Award-Winning Nails in South Tucson
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 19:02
A male working as a nail technician on the Southside of Tucson draws attention but it is his award-winning skills and unique salon experience that have given him a well-established clientele. This ever-growing clientele has put Max Estrada on the map in the world of nails with Exclusive Nails Couture, 723 West Irvington Road.
Madonna dances on the flat screen television as Estrada, 22, wearing a baby pink apron, puts away some small blue rhinestones he uses on his clients. The room is decorated with Hello-Kitty gear and has a glamorous glass chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling with bright pink walls surrounding his work area. Another difference from other local nail salons is his waiting room, which holds a trophy shelf of all the awards he has accumulated since beginning his career almost five years ago.
The artists on T.V. alternate, the music is still loud, the phone rings, and a woman patiently waits for his attention. Estrada is in high demand. Not only is he constantly being discovered by locals, but when his artwork on someone’s hands requires a rhinestone decor fixing he’s happy to help.
“I started coming to Estrada about four months ago,” said Jenice Madrid, 26. “Now I wouldn’t go anywhere else,” she continued, her hand resting on a fluffy pink pillow as Max perfected her nails.
Madrid’s nails are a reflection of what most of his clients ask for: a dazzling, shiny design.
"People always want the same things," Estrada said. "Everyone always wants bright colors with animal prints or something like that.”
A graduate of the Arizona Academy of Beauty, Estrada entered his first nail competition through Nail Pro Magazine in 2005. According to Estrada it is usually the same people who enter the nationwide competition but there are also a lot of overseas competitors. Estrada has won several awards in the U.S., one in Korea, and a world record for the fastest full set of nails at 12 minutes and seven seconds.
“I didn’t win awards to become famous - you don’t win because you’re lucky,” said Estrada. “You win because you work really hard. It is the materialization of my efforts.”
Estrada says he grew up in the industry and because his mother was a nail technician as well, it was natural for him to get into the field. Before Exclusive Nails Couture, he worked at a salon where he says he became very unhappy.
“I got to the point where I was getting depressed. So I really wanted to open up my own salon and have a creative outlet for me to express myself through.”
At 20, he fulfilled his needs with the intentions of creating a “girly” atmosphere. He purchased an old home that was commercially zoned and used it to design his own “dollhouse”. Though he likes the traditional resort and spa feel for this type of business, he says it’s simply not him.
At $30 for a full set of nails, different designs can cost up to $100. Depending on a person’s taste, it can take Estrada one to two hours to complete.
“This is what I love to do,” Estrada assures. “A lot of people, when they wake up in the morning, they hate going to work. Me? I love it! I love working with people - I would never do anything else.”
Written by Matilde Cantero
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