#SPILLINGTEA: funeralfacenails x drag queen nails

MG: Hi! Please tell us a bit about yourself, so we can get to know you!
My name is Candice and I'm a correctional officer in Ontario, Canada. I started my Instagram page and doing nail art as a stress-relief hobby that took on a mind of it's own!

MG: Drag is an industry that is very quickly becoming more mainstream. RuPaul’s “Drag Race” is on Netflix now and that’s opened up the fan base and drawn in younger audiences. What do your close ones think of your work?
Pretty much everyone in my social and personal bubble love drag so they're really excited about the opportunities I've had so quickly! It's also given me the opportunity to introduce drag to friends and anyone who is curious about it.

MG: What's so great about Drag Queen Nails?
For me it's the need for the attention to detail. A Queen puts a lot of time, effort and money into their looks so if they want to invest in a custom set of nails then you need to make sure they're special! I also love that I can go crazy with 3D details and crystals.

MG: How did this opportunity arise?
A good friend of mine, who also loves drag, suggested I look into making nails for Queens because she thought I could make a nail that they would appreciate. I reached out to a few Queens I had been following on Instagram, and had aesthetics I loved, and asked if I could make and send them some nails to try. I also asked for feedback and honesty and whether they thought what I had to offer was something Queens would be willing to pay for. A few were more than happy to receive some free nails and ended up loving what I did!

After I started to develop some online relationships I managed to make contact with Queens from season 1 of Canada's drag race and start to send them nails as gifts or bring them to shows when they were in town. From there, word of mouth spread and I started getting a pretty big drag following and lots of DM's enquiring on custom nails!

MG: What was it like the first time that you saw your nails on TV? Do you remember who it was?
Oh it was magical!! It was Scarlett Bobo wearing a set on the reunion special for Season 1 of Canada's Drag Race. I had no idea she would be wearing them so I was SHOCKED when I realized she had them on! I'm not gonna lie, I teared up a bit! Since then I've seen my nails on Call Me Mother and UK Vs The World and it still chokes me up every time.

MG: What was it like meeting the queens that you work with and seeing your nails on them?
I usually fangirl pretty hard and clam up with the more famous Queens when they come to town but make up for it in tips! It's also exciting to meet Queens that I've known online and talked to extensively and then finally meet in person. Seeing my nails performing in person is always surreal!

MG: What is your favorite Madam Glam product? How often do you work with our products when you’re creating the Drag Queen’s nails? Could you please share with us your favorite color combinations you find beautiful? 

My current Madam Glam obsession are the Gel Paints and art brushes! I use them for EVERYTHING!! Using them has completely changed my freehand game and given me a confidence I didn't know was there. I'm also really into the black and white Pudding Gels for bases as they are so thin when applied that you can really build on top of them worry-free! As for favorite color combinations I, personally, really love neutral taupes and grays paired with more vibrant shades and neons. For Drag nails I've been loving the combination of chocolate brown and rose gold! 
 
MG: What would you say are some of the biggest challenges of doing complex designs specially for drag artists?
I think the biggest challenge is the pressure to make a set special enough to not only compliment a look but also try and elevate it. Queens put so much effort into their looks so I want to make sure that what I make for them is unique and special and takes their vision to the next level!

MG: Do you have a favorite story of when you’ve met someone you’ve worked with?
I had made some nails for a local Queen and went to see her perform one night. She was having a great night and feeling herself in her blingggy nails and suddenly realized at the end of one of her numbers that she had lost some nails. She stopped the whole show, searching the ground for her nails. Had the staff and other guests helping while yelling 'I'LL FIND THEM CANDICE!! I CAN'T LOSE MY NAILS!!' I was laughing my butt off and told her I would replace the lost nails. She found them later stuck in her wig!!

MG: What is one professional goal you have for yourself?
I've reached so many goals so quickly that it's been hard to believe this is even happening! I would love for a Queen to wear my nails on the US RuPaul's Drag Race, of course! I think my new dream goal, though, is to make nails to walk the Met Gala red carpet!

MG: Do you have any words of wisdom for any other young nail passionate, nail techs?
Never give up! Anytime I try a new technique that doesn't work out, I keep working at it. Sometimes all it needs is practice, sometimes it's switching up the materials. Some of my Queen's requests have terrified me but all it took was trying and realizing I could do things I didn't know I could do!