My name is April Foreman (right, shown here with actress Poppi Montgomery) and when I first became a manicurist, it was simply a way to put myself through college. I never thought years later I would be working for magazines, celebrities, and consulting for salons. Before moving to Los Angeles, I never knew that a manicurist could require an agent.Until then I had worked as a booth renter in a salon working 12-hour days. After six years of working those long hours I got bored. The agency I’m with represents hairdressers, makeup artists, stylists, and manicurists. In a nutshell, I have to be ready to perform any service at any time. The trunk of my car is a full-service nail salon. My agent will call and tell me I have a job booked.

If it is a fashion shoot or an ad campaign there is either a fashion editor or an art director who will then communicate a concept to the stylist, hairdresser, makeup artist, and me. We will then all work together to achieve the concept. Usually we will all work at the same time on the model because there always seems to be “good light” that the photographer is worried about missing.

So many people have the misconception that this is a glamorous job. They don’t know about the hikes up steep hills balancing foot tubs, lotions and every polish imaginable because there is a really beautiful location at the top that you can’t reach by car. But this is also the part of the job I love the most.

This kind of work is like an adventure. I never know where I will be or who I will meet. Instead of flipping through a fashion magazine when a client misses her appointment, I am now a part of creating the magazine.