New nail technician joins Plains salon

One new business owner has the world at her fingertips – that is, in Plains.

Nail technician Jesse Cardenas opened "Polished in Montana" on March 1 inside the Leather 'n' Lace Hair Salon, owned by Chelsea Timmer, in the heart of downtown Plains along Railroad Street. Although she's only been open for three weeks, her customer clientele is growing by the week, she said.

"A woman could be living in the trashiest place in the world, but when she has her nails done, she feels like a princess and I love putting smiles on their faces," said Cardenas, who graduated from Pela Beauty Academy late last year, a nine-month course in Kalispell.

Cardenas, a 2015 graduate of Plains High School, is open on Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cardenas provides artificial nail service, manicures and pedicures, and PolyGel nail service, a relatively new type of hard gel system that has very little odor, dries fast, and is a strong material, according to Cardenas. She added that the PolyGel is a soft material that hardens when placed under a heating lamp. She carries clear, pink and white in the PolyGel polish. Cardenas said the new product is gaining momentum and she already has several customers asking for it.

But Cardenas said nail work isn't just for women. The licensed nail technician also has a "clip and go" service for hands and feet for men or women, which includes a massage for hands or feet. The majority of Cardenas' customers are from Plains, but she also has a couple from Trout Creek and Hot Springs.

Cardenas has been interested in nails since her childhood days. "Ever since I was little, I wanted to do my friends' nail and now I do it for a living," said Cardenas. "I love doing it; it's a lot of fun." Cardenas attributes much of her success in getting into the trade to Job Services in Thompson Falls, which helped her with her education. "They paid for schooling and a couple times they helped me with getting money for food," said Cardenas. "I probably would not have been able to go to school if it was not for Job Services helping me so much."

For more information, contact Jesse Cardenas at (406)242-0736.