How does a 21-year-old still living with her parents in Hod Hasharon build a booming manicure business and end up with clients including Gal Gadot, Rotem Sela, Yael Goldman, Maya Wertheimer and Ruslana Rodina?
For Yuval Livnat, it started with a four-hour gel polish course when she was just 15. “I wasn’t the easiest student,” she said. “My parents tried to help me find something I was good at. During COVID, I took a four-hour gel polish course, basically like an extracurricular class, and I fell in love with it.”
From there, Livnat took more courses and advanced training, opened an Instagram page to showcase her work and began taking clients. “I started promoting myself, but ultimately what worked was word of mouth,” she said. “One client recommended me to another, and that’s how the business grew.”
How did all the celebrities find you?
“My first famous client was Maya Wertheimer. Her producer contacted me, and I don’t even know exactly how she found me. Then Maya posted about me on Instagram, Yael Goldman came to me, and she recommended me to Gal Gadot. From there it kept rolling. Ruslana Rodina, for example, came through Michal Haktana (Michal Weizman). They’re friends, they meet at productions and notice each other’s nails.”
Yuval Livnat and Rotem Sela
(Photo: Private album)
What is it like working with Gal Gadot?
“She’s lovely, and it’s fun doing her nails. She likes a classic style with a clean base. In general, most of the celebrities who come to me prefer a classic, delicate look. They don’t do anything crazy.”
Where do you see them?
“There are clients I go to at home, like Gal Gadot, and others who come to my clinic, which is in a separate unit at my parents’ house. Sometimes I go to filming sets. With Rotem Sela, for example, I treated her once and went all the way to the set of her El Al commercial.”
Do they get a celebrity discount?
“There’s no such thing with me. Everyone is equal, and I don’t look at anyone differently. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no difference between a famous client and one who isn’t famous. Everyone comes in, sits down and talks. The celebrity clients have always been very supportive and treated me amazingly.”
Yuval Livnat and Yael Goldman
(Photo: Private album)
While her celebrity clients tend to favor understated manicures, Livnat’s Instagram page shows a very different side of her work: extremely long nails, elaborate illustrations, stones, crystals and even characters such as Spider-Man.
“These are extreme nail extensions, a field I’m developing mainly to challenge myself and stand out,” she said. “It’s not something I usually do for everyday clients. They’re more like showcase pieces and competition nails. I travel abroad to study with instructors and keep trying to break through my own limits. I’ve competed in the field and won two medals.”
Alongside her regular client work, Livnat has trained as an instructor and teaches courses and advanced workshops from her clinic. “They’re for girls who are just starting out as well as advanced training,” she said. “I completed an instructor-training course through the international company NSI, which certified me to issue professional certificates.”
Extreme nail art by Yuval Livnat
(Photo: Private album)
I heard you sometimes take clients at 6 a.m.
“It’s actually very rare that I start at six. Usually I start working at seven.”
Are women willing to show up that early for a manicure?
“Yes. A lot of them actually like it because it’s convenient to come before work. Sometimes I don’t finish until eight or nine at night. Success doesn’t happen just because you took a course. You have to practice, invest and work hard. I really love what I do, and that’s the most important thing.”
What’s your dream?
“To open a large nail school where instructors trained by me will work.”