Baltimore-born, LA-dwelling 26-year-old manicurist Madeline Poole knew she'd be good at painting nails - because she always loved miniature painting. Hustling her ass to beauty school - after art school and various jobs around LA, on fashion shoots - she then commandeered Instagram to showcase her nail art.
When the nail craze arrived, Madeline was cresting that wave, working for Teen Vogue and Vogue before she even hit her 25th birthday. The official sign that she's a *bonafide *fashion success? A Coveteur profile. We caught up with her, for her story in her own words.
The Debrief: Hey, Madeline! Talk to us about how you got started.
Madeline Poole: Hey guys! OK, so three years ago I was a struggling 20-something artist, trying to survive after art school in a new expensive city. I had countless jobs when I first moved to LA from Baltimore; but nothing clicked. I found myself assisting on photo shoots from time to time in Los Angeles, where I would help both a prop stylist and fashion stylist. I wasn't very ambitious in either of those fields, it just didn't click for me... but I loved the environment. Then I saw an editorial manicurist working and a light went off in my head - and it seemed like the perfect career and hobby for me to get into.
DB: So where did you go from there?
MP: I started doing nails professionally about 2.5 years ago. When I started, I immediately opened a "salon" in my bedroom and friends came, friends of friends came and occasional strangers. There was such a huge web of people expanding and I used mpnails.com, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, whatever I could to share the photographs.
DB: How was Instagram instrumental to your success?
MP: Well, I opened my Instagram account long before most people, back when just a few of my friends new what it was. At that time I was in beauty school still and used all that free time sitting in the back of class developing looks to post to Instagram. I was really devoted to using it as my public portfolio so it grew fast. It's really been important to developing my brand and career and putting my signature on certain nail looks.
DB: How addicted to it are you?
**MP: **I love it for work but I actually don't really use it socially. I have personal accounts and barely ever post to them - I hate finding myself looking at my phone all the time - at dinner or when I should be experiencing life IRL. I try to cut myself off and keep a healthy balance but I have to admit that Instagram is extremely important to my business.
DB
MP: Yep! I am a hustler.
DB: So what's it like painting celebrity nails - you've worked with Kate Bosworth, supermodel Freja Beha and Kelly Osbourne.
MP: It's surreal meeting celebrities, but I ALSO love meeting designers, photographers, hair and makeup artists who I've looked up to. That's more exciting to me - doing the Stella McCartney show in Paris was incredible. I'm from a small town outside of Baltimore and being able to all my mom from the Paris Opera House was a dream.
DB: That's amazing. Stella is the dream. Are you all over the catwalk collections each season?
**MP: **I do love fashion - a lot of so many of my designs are inspired by textile patterns and color combinations I see on the runway. I love Marni, Prada, Trademark, Telfar, Kenzo, Dior - but I'm not a "fashion" girl. I have a few designer pieces, but I wear a lot of vintage. I always want to look unique.
DB: What are your favourite nail looks to do? We loved your little eyeball moons and the reneissance paintings were the shit!
MP: I'm actually always a fan of the most simple looks, classic colours: black, white, nude, reds. I love doing [American rapper] Brooke Candy's nails, we've know each other since I had the salon in my bedroom and she was wearing pink cornrows. She's really free with her look, she'll do anything and let's me do whatever I have in my head, whatever I want to try. And I love to do [creative consultant and Chanel ambassador] Jen Brill's nails. She thinks long and hard about what she's willing to wear on her nails and we always come up with something timeless and striking. I think my best job is yet to come, though.
DB: Which new products would you recommend for any nail-crazy readers?
MP: Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri Top Coat is an amazing quick drying top coat that lasts. I'm also really into the supreme nails nail art pens; they're not available in America so I had to order them on eBay. You can control the flow of the polish very easily and precisely.
DB: What about for girls who are shit at doing their nails. What would you recommend?
MP: If you're not so great I suggest trying something with a bigger brush and less steps. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure has a built in base coat a larger brush and you can even opt out of using top coat if you prefer. You only have to make a few swipes on the nail to cover it.
DB: What's coming up next?
MP: Another Stella show is coming up very soon in NYC and I hope to go to many new places around the world with Sally Hansen [Madeline is global ambassador/trend expert and advisor for Sally Hansen]. I'd love to develop some products and hopefully open a pop up salon in NYC... Fingers crossed.
Follow Madeline on Instagram @mpnails
Pandora on Twitter @pinsykes
Pictures: Courtesy Madeline Poole
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.