Local Nail Technician Still Loves Her Job After 24 Years

After high school graduation, Cindy Talbot had no desire to attend college. There were no career choices that grabbed her attention that she wanted to study for at least four years. There were none that she hoped to land a job in after college graduation. 

Talbot was an only child and both her parents worked full-time. She has no complaints about her parents, however she just wanted to be a stay-at-home mother and have children she could raise and share memories with.

Although she did not have children until the age of 30, at a young age she did realize that she had to make an income. Talbot had the niche to perfect people’s fingernails and make them feel pampered and stylish. She chose to attend nail school immediately after high school. After 24 years, she is currently making customers happy; she has family time and most of all she loves her job. Talbot is living her dream.

“I don’t know too many people that can say they love their job after 24 years,” Talbot said. “I love it and I’m not burnt out. I have very flexible hours. I will work seven days a week - night or day. It’s what fits into my schedule and the clients schedule.”

And Talbot and her husband Jim have a busy family life to work around. She has two sons; Tyler, a seventh grader at and Luke, a fifth grader at . Her daughter Taya is a third grader at . All are involved in sports and extra-curricular activities.

“They are my life and it’s what I dreamed would happen,” Talbot said.

The Nail Nook is located in Talbot’s home at 24532 W. Great Oaks Dr. in Channahon. And it literally is a nook off her back door. It was originally designed to be a powder room, but nail polish and files  found a home in the room. 

“I don’t like the basement,” Talbot said. “The nook is better because it has windows all around it and it’s a scenic view into the backyard.”

Clients can come to Talbot and choose from gel or acrylic nails.

Gel nails made by Light Elegance and acrylic nails made by Creative Nail Design are what Talbot offers her clients. Gel nails are thinner and shiner, and now offered in more colors than pink, white and clear. And there is still the “old school” acrylic nails. Both are popular with clients because they will enhance fingernails, Talbot said.

“I use both products also because they are designed by family-owned companies and are made in the U.S.A.,” Talbot said. 

Talbot offers a rainbow of nail polish colors from the OPI line. Currently, the darker colors are popular for the fall. In a few weeks the red shades will take over for Christmas, she said.

Some clients like the look of the gel polish, a polish that will last three weeks without chipping. But, the latest fad in creating awesome looking nails is through crackle nail polish and stamping, Talbot said.

The crackle effect is a two-step process, after the initial nail preparation. The client picks a solid color to have applied on the nails. The crackle polish, which is another color, is than applied over the previous color. 

“The crackle causes a shatter effect so you can see the color that was applied underneath,” Talbot said.

A tool that is similar to a rubber stamp is used to decorate nails as well, Talbot said. Talbot has several designs to choose from. Recently one of her clients had a football stamped on one of her nails as an effort to spread team spirit for her son’s team.

Prices are reasonable at The Nail Nook. A full set of nails is $30 with a fill-in at $20. A basic manicure is $10 and an additional $5 when gel polish is used. Decorations start at $5.

The Nail Nook has a page on Facebook. Customers can also call Talbot at 815-521-4250 for an appointment.