How celebrity nail artist Bernadette Thompson became an A-list consultant for Hollywood stars

Celebrity nail artist, Bernadette Thompson, is reputed for her trend-setting nail art in the entertainment industry and top fashion houses. From being told she wouldn’t succeed as a nail artist to starting a business in an obscure spot, Bernadette has become a force to match up within the beauty and fashion runway. This is largely attributed to the superior color-sense and camera-ready delivery output she delivers to her clientele.

She is undoubtedly the go-to consultant for many A-list artists and Hollywood stars. This explains why her name has eventually become a household brand in almost every fashion magazine. Bernadette doesn’t prioritize her customers, from the girl next door to the greatest superstars, her association is not based on their bank account.

Celebrities like Madonna, Lupita Nyong’o, Beyoncé, Claire Danes, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, and Lady Gaga hold her creativity in high esteem. Bernadette was responsible for Lady Gaga’s nails for the 2015 Met Gala, and got the showbiz industry buzzing with her creation of blush pink nails, which matched the singer’s Balenciaga bag.

Bernadette says she is connected to these individuals because of her people-centered approach to doing business. She commands a lot of followers from the Hip Hop and R&B communities because of this business strategy. Her clientele also includes male stars like Jay-Z, among others.

With her sleek and sexy style, Bernadette took over the nail fashion and beauty space – following the establishment of the Bernadette Thompson Nail Care and Color line, which is the first black-owned nail company to thrive on that scale, according to the nail artist.

Bernadette started from a humble beginning, growing up in Yonkers, New York, and ventured into the nail art craft following a volume of requests from her friends to fix their hair after she graduated from hair school. She fixed long nails to avoid fixing the hair of her friends, and began paying a lot of attention to her nails.

However, she had a shocker when she enrolled in a part-time nail school while doing nine-to-five corporate work; her teacher told her she wasn’t good enough to go through the training. Bernadette was determined to prove her teacher wrong, and years down the line, she made her point. She quit working and established her small nail salon in Yonkers, according to Allure.

Bernadette got her breakthrough through Mary J. Blige’s sister, LaTonya – who is a childhood friend. When she fixed LaTonya’s nails, Mary caught a glimpse of the sleekness of her sister’s nails and quickly requested a meeting with the nail artist. After doing the singer’s nails, Bernadette got other referrals from Puff Daddy, and later did her first job for Louis Vuitton.