We are spotlighting the winners of Nailpro’s 30 Under 30 competition for 2023, featuring 30 nail artists under 30 years of age.
Get to know Ceirra Carlini-Smith (@ceirrasnails). She is a 26-year-old nail tech at Stardust Nail Affair in Orlando, FL.
Q&A:
Nailpro (NP): What is a fun fact about you?
Ceirra Carlini-Smith (CCS): I love food themed things, and my most prized possession is a foot stool that looks like a corn on the cob with a bite taken out of it.
NP: How did you get started as a nail tech?
CCS: I worked in a full service hair salon, where I realized I did not want to do hair anymore. The nail tech taught me how to do a gel mani and gel pedi. After I felt like I had those services down, I left to work in a nail salon and practiced every day to teach myself the art and techniques I do now.
NP: What do you love about your job?
CCS: I love collaborating with my clients to create unique nail designs that we both love.
NP: Where do you find inspiration?
CCS: I find inspiration from Halloween-themed things and TV cartoons.
NP: What is a piece of advice you would give other nail technicians who are just getting started?
CCS: Being slow at a service is okay! Your timing will improve as your comfortability with the service improves. No one starts off doing a character set in 2.5 hours, if they are doing it well. My first character set took me 4 hours, and it only had one character on each hand.
NP: What is your favorite nail trend right now?
CCS: I am obsessed with 3D nails right now!
NP: What is your favorite service to offer?
CCS: Freestyle or character sets!
NP: What is one of your proudest achievements as a nail tech?
CCS: Opening my own suite.
NP: What do you love about the nail community/industry?
CCS: I love that it is constantly changing, so if you’re bored of one design, there are a billion other designs to try.
NP: What are your top goals as a nail tech?
CCS: My first goal is to educate my clients and community about nail care and safety. My other goal is to give clients gorgeous, gorgeous nails!
You can see the full list of our winners by reading our digital magazine.
