Mobile Nail Technician Kit & Set Up

I've always been interested in interiors, and ever since I did beauty therapy at college I have been scrolling through Pinterest, looking for inspiration for my future home nail salon.

Although Pinterest certainly had some very worthy Pinterest images for home salons, when it came to looking for Inspiration for a mobile nail technician kit and set up ideas - I couldn't find anything that was Pinterest worthy.

We’re talking 2011/13 here, so at least 9 years ago. The nail industry has certainly grown since then but I'm still struggling to find some inspiration.

I've been doing this mobile game for a while now and so I thought I'd share what I have learnt (Ive been through a few set ups/bags/wax pots 🙈), there has been a few good ideas that have stuck but not many. I am striving to make my mobile salon set up as beautiful as some of these gorgeous dreamy home salons I see on Instagram every day, modern, professional, easy and different to what anyone else has! Not too much to ask right?

I hope that I can help give some other mobile nail techs out there some inspiration.

First up. The Biosculpture Mobile Tech Bag by Roo beauty. This is what I'm using at the minute. It has 2 side compartments with elastic straps inside to hold bottles and a main middle compartment which houses the storage cubes for the gels. The gel storage cubes hold 25 gels, I double It up to hold 50 as i have way too many colours 😂. The bag also has a top section, which I use for towels and colour swatches.

This has been the best thing for carrying all the products (but damn it's heavy when is full up, I'm not sure I will get away from that). Although, I can't fit everything in it. I have a separate Biosculpture Tote bag for the “over spill”.

This is the one that gets messy and a "chuck it in" when your in a rush kinda bag, then get annoyed at your self that you haven't taken time to be organised. Lesson 1 - don't over book yourself and make time on your diary for setting up and packing away.

Bio Tech Bag - Side Compartments I have my Spectra Lamp and plug in (without the box) one side. I have put a bit of bubble wrap in the bottom of the compartment just to add a little bit of cushion when I'm chucking he bag in the car mid twin pick up!

Everything else in the other - Multi Cleanse and Gel Remover - i decant these in to the bio pots. Cotton wool, lint free pads, foil strips, spare files and buffers. A set of nail tips for extensions. Barbicide and Jar.

Top Compartment I have my towels (I have spares in the car which I change over at each appointment) and my colour swatches. It's attached the to bag and has a 3 quarter zip around.

My over spill Re:new Jute bag -

Couch Roll i use the small one from salon services.

Gloves - Latex Free

Gel Base Bag - So that I can lift these out at the start of treatment instead of rooting through to find everything in a rush. I'm just using a superdrug clear makeup bag at the minute but I want something a bit more like the gel cubes as they still fall over.

Pencil Case, Antibacterial Wipes, Daylight lamp and plug, a storage cube full of glitter and nail art extras, a storage cube of nail varnish (I will leave this in the car if the appointment only requires gel), a pen, extension lead (essential) and a bag FULL of Evo Gel Polishes. It's full!

The bag for my Evo gel range is not practical and it's full to the brim. I have been shown these clear cases which hope the individual bottles. But at the moment I can just about carry it all and adding another 2 plastic cases with handles is just not going to work. So they stay where they are for now.

For all my tools and ethos bases, I saw this simple but effective Pencil Case from Amazon! It was recommended by Michelle Class. She is on the Biosculpture Mentor team and she's a Celebrity Session tech. (So she is definitely goals in the session kit department 😂)

I have tried a plastic tray that I lift in and out of the tote bag but nothing ever stayed up right. It was probably the most useful and quickest thing I've used, having it all there to hand, but pots and oils started to leak/tip over in the car; so I stopped using that.

A good tip for stopping bags from falling over is to use bungee ropes secure these to a loop in the car.

I have everything for my manicure in my black pencil case. Tools - in my little navy pouch, Biosculpture Brushes, Dotting Tools, Palette, Glue, Forms, Nail Brush, Ethos Bases and Oils. It comes with spare sections for "pencils" but these are removable. So effectively all I need to get out is this small bag, my Soloutions (dual cleanse, gel remover, hand sanitizer, surface sanitiser) along with the rest of my set up, towels lamps etc. I think it looks professional and it's easy to get out of your bag and plonk on the table.

The only other thing I need is a small separate bag for my gel bases I'm using something at the moment but theres still risk of them tipping over. (I'm working on it)

Now this is just if I have a gel appointment. If we where to add waxing to this then there is a whole other kit for that and that really is a car full. One which I haven't perfected either but we will get to that another day.

Normally at people's house I work diagonally from their dining table. Of they don't have one that's fine I can use my couch as a table.

I still don't think I've got my set up as beautiful as I want it but at the moment it looks ok and it's practical. I try to keep as tidy as possible in clients houses but your working environment is so different from one person to the next so you have to work with what you have. Along with all of this kit I also have my handbag with me too! Three bags 🤯🥴.

I've had a lot to think about my business during this covid business and I am going to come back stronger than ever with a brand spanking new jazzy set up (and new towels 😂).