Self-taught Christabel Chigwagwa nailing it

Patricia Mashiri

Zim Now Reporter

Looking for true art and not just another nail job?

Glam Beauty Parlour is the place to go as evidenced by the growing numbers of happy clients consistently recommending Christabel Chigwagwa for complex jobs like getting dollar bills or jean material inserted in their nail art.

The nail technician who has been trending for her glamorous nail styles says one day she evolved from client to service provider just like that.

“I never went to school to learn how to do people’s nails. It was one day when I went to get my nails done and I just fell in love with the transformation,” says Christabel.

So she paid attention to detail and discovered latent talent within herself.

“I quickly passed by a shopping centre and bought few things which I saw the nail tech using. When I went back home I asked my little sister if I could try out on her nails and the outcome for a first wasn’t bad,” she said.

Instead of taking the route of enrolling at any of the numerous beauty schools or being apprenticed to someone else, Christabel turned to the internet.

“YouTube became my best friend as I wanted to perfect my skills and learning more from different people online.”

As she demonstrated her outstanding capacity, her brand grew.

“I started having people coming around to have their nails done by me. The demand grew and I started getting referrals,” Christabel says.

A mother who believed in her helped. At the beginning when Christabell didn’t have the capital to invest in the full professional start up kits her mum stepped in.

To provide a wider range of services, Glam Beauty Parlour also does lashes and make up.

To manage her time and that of her clients efficiently, Christabel only works on appointment as the referrals continue to increase.

She says the secret to her success is brutal self-assessment so that she can excel in what she does best.

“In this line of business, you must be honest enough to save yourself from being embarrassed. I think I’m a better and different person because I believe in honesty,” she says.

And part of that honesty has been the realisation that she can’t be everything to everyone and services women who know what they want and understand what extraordinary entails.

“I believe everyone has their clients,” she says.

Although she is doing very well and enjoying business growth, Christabel does not believe she has arrived.

“I have been a nail tech for six years now and I see that I’m improving every day. I want to keep learning every day and become a better person,” she says.

Christabel’s dream is to establish a specialist nail art school where she can share the knowledge she has picked in her journey.

Christabel says if she ever gets a chance to do First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa’s nails she knows the will impress.

“I believe in myself,” she submits.