Leanne Woodley describes herself as an “editorial manicurist,” but she might as well say she’s an artist. With her nail designs described by British style magazine Dazed and Confused Magazine as miniature works of art, Woodley admits she’s warmed up to the idea that her work is more than a simple manicure.
“I’ve really only just come to terms with the idea that I am an artist,” she told Dazed and Confused. “Growing up, I would draw a lot but didn’t consider myself an artist. Now that I have come to terms with it, each step of the process feels very emotional.”
As a child, she remembers being drawn to the concept of getting your nails done. “My dad took me to get my first manicure when I was seven years old,” she recalled. “I was really obsessed with nail polish and long nails after that, even though I was a nail biter.”
Her obsession turned into a career choice after meeting nail guru Bernadette Thompson. “After badgering her on set for hours, I went home to research her,” she says. “It hadn’t dawned on me how much influence she had in the things I loved growing up, not to mention how much money I could actually make doing nails.”
Fast forward to 2013, and she was working as a stylist assistant when she met Bernadette Thompson. “After badgering her on set for hours, I went home to research her,” she says. “It hadn’t dawned on me how much influence she had in the things I loved growing up, not to mention how much money I could actually make doing nails.” According to Woodley, “it was a wrap after that.”
