12-Year-Old Nail Prodigy Sets Up Salon In Her Caravan

In a little caravan in the seaside village of Marske in the UK, 12-year-old Brooke Dowey paint nails for her customers, and it’s really catching on: her appointments usually fill up 3-4 weeks in advance, she placed third in the Gelish Summer Bright Nail Art Competition, and she has had her designs featured on MSN and in Nail It! Magazine.
Dowey’s fascination with nail art began when she was only ten, trying out different patterns on real nails and nail wheels in her bedroom. For fun, she created a Facebook page under the name Nails by Lottie Lace, where she posted pictures of her designs. Soon after that, friends began asking her to do their nails, and Dowey’s bedroom just didn’t have the space.
Looking for alternatives to a small salon or extra bedroom, Dowey and her mother sought a tiny vintage caravan they then renovated into a whimsical nail bar, where she now creates dainty Gelish designs on the tips of her clients.

Since she’s only twelve, she can’t accept any sort of payment from customers. But she maintains, “I don’t mind that I can’t charge because I absolutely love doing it.” The young lady relies solely on donations, which sometimes includes fun nail mail from manufacturers who support her spunk.
Not even a teenager yet, she’s already learning more from nail professionals, getting a head start on those beginning nail school. We’re excited to see where the talent takes her!

See her Facebook page: facebook.com/NailsByLottieLace
Check out her work on Instagram: @nailsbylottielace

[Images: Brooke and Lindsey Dowey]