Meet Areli Hernandez | Nail and Lash Technician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Areli Hernandez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Areli, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
To be honest I dropped out of College to pursue a career in Cosmetology. I was in my 3rd year pursuing a nursing degree. I asked myself where I saw myself in 10 years and it definitely wasn’t at a hospital. I had my parents full support and they agreed to pay for Cosmetology school. My pal @LashQueenJenny had just finished cosmetology school and encouraged me to go for it. Most beauty technicians that work for themselves start at 100$k. That’ was definitely motivating. I never thought that I would become a nail/lash artist, it’s definitely been a journey.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When you walk into a beauty salon, you rarely get a person that can perform every service including nail art. I think that that’s a quality that definitely sets me apart from others. I am a master lash artist and have over 4 years of experience. I’m also a nail technician who can perform every single service from natural manicures to long acrylics. To be honest, my favorite service to provide is nail art, I can draw anything on a small canvas (nail bed) from turtles to polka dots and flowers. During Quarantine my cosmetology school closed and I used my stimulus check to buy all of my nail and lash supplies. I started doing MANICURE traveling services. People would book my services online and I would go to their home and perform the service. I was using everything Jacky, my cosmetology teacher, showed me, but I also had to self teach myself nail art. Later on that fall, I got my first job as a mail and lash artist at a very busy salon in Buckhead. It was not easy, especially when dealing with high maintenance clientele . “I always knew you loved to paint and draw but i would have never imagined that you’d be doing it on nails” my mom said to me as I was drawing small tulips on her nails during her manicure appointment. The biggest obstacle was definitely perfecting my nail art, nail art is a luxury and you can pretty much charge whatever you want for it, if it’s done correctly. The most important lesson I’ve learned so far is patience. If you love what you do, patience and consistency is all it takes. I took a big risk dropping out of school to follow my dreams and I want to remind everyone that it won’t be easy, but it’s possible .I’ll be opening up my own salon in Atlanta in December 2023, I want to make it a relaxing experience for all clients.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Hands down, I would bring them to Buckhead. I would take them to Gloss Salon where I work, to get a mani pedi and then grab lunch at my favorite restaurant Cafe Agora, they have the best chicken Greek salads. The Thompson hotel is nearby if we want to get drinks and chat. There is so much to do in the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Cosmetology teacher Jacky Rendon is my biggest inspiration. She’s the first Latina in GA to own a cosmetology school, New Era Artist Academy. New Era was my 3rd cosmetology school, I kept switching schools due to unmotivated instructors. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Meeting Jackie was the turning point of my career. From the moment we met she made sure that I felt comfortable and taught me everything I know. She’s the most positive/motivating instructor that I’ve had. She deserves all the credit, from hair coloring to makeup to nails and micro blading. She definitely makes sure all her students are educated in each subject thoroughly.

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