April Ryan (@red_iguana) had always wanted to be a nail artist, but her small city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, didn’t have beauty schools. However, one day everything changed when a nail educator miraculously visited her city to teach classes, and Ryan was the first to sign up. Fourteen years later, Ryan is an accomplished nail artist, has her own product line and calls the U.S. home. In 2017, she created a line of high-quality silicone practice hands for students and pros alike through her brand Red Iguana, and is now expanding with builder gels, nail art brushes, tools, glitters and more to come. Ryan is also a nail competition champion, winning awards and gaining recognition all over the world. Here, we take a look at what inspires her to keep creating.
1 Traveling: “I don’t like beach vacations, but traveling to national parks gives me so much power, inspiration and energy. Yosemite, Yellowstone, Sequoia National Park and the Oregon waterfalls all feature the unbelievable beauty of Mother Nature.”
2 Pink, white and gold: “I love the combination of pink and white marble with metallic gold accents. My creation room is painted in these colors, and it makes me feel so good and comfortable to formulate ideas there. My company colors are the same, too, and I love to create new packaging and art using these colors as inspiration.”
3 Successful people: “There’s nothing better than having the chance to talk with people who are the best in their field. I feel almighty and my inspiration becomes unlimited after talking to, working with or just looking at the work of successful people.”
4 Japanese gardens: “Japanese culture is amazing in general, but their unique gardens made up of impeccably trimmed trees, ponds full of koi and beautiful tea houses make me want to go back again and again.”
5 Modern homes: “I’m inspired by the simple elegance in every detail found in contemporary interior design. And actually, it’s the same thing that I love in nail art!”