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Join the GelJunkie Revolution

Support natural nail growth & create standout enhancements with GelJunkie, a gel polish range with a focused founder & carefully curated colour selection

Kate Driscoll

Add together 18 years’ knowledge of nail tech needs with a passion for quality enhancements and great customer service, then sprinkle with glamour. What do you get? A gel polish brand set to turn heads and excite clients and pros alike.

GelJunkie, a long-lasting, high shine gel polish system, is spearheaded by successful salon owner & nail stylist, Kate Driscoll, who discovered a fascination with nails and colour after qualifying as a beauty therapist almost two decades ago. She went on to complete Level 2 and 3 diplomas in Nail Technology in Chelmsford, Essex, and her skills and business acumen shone so bright, that her tutor invited her to take ownership of her established client base.

Kate’s career continued to grow and she was approached by a hair salon seeking a nail professional to join its team. She worked from a small space, yet her clientele snowballed, so she bolstered this confidence to open her first salon, called Kate, in Maldon, Essex. Within six months the business had expanded rapidly, and a larger salon, KateLifestyle, opened its doors, offering an extensive range of nail services alongside a variety of luxury treatments.

“In my journey from modest nail technician to proud owner of KateLifestyle, my focus has remained on quality and client satisfaction,” Kate shares. “At the end of 2022, I decided to launch my own brand, keen to create the perfect balance between providing must-have colours and formulas that support nail strength.

“I enjoy the whirlwind of creativity that this industry affords, and with GelJunkie I am continuing to honour my mission to offer beauty and confidence to professionals and clients.”

“I have always had an eye for recommending the perfect nail colour to suit each client, so have curated a range of 100 gel polish shades to suit all seasons and cater to all. The GelJunkie range has been through a rigorous testing process and the hues are highly pigmented, offering a long wear time and high-shine finish.”

Kate’s team of 10 salon staff members assisted with the naming of the shades; examining each gel polish colour to give it a character. “Several of the names are edgy and unusual, while others have been influenced by life experiences or a client,” shares Kate. “I am confident that new colours will be added to the GelJunkie collection to meet the demands of this ever-changing industry.”

The three-step GelJunkie system includes base coat, colour and top coat. To meet clients’ needs for a formula that provides a strengthening overlay; protecting the natural nail so it can grow, Kate has also launched Create The Length (CTL). “Throughout my nail career, clients have asked me how they can achieve longer, stronger nails without extensions,” she shares. “CTL’s formula has been meticulously tested to support length and strength, offering long-lasting results every time.

“To apply, first slick the GelJunkie Base Coat onto nails and cure for 45 seconds. Apply a thin coat of CTL and cure for 45 seconds, followed by a slightly thicker coat, again curing for 45 seconds. Finish with GelJunkie Top Coat or a coat of GelJunkie Gel Polish colour and cure to finish.”

It was also important for Kate to help ease the work of busy professionals. “While I was keen for GelJunkie’s bottles to be aesthetically pleasing, I wanted to make it easy for techs to find the colours they need,” she reveals. “A small window features on the front of the bottles, and the addition of a colour label means that the hues can be identified – however they are stored.

“I enjoy the whirlwind of creativity that this industry affords, and with GelJunkie I am continuing to honour my mission to offer beauty and confidence to professionals and clients.”

www.geljunkie.co.uk
Instagram: @gel_junkie_official

This article appears in January 2024

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January 2024
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