Today we’d like to introduce you to Ahmaree Williams
Hi Ahmaree, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my journey in the beauty industry as a 17-year-old in Kansas City, MO with “senioritis” just looking to escape normal classes for a year and potentially save money on my way too frequent trips to the nail salon. I enrolled in one of the vocational programs our high school offered — nail technology. I had no idea what kind of ride I was in for back in 2014, but all I can say is: 11 years later, and here we are.
Nail technology wasn’t the only or most lucrative of the vocational programs being offered at our school, but what drew me to the program was the ability to infuse my love of art with my love for beauty. For the past 4 years, I had taken every art course my high school had to offer from Drawing Fundamentals, Photography, Technical Drawing, and even Ceramics. However, with everyone spewing their reiterations of the tired old “starving artist” trope, I figured that maybe I should pivot slightly from my art path and get creative with my career path. All the money I spend getting jelly and orange peel pedicures, surely a nail tech is seeing some kind of revenue?
Eight months after picking up my first acrylic brush, I graduated from both my high school & the program and set off for an even crazier journey — college. I had an entire plan to be an A-plus student, hustle on the side with my nail business, and stack up some money to move to the West Coast after graduating. They say if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans…
Well, before I could even get acclimated to my freshman year of university I lost my father. The one who had not only financed my nail journey but was my cheerleader every step of the way. I’d like to say that I handled it with grace but I think the biggest mistake I made during this time was putting the brush down.
I distracted myself by joining the school dance team, traveling any free weekend I had & even participated in a casting call for a reality show we won’t speak on in the name of secondhand embarrassment. I tried to fill the void nails left by experimenting with some of my other talents. I became a news journalist my senior year at the city’s major publication, won 1st place for anti-bullying feature story I wrote and rubbed shoulders with some of the snootiest must-know ballers of the area. Still, this didn’t excite me.
I soon graduated college & began fumbling through the real world as a brand new adult. I relocated to Texas & rotated through a couple of jobs before deciding to take one more go at the beauty industry. This time, I tried out esthetics.
Esthetics scratched my thirst for knowledge in the best ways! I felt alive staring at all the anatomy charts & putting together littler skincare “prescriptions” for our imaginary clients. I knew this was it. I even became an instructor for esthetics at beauty schools in the area. I had found my groove again. Finally!
I think we both know that I had not, in fact, found my groove. No one told me how snooze-inducing doing six 45-minute facials with chimes and bells whistling in the background back to back actually could be. The repetitive motions, the monotonous routine, the tiny dark rooms … I find myself going cross-eyed sometimes just thinking about it.
Fast forward to 2024 — the year Katt Williams unlocked the truth box, they say. I think mine was one of them. After 10 years, I realized that nails was what I’d been missing this entire time. It wasn’t a paycheck, it wasn’t an award, and it definitely wasn’t in a marketing office trying to make use of my degree. It was being creative. I missed expressing myself. I missed helping others express themselves in ways their imagination may not be able to manifest. I missed seeing actual colors!
I dedicated my 10-year nail anniversary to jumping back full force into the industry & honoring my father. This time, I wouldn’t psych myself out and I wouldn’t let anyone tell me the limits on possible. This concept birthed Noirvana — a bridge between dark elegance & peaceful harmony. Where things may not be rainbows & butterflies but just by living in your true self there’s still a calm sense of serenity in the midst.
I like to think even my signature style of design embodies this motto. You can catch me creating bright, contrasting sets with 3D grunge elements, Y2K-inspired themes, textures, and nostalgia-inducing designs.
In the near future, I see myself working on avant-grande editorial assignments in high fashion publications and even on the red carpet accessorizing everyone’s favorite It Girl with my nails. In the mean time, you can find me at That’s Hot Festival a Y2K-themed festival held in Dallas on June 1st!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was not:
– I lost my father soon after getting started in the industry
– lost my confidence
– relocated & had to start from scratch
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Noirvana Nail Studio specializes in handmade, gel press-ons and organic nail & hand care products.
Brand wise, I am the most proud of my mission & overall intention in creating my brand. To encourage people to be and express themselves unapologetically & to find inner peace in doing so. No nail is too crazy if it speaks to you.
My approach to servicing my customers sets me a part from the rest. It’s not just a transaction with me. It’s an experience. I love to just have a normal conversation with my customers, no selling, to really understand their nail style. It’s easy to recreate a picture someone brings in, but it’s even better when you make someone comfortable enough to trust you to bring their true creative vision to life.
Our offerings include made-to-order gel press-on nails and Cuticle Armor. Our Cuticle Armor is a nourishing jojoba oil enriched with sweet almond oil and castor oil to hydrate the cuticle area. Our added lavender & chamomile infusion adds extra benefits including: antibacterial, skin soothing, smoothing, wound healing, anti fungal, antioxidant & anti-inflammatory.
We also offer pop up market and festival services for events looking to add a pop of glamour to their vendor options. Our pop ups include a Build Your Noirvana station that allows customers to mix-and-match nails to create their very own custom set to take home. Customers can shop our press-on collection and place orders for custom and recreation sets at booth.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Follow, share, tag us on Instagram @noirvananailstudio
Website: noirvananailstudio.com
Email us at: noirvananailstudio@gmail.com
Pricing:
- $12 – Cuticle Armour
- $35-$105 – Press-On Nails
Contact Info:
- Website: https://noirvananailstudio.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/noirvananailstudio
Image Credits
Last photo – Ahmaree Williams (myself)
