Buff Bar Bristol: Nurturing the Future of Nail Art
Nathan Taylor is the kind and conscientious soul behind Buff Bar Bristol. Their life as a human being and as a nail artist are intertwined, focused on an inclusive creativity that strives for openness. But this is merely a starting point. Painting the nails of others mean that their life becomes increasingly kaleidoscopic. The pieces from those they encounter are the building blocks for a thriving community of expression and understanding. We were fortunate enough to have a chat with Nathan about the world through their eyes.
How does nail art enable you to connect with your clients?
My work as a nail technician means spending a large amount of time with clients in a very intimate way. How often do you have your hands touched by someone you don't know for over an hour? I think that this physical connection helps my clients to trust me and ultimately, it gives my clients the opportunity to share what's on their minds with me.
I also find it really interesting how much is revealed about a person's personality when they express themselves through nail art. All of those small decisions and details that a client makes when explaining what kind of nail art they want, tells me lots about how they would like to be perceived in the world.
Do many men come into Buff Bar Bristol? How comfortable do you think guys are with the idea of getting their nails painted?
A handful of my clients at Buff Bar Bristol are men but I desperately want more male clients. I love meeting and connecting with all sorts of people, interacting with people is one of the best things about my job. I think that most cis-gendered men, find the idea of being in a nail salon really intimidating. This is definitely something I can resonate with, I have felt this way myself when receiving beauty treatments in environments that are mostly aimed for women. This is one of the reasons why I created Buff Bar Bristol, I wanted a safer space for all people, a place where people can feel comfortable getting their nails done.
I really believe that anyone can enjoy the act of having their nails done, it's a great way to give yourself some time to relax and to feel pampered. Also having a manicure or a pedicure doesn't mean you need to have super long, pointy, glittery nails with all the gems and sparkles in the world. For lots of my clients, having their nails done is about self care. Some of my clients who are nail biters, go for a gel that matches the colour of their natural nail, you would never know that they are wearing gel polish. This is to stop them from biting and to make their nails look neat and tidy. Some clients just want a natural nail treatment, I push their cuticles back, cut/file their natural nails, finishing off with a hand or foot scrub and massage to soften the skin.
Our hands tell a story, they are a huge part of how we experience the world. We use them to touch, to hold, to be creative and to communicate. Even before I became a nail technician, one of the first things that I would look at when meeting someone, is their hands. This is one of the reasons why I think it's such a powerful thing to use our nails as a way of expressing our identity through adornment.
If you are a man who wants his nails done but you're nervous or feel a bit intimidated, try and find somewhere that looks fairly gender neutral and ask someone to go with you, or maybe you could even find a mobile nail tech to do your nail treatments from the comfort of your own home.
What more do you think the “industry” can do to help break down the stereotype that getting your nails done is just for women?
There are some really simple things that I think the industry can do to break down the stereotype that nail treatments are only for women. Here it goes.
Environment
Try to create a neutral environment. The space in which you are working should be as welcoming, comfortable and inclusive as possible for whoever walks through the door. You can do this by really considering the decor of your space. I personally love the Scandinavian style, which often uses lots of natural tones and materials like wood and stone.
Branding and marketing
I really would love to see more photographs of men wearing polish and to see that featured by nail brands. If you only show images of women’s hands wearing the nail polish you are trying to sell, it can automatically other a huge part of the market. And trust me, there are plenty of guys out there that love painting their nails! Again, keeping things as neutral as possible is a good way to encourage men to buy your products. Think about what kind of demographic you are currently reaching and want to reach in the future.
Gendering clients (Ladies and Girls)
I see this a lot in the industry and although I understand that a huge part of the industry is female, that is never going to change if we exclude everyone that doesn't fit into that category. I’m not just talking about cis-gendered men here, I’m also talking about non-binary people, trans people and even cis-women who just don’t feel comfortable being called a lady.
Male techs
I would love to see more men in the nail industry, I currently only know of a handful of male nail techs and have tried to befriend them all!
How important is it to you to be able to talk about LGBTQ+ issues, masculinity and mental health with your guests? Do these topics come up regularly?
It's extremely important for me to be able to talk about LGBTQ+ issues with my clients and also to share information and resources through social media. Most people from the LGBTQ+ community, myself included, have first hand experience of being othered because of their gender expression and their sexuality.
I have recently shared a video about LGBTQ+ inclusion which can be really helpful to understand more about gender and pronouns. Watch it above or visit their YouTube channel here.
Dealing with mental health issues from a very young age means that I’m very passionate when it comes to talking about this stuff. I'm very open about my own mental health and often share info and resources via social media which can spark conversations with clients, followers and friends. Recently I’ve been reaching out to other nail techs, which has been super helpful for me and hopefully also for them! I think the most important thing is to stay connected (without socially exhausting yourself) as much as possible. It’s great to reach out to other nail techs as they often know what I’m going through!
As lots of us know, since the mid-1990’s the male suicide rate in the UK makes up for three quarters of the overall rate. I believe this is largely connected to toxic masculinities. Toxic masculinity is the notion that men may be performing a stereotypical and harmful representation of what their gender is expected to be. This can include appearing and being “tough”, not seeking help with mental health issues, constricting their personal expression and avoiding emasculation.
Emasculation is the idea that there is a set of interests and activities that appear feminine, things would not be suitable for a “real man” and invalidate a man's masculinity despite their actions. Some of these interests can include things like taking interest in personal looks, adornment, self care and cosmetics. These notions are pummelled into boys and men from a very young age and this action isn't always executed by men, anyone can contribute towards toxic masculinities.
For example, a few years ago I was working as an artist with children aged (2-5) at a preschool. There was a little boy who really enjoyed painting his nails with his mum and he would often come into the setting with red or pink painted nails. One of the other children noticed he was wearing nail polish and started saying things like “that's not for boys” and “only girls can wear nail polish”. I was really sad to hear these words coming from such a young person as I had also been told things like this from a young kid and it never sat right with me.
Graphic by @diszkopatkany
I decided to have a chat with the children, I gathered them around and showed them photographs of men wearing nail polish and explained to them that men and boys can wear nail polish if they want to. I had my nails painted that day too and the children responded really well to this. When the little boy was about to leave the preschool to join primary school, he gave me a gift that he had picked out himself with his mum. It broke my heart when I opened it up and saw 3 bottles of glittery nail polish. Men wearing nail polish can be a really great way of breaking out of these stereotypes, it’s a subtle “Fuck you” to toxic masculinities and gender roles. Check out Boys in Polish - it’s a really amazing project about dealing with toxic masculinities through nails.
Why do you think some people are reluctant to open up about these topics?
I think that lots of people are scared to open up conversations about LGBTQ+ issues and topics around toxic behaviours because of a lack of understanding. From my experience, people can sometimes shy away from talking about these subjects because they are frightened to say the wrong thing. I have also felt like this in the past but nowadays I just ask myself, is my curiosity coming from a place that is respectful and open to learn? This really helps me to have more confidence to talk about the more difficult things in life.
How do you look after yourself, your mental and physical health?
I am on the struggle bus with keeping myself physically fit, I’ve never liked exercise! But recently I’ve taken the time to exercise from home a few days a week. This has been a pretty difficult barrier to cross for me so I hope I can keep it up after lockdown. It’s also been difficult to keep my mental health as balanced as possible.
I find therapy and counselling to be extremely beneficial for my mental health and have been doing this on and off for years now. It's tricky to find the right kind of therapy that works best for you and if you can't afford to go private (which has often been the case for me) sometimes the waiting lists for free support can be lengthy but when this stuff works out, it's well worth it!
I also use a few apps that help with journaling and keeping track of my mental health dips and highs. Some of these apps include a feature where you can write a wellness action plan, this can be a great thing to be used by yourself and others as a reference for support for when you're not doing so well. Check out WRAPapp and Mind.
My little dog (Colin) also helps with both my mental and physical health. Even when I'm having a hard time with my mental health, I have to drag myself out of bed to take him for a walk and feed him. This gives me a very strong sense of routine, which is a really vital way to keep myself mentally and physically healthy. This is a good way of getting me motivated for the day. Colin loves cuddles which is always a good thing when you're feeling down.
How important is it to you to be able to express yourself through nail art or any other form or art you may practice?
Expressing myself through my art practice has been a really important part of my life for a long time. It's helped me to discover and express my identity, deal with mental health issues and connect with other people. Over the years I have used ceramics, knitting, crochet, sewing, making clothes, costume, jewellery making, graphic design and photography as ways to explore my creativity. I think if you are a creative person, it doesn't matter what medium you use to express yourself, you will always find what works and right now for me, it's all about nails.
We are in the midst of lockdown, can you describe your experience of isolation?
I have been extremely lucky during lockdown, I have really amazing housemates and a cute dog! I feel really privileged to have great people around me at this time, all of my clients have been extremely supportive and understanding as have my friends. I have experienced huge acts of kindness over this period and I am so thankful, as without this it would have been really difficult to keep my head above water.
I have also had the support from lots of nail techs over this period of time. Tammie from NAF! Salon, Sophie from Nancylovesnails and Niki from biteme.nails have all been so kind, caring and supportive recently. It’s been amazing to build such a lovely relationship with nail techs.
There have definitely been really stressful and difficult times recently in terms of my mental health. I have really had to reconsider the inner workings of Buff Bar Bristol to be able to continue growing and developing the business. I have had huge spells of feeling unmotivated and feeling despair but with lots of support, I have managed to pull through.
Are you able to stay creative during these times?
I have been designing and creating press on nails to keep myself in the creative flow, even creating packaging and promo videos for the press on nails has got me really creative recently!
I have been working on Buff Bar Bristol as a brand by designing merch over the last few months. This has really pushed the boundaries of my creative practice by creating graphics for tote bags, postcards, button badges and more.
This time really seems like a good opportunity for me to learn and grow as much as possible. So with some of the spare time I have left I’ve been experimenting, playing and learning more nail art techniques and designs. This really keeps things fresh and exciting.
Looking ahead to life after lockdown… What does the future hold for you as a nail artist?
As if opening an online shop selling merch, cosmetic products and press on nails wasn’t enough, I’ve started a really exciting, new project called The Nail Scouts.
Graphic by @diszkopatkany
The Nail Scouts is going to be a platform and information point for nail technicians to use, as well as an online shop. I’m hoping to develop this project into a social enterprise that will be supporting nail techs who are from marginalised communities. Keep your eyes peeled for more on The Nail Scouts website and Instagram.
I’m also about to start putting together an online workshop that focuses on business, finances, mental health, networking and more! Stayed tuned on social media to find out more info :)
