love the combination of stripes, palm leaves and gold moons. |
| A rainbow moon manicure. So simple and elegant, yet also so striking. |
What are your top 5 nail essentials?
An electric file. I use it for all of my prep work and when you know how to use it, your manicures have such a clean finish. It's such a necessity for prep work.
A good self leveling base coat and a good semi hard gel. They're both important to me as well because the more you level out the nail bed, the cleaner and smoother the gel manicure will turn out. It'll also help prevent nail breakage from daily wear and tear!
Presto potted gels. When you use such pigmented colors from the pot (as opposed to the bottle), you can get some serious fine lines and great art techniques out of them.
Great nail art brushes. They are hard to find, and honestly I'm still on the hunt for the perfect brush. Sometimes you have to cut bristles off of brushes to make them perfect.
Cuticle oil. Put it on the cuticle areas to hydrate dry skin and put it under the nail as well to replenish some hydration back into the nail itself.
| A combination of palm trees and copper moons definitely gives me all the California feels. |
What are your top 3 nail tips?
1) Stay educated! Take tons of classes and never think that you know everything.
2) Never rush. If you do a rushed job you are not only going to disappoint yourself but you will also disappoint the client.
3) Practice, practice, practice. If you think you have perfected your technique, do it one more time.
What is the most rewarding part of what you do?
I would say the most rewarding part is having my clients loving my work and being happy. But the problem with that is I ALWAYS find mistakes in my work. They will look 110 percent perfect to any normal person, but I will over analyze it like crazy. When they love it, I might hate it. So their happiness does not translate to mine. So there is nothing more satisfying and rewarding than doing such a clean and solid job that even I approve of. Seeing improvements in my work is honestly the best feeling.
| Marbled beauty. |
Being a manicurist must be fun, but what do you do in your spare time?
Oh my gosh, to be real honest here, I sort of hide from social interactions on my spare time. I really wish I could socialize more on my free time, but spending all week one on one with people and constantly being "on" really takes it out of me! It's crazy! I am a very extroverted introvert so as much as I would like to be cool and say "I love to go out and party and be around great people all the time!" I really can't. I have to recharge completely, and that usually means being on my own and relaxing quietly. I like going to get coffees at cute quiet coffee shops and relaxing with my puppies. That's a dream day for me.
How can The Beauty of Life readers find you on social media?
You can follow on me on Instagram. You can also book an appointment with me here.
