Pro Spotlight

OPI Pro Spotlight: @tendrehands

For Jess Smith, aka @tendrehands on Instagram, becoming a nail artist was a slow and steady progression–and it all started with dropping out of art school!

Now, five years later, Tendre has her own business and thousands of Instagram followers. We caught up with this pro about her story, inspiration hopes for the nail industry, and more.

OPI: Your nail art is stunning and incorporates so much detail! How do you get so much on such a small canvas?

Jess: Thank you so much! It took me a lot of practice to figure out how to create good compositions on such small canvases, and I am still learning! Having the right tools is really helpful. My favorite nail art brushes to use are from @narinanails and @nailthoughts! They enable me to create lots of tiny lines so that I can fit all of the aspects that I want to include in a set.

OPI: Where do you draw your inspiration for some of the exciting and trendsetting nail art you feature on your social accounts?

Jess: I love to draw inspiration from fashion, graphic design, paintings, tattoos, sculpture, furniture, and other art mediums! Instagram is a really useful tool in helping me find the coolest inspirational photos. My saved folder is all over the place but it gives my clients a lot of options to choose from when they’re not feeling inspired! I prefer to not look at other nail sets for all of my inspiration as I am trying to transition to completely original work, but there are some very cute sets out there that my clients and I just can’t resist!

OPI: We love your airbrushing technique! What's your favorite thing about this style of nail art application?

Jess: Airbrushing is a very new medium for me! I’ve only done about 10 sets with the airbrush technique so far, but I am definitely trying to incorporate it more where I can. I was lucky to be able to learn from Lila (@nailjerks), the master of nail airbrushing! She is so sweet and a great instructor! My favorite thing right now is using her stencils and creating some fun layering and shapes with those. I am excited to develop my own style with airbrushing the more I use it!

OPI: Are there any other tools that you love to use? Why?

Jess: I love to use blooming gel in a lot of my sets! It’s a great tool for creating fun color blends as backgrounds for line work, or even creating a whole dynamic design of its own! It’s a little unpredictable but that’s what I enjoy about it.

OPI: What summer trends and colors are you looking forward to trying on your clients this season?

Jess: I haven’t always been the best at predicting what trends are going to come each season, but I do believe a lot of the same concepts and color palettes tend to recycle but evolve a bit each year. I am looking forward to hopefully a new OPI color collection and seeing what other nail techs are coming up with! I love seeing how trends completely captivate our industry. Bright pastels and neons are some of my favorite summer colors, so I’m sure I’ll be using a lot of them on my clients this season!

OPI: How did you first get into the nail tech profession? Did you always want to be a professional nail artist?

Jess: I never saw myself being in the beauty industry. I grew up going to all my mom’s appointments with her, but it never interested me until my college years. I dropped out of art school thinking that it wasn’t realistic for me to have a career as a full time freelance artist, so I decided to try nail school instead and definitely had a slow start. It wasn’t until my second year of being licensed that I found a nail salon that specializes in nail art, where I learned a lot. I ended up working there for 2 years before going independent and starting my own business. I am so glad I stuck it out in nail school and got my license. I've learned so much and am so grateful to be where I am now, 5 years later!

OPI: What's the craziest/most exciting/most fun nail art look a client has asked for?

Jess: I have so many answers for this question! My clients are amazing and we come up with the most fun designs. Some of my favorites have been an Edward Scissorhands Christmas set, a Taco Bell set, lots of sets of their pets in costumes for holidays, portraits of their partners, and some unique 3d shapes and textures!

OPI: If you could describe your ideal future in the nail industry, what would it look like?

Jess: My ideal future in the nail industry is to create a space that uplifts other nail artists. I would love to eventually own a storefront where I can host classes for nail art, business, client relations, financial literacy, and all the other skills that are necessary to be your own boss! I’d love to be able to offer affordable booth rent to newly licensed nail technicians in an environment that is about learning and growing, instead of competing. Being a part of the beauty industry is the best decision I ever made and I want to empower others to create their own path in the beauty world!

Be sure to follow Jess AKA @tendrehands on Instagram.