At 15, Ineet Mattu runs her own nail business, Shine Nails, out of her parents’ home in Balzac, Alta. While family, friends and a few clients visit in person to get their nails done, it’s her press-on nails that are attracting customers from around the world. “I’m worldwide,” she said. “People in Canada, United States, I’m global right now. I get a lot of clients from Europe as well, like Italy, Paris. It’s crazy.” Mattu says her business took off in 2024 when she started posting photos and videos of her creative nail designs on social media. Her following quickly grew. “It went crazy. Everything just blew up from there and I keep on going every day,” she said. “I have 80,000 on TikTok and then 745,000 on Instagram.” The Grade 10 online student’s parents are also entrepreneurs who deal in retail beauty products. Mattu says she began doing her own makeup and nails as a child, and her passion for the beauty industry continued to grow. “At first I was practicing at home, watching YouTube videos and stuff, and then when I was 12, I took some nail courses, which advanced my skills,” she said. “I started making press-on nails because I feel like the best thing I do in this industry is painting, so press-ons are the perfect little canvas to do that on.” Mattu says some of her more intricate designs can take up to an hour to complete a single nail in a set of five. She draws inspiration from things she sees almost anywhere, with scenery among her favourite subjects to paint. “I’m a very creative person, and when I started doing nails, I learned different techniques and stuff,” she said. “So I kept building on that and practicing every day until I became a crazy nail tech.” Mattu also has a keen business sense, making sure her products are priced competitively. She charges about $50 for a finished set of 10 press-on nails. “I’m very proud of myself,” she said. “If you told me five years ago that I would have come this far, I wouldn’t believe you at all. It’s crazy how much I’ve achieved. I’m very grateful.” After graduating from high school, Mattu hopes to study cosmetology to learn more about the beauty industry. She also wants to take business courses to help her manage her earnings and grow her business.
