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Tampa Resident Showcasing Her Nail Artistry On Reality Show
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
When it comes to decorat- ing fingertips, nail artist Amber Trawick says she can do it all.
“I’m not a one-trick pony when it comes to nails,” she said. “Tips, acrylic, encapsu- lated nails, 3-D nails – I do everything.”
For the last nine weeks, Ms. Trawick has been show- casing her artistic talent and holding her own against other nail artists on the hit Oxygen show, “Boss Nails.”
Set in Miami’s Tippie Toes Nail Salon, the show docu- ments the antics of owner Dana Cody and her staff of eight. The shop – founded by Ms. Cody’s mother, Ms. An- gela Page – is one of the biggest in the city, with dozens of manicure and pedicure sta- tions and offering a full-range of services including nail ex- tension, nail art deco, nail sculpturing, nail treatments, healing therapies, and reflex- ology techniques.
Many of the Tippie Toes nail artists have either known or worked together for years, but Ms. Trawick, a Tampa resident, said as a newcomer, she had no problem fitting in with the staff.
AMBER TRAWICK
“It’s a family atmosphere, it really is,” she said. “I told everyone that I’m here to learn from them. I’m not here to step on anyone’s toes.”
Working with highly re- garded nail artist and Insta- gram star Nuni is one of the highlights of being on the show, Ms. Trawick said.
“I was super excited to meet such a well-known name in the industry,” she said.
Ms. Trawick said she no- ticed almost instantly that her nail painting artistic style is somewhat different from the Swarovski crystal-covered nails Miami clients are used to, but she’s adjusted well.
While there are instances of staff members arguing and disagreeing with each other, what’s missing from “Boss Nails” are knock-down, drag- out fights that are part of the reality show formula.
Some of Amber’s artistry.
family.
Unsure of her next move,
she said it was her hair stylist who suggested she become a nail artist. After some think- ing, Ms. Trawick enrolled in nail school and when she fin- ished, her hair stylist hired her to work in her salon.
In the 11 years since be- coming a nail artist, she has built her business mostly via word of mouth and has alter- nated between working in sa- lons and working from home.
Ms. Trawick said the ability to choose how, when, and where she works has given her the flexibility necessary to be more available to her fam- ily, which includes husband Paul and son, Jaycen, 12, and daughters, Jasmyn, 8 and Jordyn, 6.
This week, “Boss Nails” wraps up its first season. Ms. Trawick said it’s unknown at this time if the show will re- turn for another run, but if it does she’s ready.
“I’m open to anything,” she said. “If it takes me to more television, that’s great,” she said. “If it means I have clients booked up for the next three months, that’s fine too.”
Follow “Boss Nails” start Amber Trawick on Insta- gram at @preciousnails220, on Twitter at @Precious_Nails, and on Facebook at Precious Jewel Nail Design.
Ms. Trawick says the owner, Ms. Cody, has pur- posely set a family-like tone in the salon that made working at Tippie Toes a joy.
“I went into this to network and show my talent,” Ms. Trawick said. “I wasn’t there to cause drama. When I went on the show, I made a con- certed effort to make sure peo- ple saw that.”
“Dana’s really cool,” she said. “She basically told me that I remind her a lot of her mom, which was an honor. I really appreciate how she opened up the shop to me.”
“Boss Nails” isn’t Traw- ick’s first foray into reality tel- evision. Last year, she appeared on another Oxygen
show, “Nail’d It”, a competi- tion show where nail artist vied for a $100,000 grand prize.
Trawick said although she didn’t win, the experience boosted her confidence and fi- nally confirmed – for her – that she was, indeed, talented.
“Those first few years, I en- joyed it but I wasn’t good at it,” she said. “It didn’t click for me until I was standing on stage at “Nail’d It.”
The Cleveland, Ohio na- tive’s first creative career was in culinary arts.
After graduating from Johnson and Wales Univer- sity’s Charleston, S.C., campus in 2002, she took on jobs as a chef. But she soon found the hours unsuitable for a young woman with a newborn and a
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