Behind the Scenes at the First All-Reader Written Issue of NAILS

A Special Reader Issue of NAILS wouldn’t be complete without some actual readers on the cover.  So we chose four nail technicians, who we think are representative of the diversity of our readers, to grace our cover.   Although “models” Helen Cepeda, Terry Gerardi, Juli Miller, and Dee Nguyen all come from different backgrounds, what they each have in common is their professionalism and dedication to nails.

“The first thing I noticed is that the four nail technicians were multi-cultural, so I think this cover will attract all types of readers,” says Nguyen, owner of Dee Nails Enhancements in Canoga Park, Calif.

Says Cepeda, owner of Salon Beauté in Torrance, Calif., “It was fun mingling with the others, and I learned some new tips on nail techniques.”

At the shoot, the women found themselves in front of the camera for four hours sitting and standing while holding various NAILS magazines in exact positions.  “I definitely have a new appreciation for hand models,” says Miller, a nail technician at Canyon Fitness Salon in Canyon Lake, Calif.  “They have to keep perfectly still.”

“I went back telling my clients that my fingers were glued to the magazine,” laughs Nguyen, who has been a loyal reader of NAILS for 10 years, and touts the Vietnamese supplement as the best thing the magazine has done.  “It’s opened up a whole new market,” she says.

Miller has also been reading NAILS for 10 years.  “It keeps me abreast of everything, such as techniques and products, because I can’t go to every single show.”

After spending 30-plus years in a business environment, Gerardi, a nail technician at Salon 4001 in Torrance, Calif., became a nail technician five years ago.  “Reading NAILS Magazine makes a difference between being just a nail technician and being a professional nail technician because of all the education it offers,” she says.  Actually, Gerardi was instrumental in getting her client, Dianne Heisner, in touch with NAILS, resulting in Heisner’s hands gracing many covers (October 1997, for one).

We would like to thank Dee, Helen, Juli, Terry and all our readers for their pursuit of nail excellence.  Maybe we’ll see more of you “behind the scenes” someday.