For nail techs who are constantly on the go, their box of tools may be the only constant in their lives. Traveling techs share their toolkit must-haves that help them thrive while on the road.
Heather Matteson and Amy Sassman
Home base: Atlanta
Some travel required: Bliss Mobile Spa nail techs (the sisters work many mobile events together)
Won’t leave home without:
✓Pumice stone
✓Towels scented with J.R. Watkins lavender essential oil
✓Yankee Candle tealights (for that spa experience)
✓ Spiral notebook (to write down polish color requests and directions to where we’re headed)
✓Arbonnes Lavender Dead Sea Salts (for spa-style pedicures)
✓Rose Petals
✓Dasani water
✓Nature Valley granola bars (for in-between-client snacks)
Beth Fricke
Home base: West Hollywood, Calif.
Some travel required: Artists by Timothy Priano celebrity tech
Won’t leave home without:
✓“Rag mags,” like Us Weekly (Unless, of course, I’m working on Lindsay Lohan or Katie Holmes; in that case, those magazines definitely stay in the car.)
✓First aid supplies
✓Give-aways (files, oil, lotion samples)
✓Gum
✓Bit of a rubber glove (to open tricky polishes)
✓Disposable flip-flops
Oasis Mobile Spa (standard toolkit for all techs)
Home base: Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Some travel required: mobile spa that services clients in Barrie and its surrounding areas
Won’t leave home without:
| ✓Crock pot (to heat the towels) |
✓Tablecloth |
| ✓iPod and small speakers |
✓Stool for pedicures |
| ✓Tealights with holders |
✓Decorative baskets to display products |
| ✓Folding table |
✓Q-tips |
| ✓Folding chairs (2) |
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Arlene Estrada-Hernandez
Home base: Los Angeles
Some travel required: MobileSPA Los Angeles nail tech
Won’t leave home without:
| ✓Bamboo mat |
✓Boombox and spa music CDs |
| ✓Candy jars |
✓Wrist pillow (for the client’s comfort) |
| ✓Sterling silver manicure and pedicure bowls (easy to clean) |
✓Pedicure slippers |
| ✓Paraffin bags and mittens |
✓Toe separators |
| ✓Candles and a lighter (to create a spa ambiance) |
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