Age

22

Location

Ogun State, Nigeria

Occupation

Nail & Lash Technician

Rent

₦400k

Monthly Income

₦700k – ₦900k

Total Savings

₦1.5M

Monthly Expenses Breakdown

• Business supplies (lashes, nail products, tools): ₦200k – ₦300k
• Data: ₦50k
• Feeding: ₦100k – ₦150k
• Transportation: ₦30k – ₦50k
• Skincare/personal upkeep: ₦80k – ₦100k
• Personal spending (clothes, outings, etc.): ₦100k+

How did you get into lashes and nails?

I didn’t want to keep depending on people for money, so I decided to learn a skill. At the time, it was just about having something to fall back on, not necessarily building a business.

So when did it stop being “just a skill” and start becoming a business?

It was when people started asking me to work on them and were willing to pay. At first, it was small, but as I kept improving, more people started coming, and I realized it could actually be something serious.

Who were your first real customers?

Mostly people around me, friends, neighbours and coursemates.

And how did it grow from there?

Referrals. Once someone likes your work, they bring others. I remember one time I did lashes for someone for her birthday, and she posted it. The next few days, I had like three different people message me saying they got my number from her. That’s when I realized how fast it can spread if your work is good.

What kind of clients do you mostly have?

Big girls on campus. People who have events, birthdays, photoshoots, or just like to look good regularly.

What exactly are you offering them?

For lashes, it depends on the style. Some people go for simple looks, but others want fuller styles like hybrid or volume.

What about nails? Is it the same thing?

Nails are different. It’s mostly based on the design and length. The more detailed the design is, the higher the price.

So apart from working on clients, do you make money any other way from this?

Yes, I train people too.

And how much do you charge?

₦300k, one-time payment.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My days are usually long. I can have three or four clients in a day, and lash appointments alone can take two to three hours depending on how detailed the style is.

Two to three hours for one client? What exactly takes that long?

It’s the process. You have to be very careful and precise, especially for fuller styles. If you rush it, the lashes won’t come out well or you end up in jail because you blinded your client.

And you still have other clients after that?

Yes, and that’s where the stress comes in. There are days I’ve done lashes for one person for almost three hours, then I still have two more clients waiting. By the time I’m done, my back is already hurting, my eyes are tired, but I still have to focus because if you make a mistake, you’ll almost blind your client, and we don’t want that.

Why does that matter so much?

Because people judge based on how you present yourself. I’ve noticed that when you look put together, clients take you more seriously. There was a time when I wasn’t really putting effort into how I looked, and I noticed a difference in how people approached me. But once I started looking more polished, even the kind of clients I attracted changed.

You’re also a student. How do you balance school with all this?

It’s not easy. There are times I have to meet client bookings and still handle school deadlines.

Has it ever felt like too much?

Yes, there are days when everything just piles up. There was a time I had back-to-back clients and still had to read for tests that week. I was exhausted, but I still had to stay up late to read. Moments like that make you question everything, but you still have to keep going.

So what keeps you going?

The results. When you see the money coming in and the progress you’ve made, it motivates you.

When you were learning and starting out, what was money like for you?

It was tight. The materials alone were expensive, and as a student, I didn’t always have money to get everything I needed at once. I had to start small and just manage whatever I could afford at the time. There were things I knew I needed that I couldn’t buy immediately, so I had to improvise and grow gradually instead of trying to do everything at once.

So how were you able to afford the materials you needed at the beginning?

It wasn’t from one place. I combined different things. Sometimes I used money I had saved, sometimes I had to rely on support from home, and other times I just reinvested whatever little I made from early clients.

There were moments where I would finish a job and instead of using the money for myself, I would go straight to buying more materials because I knew that was the only way I could grow. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was necessary.

At what point did it stop being “manage what you have” and become more serious financially?

It was when I started getting more clients than I could handle with the materials I had. That was when it became clear that if I didn’t step up, I would start losing opportunities. That was when I knew I had to invest properly, not just manage.

Is that when borrowing money came in?

Yes. At that point, I didn’t have enough to restock properly, but I also didn’t want to start telling clients I couldn’t take them. So I borrowed money to get what I needed.

What made you take that risk?

It was a mix of pressure and opportunity. I knew if I didn’t act, I would lose clients, but at the same time, borrowing money meant I had to be sure I could pay it back. It wasn’t a comfortable decision, but I felt like staying small would cost me more in the long run.

What was it like paying that money back?

It made me very conscious of how I worked. I couldn’t afford to be lazy or careless because I knew I had something hanging over me. I started taking more bookings, planning my time better, and cutting down on how I spent money on myself.

There were times I wanted to relax or spend, but I couldn’t because I had that responsibility. It forced me to grow up financially.

You’ve saved about ₦1.5M. How were you able to do that?

I had to be intentional. There were times I wanted to spend more, especially when I started making good money. You see money in your account and you feel like you’ve made it, but I had to remind myself that if I don’t save, I won’t have anything to show for it later.

What do you think people misunderstand about what you do?

People think it’s just “doing lashes and nails,” but it’s actually serious work. It takes time, effort, and consistency.

What are you working towards now?

I want to open a proper studio and grow the business beyond just what I’m doing now.