Meet Shurlanna Dixon | Nail Technician and Makeup Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shurlanna Dixon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shurlanna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was that I didn’t want to work in a corporate setting anymore. I had a high paying government job but it was a soul killer. There was no room for the arts or creative elements that I’ve always been drawn towards, so I decided to get my certifications and give my true passions a shot. My best friend and I had talked about starting a beauty bar earlier that year before the pandemic hit and the global hysteria kind of created a sense of urgency about doing what you love. You really might not have time later on and I didn’t want to regret not trying.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The best way to describe my art is fun and it truly expresses my personality. I like to showcase my talent by posting designs that invoke a memory or spark some type of joy depending on whose viewing it. I often get most inspired by whatever song is stuck in my head at the moment and create art that matches the lyrics or the pop culture and time period of when the song was made. One of the sets I’m most proud of is called “Four Page Letter“ which was inspired by Aaliyah’s song for a valentines series I made. The set features text of love messages over a nail background that looks like an old burnt scroll.

It’s definitely not easy being in the creative space and trying to make a living. I moved to Miami from Toronto to be with my husband. Yet another bold decision made during that global panic. I then found out we were expecting my first child when I was headed home for the holidays so I had to put a pause on my career goals to focus on the transition into full time motherhood. Now my son is 2 years old and I’m getting back into my bag to rediscover my passion while sparking new ones along the way. I definitely haven’t “made it” yet but I’m so excited for all of the ideas I have planned for this rebirth of myself as a creator.

Two of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along this journey were to ALWAYS trust my gut, as cliche as it may sound, and to keep practicing even when I don’t feel like it. Anytime I have ever had a setback or someone straight up trying to scam me, I have always had the intuition to say that something felt wrong or off about what was being offered. The very few times I went against that gut feeling, I would always wind up regretting it, so make sure you have the discernment to follow those instinctive feelings. Continuous practice is self explanatory but in any artistic craft, improvement comes from repeated efforts. If you try a design once and it doesn’t work out, research a solution from others in your field and keep trying until you nail it. Your art will never be perfect, as hard as that may be to believe, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get amazing results. You’ll never know though if you don’t put in the work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friends and I all have a shared love of food so whenever they visit Miami, eating is always on the agenda. I love to take people to Agave Bandido in the shops at Pembroke Gardens. The food and drinks are amazing and the decor paired with the music is always a vibe.

If we’re looking for dessert I like to check out Ice Cream Heaven in Miami Gardens for their giant ice cream sandwiches or the fish shaped waffle cones from Taiyaki, NYC in Wynwood. There is something for everybody in Wynwood.

On the weekends, we love to go to the Yellow Green Farmer’s Market for handmade products and to support local artisans. It’s a one stop shop and they have cuisine from every continent, so you can spend the entire day there.

Of course, coming from the cold, all my family and friends request a beach day. We like to head over to Hollywood Beach since it’s less busy than South Beach in my opinion. The Taco Spot on the boardwalk honestly has the best lobster taco I’ve ever had in my life but there are great burgers and sushi if you walk a few doors down. You can do water sports if you’re more adventurous and there is even Flow Rider surf simulator in front of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shout out to two very special supporters in my life. My mom who told me I was talented and creative all her life. I would literally hide in my house because she would want me to do her event makeup every time she went out and I was so lazy back then. She always poured into me and my siblings as best she could and I can still hear her voice telling me, “keep going, you can do this.”

My other dedication goes out to Shantelle Bishop, the owner of Bishop’s Beauty Bar in Canada and one of my best friends. If it wasn’t for our conversation on our Bali trip, I may never have had the idea to try something new. We didn’t end up opening the beauty bar together (yet!) but we have always encouraged and motivated each other. Her individual success and growth at our shared craft has been a joy to watch.

Website: lewksbylanna.com

Instagram: @lewksbylanna

Twitter: @lewksbylanna

Yelp: Lewks by Lanna

Youtube: @lewksbylanna