Pro Spotlight

OPI Pro Spotlight: @abigailchater

For this Pro Spotlight, we’re heading across the pond to chat with Abigail (@abigailchater), a UK-based nail tech.

She took the leap from retail to the nail industry a year into lockdown and today is a busy manicurist with magazine features and high-profile-account mentions under her belt. Read on for the full story, including the best decision she’s made in her career so far and her go-to OPI neutral.

OPI: You've mastered both trendy nail art, and a flawless mani! How did you work toward perfecting your craft?

Abigail: First of all thank you! If I don’t understand something or it's taking me a while to grasp I keep at it until I have perfected it. I have a passionate attitude towards any work I do. I love to learn, keeps my brain active and I find you can try different techniques & also learn from others. For example, I frequently look online via Instagram, Tik Tok & YouTube as well as the numerous training courses I’ve done. This applies to my job as a nail tech and I have loved watching, learning & growing more and more. Prep on the nail is the most important part for me to complete a flawless mani as you have to have an excellent base before any builder, color, or nail art even goes on! This is something I have sat for hours practicing over & over again until I felt confident that I couldn’t do it better.

OPI: Where does your inspiration for new nail art and looks come from?

Abigail: I am inspired by my clients if I’m honest. I have a lot of clients that come to me with an idea & we build on it. I love the creativity I get when a client has a simple idea and we sit there & try different colors & then explore what type of nail art would suit this look.

OPI: Being a nail artist in the UK, how do you see trends and the nail industry differ from the US and around the world?

Abigail: I’d say in the US you get a lot more long & decorated nail art than that in the UK in general. Here it is very minimal & more discreet. I love seeing different types of nail art across the world & people using their nails as a way of expression and incorporating their cultures I admire a lot of nail artists & their way of experimenting, it’s so beautiful to see. I love how trends differ from place to place.

OPI: Now that it's Summer, which trends and colors are you looking forward to trying on your clients this season?

Abigail: I am obsessed with chrome still! Chrome over bright colors & neon shades! My clients absolutely love Strawberry Margarita because it’s a hot pink just right for summer vibes. It’s one of my go-to summer shades. I’m looking forward to using more greens & oranges for summer something bright & fresh for the summer months

OPI: What prompted you to enter the nail world, and when did you know you wanted to pursue a career as a professional nail artist?

Abigail: I used to work in retail for 9 years and in lockdown I was on furlough. As I’d always had an interest in nails I started to play around with nail art but I wanted to know how to do it properly so I took up a course to learn the anatomy of the nail, prep, etc. I’d practice all hours to perfect what I was learning and I started posting on Instagram just for fun. I'd have messages from people who wanted to come to me to get their nails done but I wasn’t thinking about doing it professionally then. But unfortunately, a year later I became redundant so I decided to take the leap and see if I could do it full time as I had a bit of interest & a client base was forming, fast forward to now I’m fully booked & absolutely loving what I do day in day out. I live and breathe what I do, it doesn’t feel like a job and I couldn’t be more grateful.

OPI: You've already been featured in magazines, high-profile accounts, and more! What are your next goals in your career?

Abigail: Ah every time I’m reshared or featured it’s an absolute dream that someone likes my work enough to reshare it. I would absolutely love to own my own nail academy and teach others in the industry. I’m so passionate about the industry. I would also love to work with top brands like yours on a nail project, that’s definitely one for the vision board!

OPI: What's your favorite OPI shade to use when creating minimal nail art?

Abigail: My favorite shade hands down is Put It In Neutral, it goes with any minimal nail art look, it’s nude but also pops & it’s my go-to shade with any client.

OPI: Is there anything you've been wanting to try or branch out on lately, when it comes to techniques, trends, or colors?

Abigail: I want to try the aurora nails look, I’ve been seeing it everywhere & I would love to give it a go. I also love the nail piercing I’ve seen on Instagram I think that’s so cool & edgy at the same time. Definitely on my list of trends to try out. I’d love to be absolutely flawless at an ombré & this is something I’ve been trying to perfect and I’ve seen a lot of tips & tricks off various accounts on Instagram that I will be giving a go.

OPI: Looking back, what's the best decision you've made in your nail career so far, and why?

Abigail: I think the best decision I’ve made in my career is saying yes to things that are out of my comfort zone, like different forms of nail art that I wouldn’t do when I first started, being okay with my timings for each client & releasing that you need to make mistakes in order to move forward. With being out of my comfort zone the last few months I’ve been able to enjoy what I do that bit more as I’ve taken the pressure off myself. By taking on new things it’s allowed me to have fun with what I create and challenge myself. Your biggest critic is you.

Be sure to follow Abigail, AKA @abigailchater on Instagram.