Rachel H

Nails and makeup have been a trend here at Big Walnut, for the past few years. But no one done it like Junior Rachel Hancock. When you first see her, her nails are always done to perfection, with her signature wing liner on. Offering to do your nails or fix your makeup makes Hancock a true friend to have. Her makeup creation started when she was very young, acquiring an inspiration from a childhood craft. Freelancing since summer of 2022, Hancock has been bringing different styles of nails to life for three years.

In terms of makeup, Hancock, does looks ranging from everyday simple looks to full on face cosplays. Her simple looks usually take her about ten minutes, while her more detailed looks last around an hour and a half. She fell in love with this art at quite a young age: “In fourth grade, I was in a play, where I put white eyeshadow on my eyelids, and ever since then, I started doing my makeup really crazy. I did sequence glitter on my lips for lipstick, it was so weird, I wanted to look like Lady Gaga.”

Many people follow trends, but Hancock likes to make her own. If she does follow trends, she bases them on icons of the past. Hancock said, “I feel like everyone's gets ideas from the media all the time, and they don’t even realize it. I take little details from everything I've seen and put them together to create something fresh and new. I try to go for something simple most of the time. If I'm feeling extravagant, I will definitely do a Marilyn Monroe type of eyeliner with a bold lip.”

When it comes to nails, Hancock can do a simple acrylic design, to glitter, diamonds, designs, with any length nail. To achieve her level of talent, Hancock practices on a wide variety of clients. Her clients all receive different nail types, which helps expand her knowledge of the nail industry. This all started due to her wanting to find uniqueness within her very own nails: ”I became inspired because honestly I wanted to get my nails done, and my mom never got to take me because she can't drive. So I started doing nails when my mom got me a kit for Christmas.”

Designing other people's nails, not just her own, is a huge passion for Hancock. Hancock said, “I love doing other peoples nails, especially when they let me do whatever I want with their nail design. I love freehand designs. I charge only 45 dollars for nails and they last up to a month.”