Nail artist cries after seeing her work in Wicked

Shea Osei, a talented nail artist from Basildon, Essex, recently experienced a moment of joy and pride when she saw her nail designs featured in the film Wicked. Shea, who is 33 years old, has been friends with the actress Cynthia Erivo for about 15 years. Cynthia plays the role of Elphaba in the movie, and she reached out to Shea to create stunning nail designs for her character. Shea was also invited to do Cynthia's nails for the green carpet event at the film's premiere in London. When Shea watched the movie and saw her work on the big screen, she was overwhelmed with emotion and said, 'I was able to watch it amongst everyone else. I cried. There are many bits that I cried at. ' Shea is known for being very critical of her own work, and she constantly checks to ensure that everything is perfect. She wanted to make sure that the nails were shaped correctly and that the ombré design looked good. Shea's journey as a nail artist began when she was just 14 years old. By the time she turned 18, she decided to pursue it as a career. Over the years, she has built a celebrity client base, working with well-known figures like Candice Brathwaite and Maya Jama. Shea has also had the opportunity to work on Cynthia's nails for a previous Netflix film called Luther: The Fallen Sun. For the movie Wicked, Shea created more than 35 sets of press-on nails, using a variety of green shades along with ombré and foil designs to help bring Elphaba's character to life. Shea explained that at the beginning of the story, Elphaba is portrayed as shy and timid, so her nails were designed to reflect that with a subtle green ombré look. However, as the story progresses and Elphaba gains confidence, her nails also become bolder and more daring. Shea said, 'When Elphaba comes into her own and she becomes more confident in who she is. she has that confidence and her nails tell that story too. ' Shea made sure that all the nails were consistent in style, color, shape, and design, with each set taking up to 90 minutes to create. She wanted to ensure that Cynthia's nails looked fantastic on camera, especially since Elphaba interacts with various objects throughout the film. Since the release of Wicked, Shea has received an outpouring of love and recognition for her work. She noted that while many people often overlook nails in films, the audience paid special attention to them in Wicked. Shea expressed her gratitude for the recognition of her talent and hopes that her success can inspire other nail technicians and beauticians. She said, 'These things don't come overnight and if you keep pushing on, you'll get there in the end.