British-Jamaican nail tech, Shea Osei from Essex shot to fame in 2024 thanks to her incredible collaborations with Cynthia Erivo for the Wicked movie and its iconic press tour.
We caught up with the nail tech of the moment to learn more about her incredible career in the industry, her advice for following in her footsteps and her top trend predictions for 2025.
How did you get into nails?
"I started doing nails at 14. I initially got interested in nails because my mom used to spend hours in the nail salon. I just ended up getting so intrigued with how artistic the process is and how the nail tech could draw and design on such tiny canvases. I wanted to try that it because I already had that kind of artistic flair as a child. I was always more interested in the art side of learning, than maths and science and stuff."
Do you have your own salon or are you freelance now?
"I do a bit of both now. I'm freelancing and have my own home-based salon now. I closed my salon in 2021 which was based in Stratford East London because I just felt like I wanted to do my own thing after the pandemic."
You've had a long relationship with Cynthia. Did you know each other from back in the day?
"We actually found each other through nails. When I started out I had my own space in a hair salon and Cynthia booked an appointment.
"We got chatting and when you are working so closely with someone, holding their hands for hours you really connect. Since then, we've had such a long friendship that's built up from it, and it's just been great."
When it came to working on the Wicked movie, how did you come to those looks? Was it a collaborative in the process?
"We're very collaborative and it was nice that Cynthia was able to have her own input. In the original Wizard of Oz movie the wicked witch had nails that elevated her costume. When you're think witch you think green, black and stiletto shapes.
"We brainstormed and figured out the kind of looks we wanted to go for and I created a mood board, of different designs that we would want to work with.
"That's how we got to our decision of having the ombre nails for the start of the movie and then the black with green foil for the Emerald City scenes towards the end."
So, have you worked on the next movie already?
"Yes, we have!"
Are you able to talk about any of that or is that top secret?
"Top secret! Lock my lips and throw away the key"
How much of your time was spent on set?
"My time was shared because I was heavily pregnant during the time of filming - I probably only spent about 40 hours on set in total. I was able to create sets from home and have them couriered in which was great."
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to do what you're doing in TV and film?
"My first and definite advice is don't give up! Always keep on top of trends as well. To make sure that you are noticeable and stand out from the crowd, you need to also find your niche.
"Find out what makes you different from all the other nail techs out there and just be very confident in what you do. If you know what you do is like great stuff, then you know you will be able to find yourself in rooms that you thought you would never be in."
Talking of trends, what are your top three trends for 2025?
"I feel like everyone is still trying to get with the cat eye trend although I have not tried the paperclip hearts and don’t intend to.
"I feel like reds are really making a comeback – classic and bold reds as part of quiet luxury trends. And French! The French mani is not going away. A clean French will be a big 2025 trend as well."