Exploring Life & Business with Laura Bektemirova of Laura Beverly Nails

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Bektemirova.

Hi Laura, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Laura Bektemirova, and I am the founder of Laura Beverly Nails, a luxury nail studio located at 8403 W 3rd Street in Los Angeles, just steps from the Beverly Center. I specialize in Russian dry manicures, structured hard-gel work, and high-end pedicures that are designed not only to look beautiful, but to stay strong and healthy for weeks. My clients don’t come to me for a quick polish change; they come because they want elegant, natural-looking nails that can last a month or even longer without breaking, lifting, or losing their shape.

My journey into this world didn’t start in Los Angeles and it didn’t start in a salon. For years, I actually worked as a water resources engineer, following a very traditional, “safe” professional path. Even while I was doing that work, I was always drawn to nails—first as a hobby, then as a discipline that captured my full attention. I loved the combination of precision, aesthetics, and care that good nail work requires, and over time I realized that what I felt in the salon chair was more passion than anything I felt in the office.

About eight years ago, I took my first formal training in nail extensions and modeling, and that was the real turning point. One course turned into many; I kept investing in advanced classes, learning gel techniques, Russian dry manicure, and high-level e‑file work. The more deeply I went into it, the clearer it became that this wasn’t a side interest anymore—it was the career I wanted. So I made a very big decision: I left engineering behind, moved to the United States, and committed to starting over in a new country doing what I truly loved.

When I first arrived in America, I started by building a small, very focused studio and saying “no” to shortcuts from day one. I didn’t want to be just another fast, high‑turnover salon; I wanted to bring the standard of Russian manicure—clean, meticulous cuticle work, carefully built structure, and long-lasting materials—to clients who had never experienced that level of detail before. Many of my early clients were shocked when I told them that their nails could stay intact for three, four, even seven weeks with the right prep and products, because they were used to manicures that barely survived a week. Watching their reaction when they came back a month later with nails still strong and beautiful confirmed that I was on the right path.

From the beginning, my philosophy has been very simple: high technique, high hygiene, and high respect for the natural nail. Russian dry manicure and dry pedicure are at the center of my work because they allow me to control every millimeter—exfoliating the cuticle precisely with an e‑file, sealing the nail plate, and creating a perfectly smooth surface for hard gel or other systems. This invisible preparation is why my clients can grow their own healthy nails instead of hiding behind damaged or over‑filed ones, and it’s why they trust me with long-term nail health, not just a one-time look.

As my skills and client base grew, so did the vision for Laura Beverly Nails. Today, the studio is positioned as a luxury, appointment‑only space where every detail—from the lighting to the tools—is set up to support calm, focus, and consistency. Our online presence reflects that: people often describe us as “LA’s five-star Russian manicure experts” and “hard gel perfection,” and I take those words seriously because they match the standard I hold for myself and my team every single day. The concept is simple but demanding: create an experience where a client can relax, trust the process, and know that their nails will be even stronger four weeks later than they were on day one.

One of the things I’m most proud of is the community that has formed around the salon. A huge part of our growth has come from word-of-mouth and from clients who leave detailed 5‑star reviews after experiencing Russian dry manicure and pedicure done at a truly professional level. Over time, my Google profile has accumulated more than 200 pure 5‑star reviews, which is rare in this industry and something I protect very carefully through consistency and strict quality control. Clients also share their results on social media, tagging our Instagram @laura.beverly.nails, where we showcase real nails, real hands, and real wear over time—not just staged photos taken on the first day.

Competitions have also played an important role in my development as an artist. I have competed in multiple nail championships and am proud to hold more than ten trophies and first-place titles across different categories. These competitions forced me to refine my timing, shape, and finishing under pressure, and they gave me a benchmark against some of the best technicians in the field. That experience doesn’t just live on my shelf; it shows up in every appointment, in the way I approach structure, symmetry, and tiny corrections that most people would never notice—but professionals always do.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the right team. From day one of building Laura Beverly Nails as a salon—not just a solo studio—I made a clear decision: I would only hire licensed nail technicians with advanced technical skills and the desire to work at a higher standard. We don’t do “basic” in the sense of rushing people in and out; we do thorough, precise work that requires training, patience, and a willingness to keep learning. I invest in my team with ongoing education in dry techniques, e‑file safety, hard‑gel architecture, and medical‑grade hygiene protocols, because I want every client—no matter which technician they see—to feel completely safe and fully satisfied.

Where I am today is the result of many small, disciplined steps: studying, practicing late at night, taking advanced classes, saying no to low standards, and trusting my vision even when it meant slower growth in the beginning. I now work with a wide range of clients, including professionals, creatives, and public figures who are constantly in front of cameras and need their nails to be perfect and reliable, not just pretty for one day. They come to us because they know that our work is built for real life—laptops, kids, workouts, travel—not just for photos.

The next chapter of my story is education. After building a strong base of loyal clients and a clear service philosophy, I am now preparing to launch structured training and certification programs in Russian dry manicure and pedicure, with the long-term goal of opening a dedicated nail school. I want to teach other nail artists not just how to repeat a design, but how to think: how to analyze nail health, build architecture, choose materials, manage hygiene, and create results that can truly last four to seven weeks without harming the natural nail. My goal is to help raise the standard of nail services in the U.S. so that more clients can experience what a high-quality, technically correct manicure feels like—and so that more technicians can build stable, respected, well-paid careers based on real expertise.

Looking back, the path from engineer to nail artist to salon owner and future educator might seem unconventional, but to me it feels very natural. At every stage, I have been driven by the same thing: a love for precision, a respect for structure, and a desire to create something that lasts. Nails just happened to be the perfect medium for that. Today, Laura Beverly Nails is the physical expression of that vision—a place where luxury is not only about how things look on day one, but about how healthy, strong, and beautiful your nails still are four weeks later.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. From the outside, things can look like “fast success,” but behind that is the very real challenge of building a career from zero in a new country: switching professions, earning trust, building the right systems, and doing all of it without compromising standards.

The first major challenge was starting over in a field completely different from engineering and carrying the financial and emotional weight of that decision. I had to keep leveling up technically while also adapting quickly to the U.S. market—licensing and hygiene expectations, product sourcing, and client habits. And introducing a detail-driven service like Russian dry manicure in a market used to fast appointments took time; it wasn’t always easy to explain why doing it correctly can take
2+ hours instead of 1 and why that time matters.

The second big challenge was protecting quality while growing. In this industry, the easiest thing is to take shortcuts for speed; the hardest thing is consistency. From day one, I chose to say “no” to rushed work, low-quality products, aggressive over-filing, or any flexibility on hygiene. That approach can slow growth at the beginning, because not everyone immediately understands premium pricing and longer appointment times.

The third challenge was building a team. You don’t scale a salon with talent alone—you scale it with the right people. Finding licensed technicians with advanced technical skills who genuinely want to work at a higher standard isn’t easy. Training takes time, oversight requires constant effort, and as an owner you’re wearing multiple hats—management, quality control, and still showing up creatively every day. The hardest part for me was consistently choosing “the right result” over “more appointments.”

But those challenges taught me something very clear: long-term trust isn’t built through speed; it’s built through the right systems, the right technique, and discipline. Looking back, I can see that refusing to compromise during the hard stages became one of the strongest foundations of my brand.

As you know, we’re big fans of Laura Beverly Nails. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Laura Beverly Nails is a luxury nail salon in Los Angeles, near the Beverly Center, founded by me—Laura Bektemirova. We focus on long-lasting, healthy results with a clean, elevated experience rather than quick, “one-week” manicures.

What we do and what we’re known for is high-quality Russian-style manicure and pedicure work—especially detailed, technique-driven services that prioritize nail health, precision, and a refined finish. I’m a licensed manicurist and salon owner/lead nail artist, and I’m very hands-on about maintaining consistent standards across every appointment.

What sets us apart is the level of technical discipline behind our results and the standards we operate with as a brand. In manicure and pedicure services, I only work with licensed technicians who have advanced skills and the mindset to deliver premium, consistent work—because our reputation depends on safety, hygiene, and structure, not shortcuts. We also intentionally keep our style elegant and wearable (strong, clean, and polished rather than overly heavy or extreme designs).

Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is that clients don’t just leave with красивый nails—they leave with confidence that their nails are being treated with respect, and that the quality will hold up in real life. And looking forward, I want readers to know that Laura Beverly Nails is building something bigger than appointments: I’m preparing to launch education, certification programs, and ultimately a nail school to raise the technical standard in the industry and help train the next generation of high-level nail professionals.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
If you’re just starting out, my biggest advice is to build your career on fundamentals, not trends. Learn immaculate prep, safe sanitation, and strong structure first—because beautiful work only lasts when the technique underneath is correct.

A few things I wish I knew earlier:

Don’t chase speed before you earn precision. You can always get faster, but fixing bad habits later is hard and expensive.

Protect the natural nail at all costs. Long-term client loyalty comes from healthy nails and consistent retention, not a “wow” set that causes damage.

Invest in education continuously. One class can change your entire level, but only if you practice the same technique repeatedly until it becomes your standard.

Set your standards early and keep them. As a salon owner and licensed manicurist, I learned that quality is a system—tools, products, hygiene, timing, and training—not just talent.

Build a brand that stands for something. For me, that’s premium Russian-style manicure/pedicure work, a clean luxury experience, and results that last in real life.

And finally: be patient with your growth. The artists who last are the ones who treat this like a profession—measuring progress in months and years, not in one viral post or one busy week.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laurabeverlynails.com
• Instagram: laura.beverly.nails