In recent years, freehand nail art has become something of a social media sensation. Instagram particularly is flooded with stunning designs bursting with creativity. One of the most creative practitioners of this art is Jaz Moger. Salons Direct sat down with her to find out more about her journey through the nail industry.
Can you give a little introduction to yourself?
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I’m Jaz, owner of Paint by Jaz, a collective creative beauty hub based on the south coast. I’m 28 years old and I specialise in hand painted freehand nail art, brows and lashes.
How did you get started in the nail industry?
I’ve had a passion for painting and all things beauty for as long as I can remember. I was one of those lucky people who knew what I wanted to do from a young age and didn’t let anything stop me. I went straight from school to study Beauty Therapy at college and whilst I was in my second year of training I got a part-time job in a salon, which soon became full time.
I was employed for a few years and then in 2018 I decided to spread my wings and start up Paint by Jaz as a stand-alone brand and studio. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made! Opening my own business really allowed my creative juices to flow and that’s when my business started to boom.
Where do you find inspiration for your nail designs?
If I’m designing something for a theme such as Easter, Christmas, Halloween etc then I like to think outside the box and try to create something I haven’t seen before. I love a French or negative space design and will think about how I can incorporate the themes into those.
It can take hours and even days of thinking and drawing on paper, but when you come up with something new that just works, it’s extremely rewarding. I’m also a huge lover of minimalistic interior trends and tend to take lots of shape and colour inspo from images on Pinterest and Elle Decoration.
What are your favourite nail designs to do at the moment?
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At the moment, I’m absolutely loving 70’s swirls and anything colourful! It’s just so nice to be back painting nails again following the lockdowns.
Do you have any tips for those who want to improve their nail art skills?
Practice, practice, practice. I found that doing my own nails really helped me excel. When you’re doing your own nails (or practice nails) you’re often not under any time pressure. I think it’s good to perfect the skill first and then perfect the amount of time it takes you.
Also, if there’s something specific you are wanting to improve on, then there are lots of masterclasses, IG Lives and Reels from so many amazing nail techs online.
How important has social media been to your career and do you have any tips for growing your platform?
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I started @paintbyjaz on Instagram just over four years ago when having a nail art page was almost unheard of!
I would post pics and write down the Gellux colours I’d used – not to get noticed but just to remember what I had used in case a client asked. However, it wasn’t long before I did get noticed by Salon System and also very quickly by Scratch Mag too.
Before I knew it, I was being invited to events and soon became an ambassador. My online presence also enticed lots of clients through my door and still does – it’s the best form of marketing (along with word of mouth).
I’ve been lucky enough to have my work featured in numerous online magazines and recently this year became a Salons Direct ambassador too! What an honour and dream come true. It’s not easy to get noticed these days, Instagram is totally over-saturated. With a crazy amount of posts going up on the site every single second, it’s becoming more and more difficult to stand out from the crowd.
My advice on growing your platform is simple – be yourself. Promote the products and brands that you truly love and not just because everyone else is doing it. Build trust with your audience and always be completely authentic and you can’t go wrong.
What is one product in your kit that you couldn’t live without?
Oh gosh! Can I say all of them? Right now, my number one go-to is my Gellux Light Pink Builder Gel, I love it.
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Read more Ask the Expert features on the Salons Direct blog…
Ask the Expert with Joely Ocean | Ask the Expert with Nail Artist Amy Guy | Ask the Expert with Daisy Kalnina
