I was pleasantly surprised that in this episode we had the focus mostly on nails, without distraction. With only a slight "twerk" here and an eye-roll there, Boss Nails Ep. 4 served up what I think nail artists and salon owners like myself have been waiting to see: quality nails and real-life management calls.

I can only hope that this is the direction that the producers and Dana continue for the rest of the season, but in the world of reality television we all know that the antics and drama need to happen for fun and ratings. (Which is why my review of Boss Nails is based just on the show; I have never personally been to the Tippie Toes salon in Miami.)

In a perfect "reality" world, this is what I would like to see from the Boss Nails series:

• To serve as an inspiration to the nail industry – real-life business situations that salon owners face and can relate to

• Branding ideas

• Outrageous clients (we’ve all had ‘em … and love ‘em anyway (sometimes)

• Newest trends

But as much as I want to see the "dos," I can’t ignore the "don’ts."

I hope that this show continues to make the nails the main star. So let’s get to it!

New Product Alert: Imperial Nails

In this episode we get another glimpse of the strategic branding that put Tippie Toes on the map. This week Dana introduced the audience to Imperial Nails, which are customized jewelry nails. They are produced with precious metals like silver, gold, rose gold, etc. and are tailored to Dana's higher-end clients who "prefer the finer things in life."

I'm curious to see whether these nails will attract the average client who loves bling or if these nails are a better fit for celebrity clients. Either way, salon owners and techs take note because what Dana is doing here is a key marketing concept: find a target clientele, then give them what they want.

Instagram-Famous Techs

In addition to Nuni Torres, Tippie Toes Salon has brought in another hotshot from the Instagram nail world: D'Marie. She is an artist with a strong following on social media and apparently has a past history with Tippie Toes and Dana Cody. In fact, this history is also the reason that the episode is named "Throwing Shade." Reintroducing D'Marie to Tippie Toes appears to cause an upset with some of the staff members, which forces Dana to make the decision to put D'Marie on a trial period. Yet in her first episode, D'Marie did exactly what she needed to do: come to work with a positive attitude, stay away from the drama, and create a BOMB set of nails!

The Nails

Very on-trend with the gel application of the bouquet of flowers. Clients are eating this trend up and it’s been all over the nail pages on social media. I also noticed her using foil as the backdrop for the nails, also on-trend, and I know that my clients love this look.

The Takeaway

A nail artist's number one tool is passion. Like anyone with a deep passion for their craft, I put my whole heart into my work. It was grueling having my art critiqued over and over in the NAILS Next Top Nail Artist competition, but I took it, processed it, and used it to make me better every week. All forms of art, whether it be writing, painting, and yes, crafting nails, are forms of self-expression. People will not always agree with how you express yourself, but it is your duty and your right to do so.

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"Boss Nails" Review: Episode 3