Mimi Qiu: Master of the Mani

Mimi Qiu Reyes has always been obsessed with nails. “Bata pa lang ako mahilig na ako sa nail art talaga. Sobrang kikay kasi ako eh.”

Whenever she’d travel to Japan or Hong Kong, she’d find herself staring at women’s hands, admiring their nail art, which often featured 3D elements. 

“Sabi ko, bakit yung mga tindera sa ibang bansa—sa 7-Eleven, sa supermarket, sa Sasa—hindi na natatanggal yung design nung nails nila kahit ang dami nakalagay? I want something like that.”

But back then, no one was offering those kinds of nail designs in the Philippines.

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After graduating from Slim’s Fashion and Arts School where she studied fashion design, Mimi’s mom asked what she wanted to do. What business did she want to start? “I said, what if I do nail art? What if ako yung magdala sa Philippines nung gusto kong nails?”

Her mom was skeptical. “Sabi niya, ‘Maglalaro ka na naman tapos hindi matutuloy.’”

But Mimi was serious. “I really wanted to do nails. I wanted to become known in the Philippines for doing nails. That was my goal from the start.”

She recalled Belo Medical Group’s tagline “Only Belo touches my skin.” “Gusto ko, someday, only Mimi touches your nails,” she said, smiling at the memory. 

Trained in Korea and Hong Kong

Mimi, who was born in Hong Kong and raised in the Philippines, dove into the world of nails. She trained in Korea and Hong Kong. “I really went there to study. I spent months learning. They teach you how to do nails properly. May course talaga, may certificate. Wala pa dati yang YouTube university.” 

During her training, she mastered proper gel nail techniques and nail art. Mimi also attended conventions so she could learn about new products.

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In 2008, she opened her salon in Malate, Manila. They called it Mi & Me Nail Art. “Mimi and Mommy daw kasi. Ang cute, ‘di ba?” 

Most of her first clients were Koreans and Japanese. There were very few Filipinos going to her to have their nails done. “Back then, most Filipinos hadn’t adopted nail art yet. Ang tingin nila, ‘Ay, manikyurista ka lang.’ It took a while before they got into it.”

The Koreans were so particular about their nails and Mimi is grateful. “Sanay na sanay sila and I’m very thankful because I was able to practice.”

In 2015, Mimi started getting celebrity clients. First it was Karylle who was introduced to her by stylist Sidney Yap. Then came Liza Soberano. “Her aunt is one of my clients. She introduced us. I did her nails for the Star Magic Ball.”

Mimi was doing Karylle’s nails regularly—even doing it at the studio during tapings of “It’s Showtime.” This led to Mimi doing the nails of the other cast members of the noontime show, including Anne Curtis and Vice Ganda. Eventually, almost all of ABS-CBN’s stars would become her clients. 

Mimi used to go where they were for their appointments. “Ini-isa-isa ko, hanggang 3 a.m., 4 a.m.” 

It was a struggle especially because of the traffic—traveling was eating up too much time. “That’s why I decided to open a shop near ABS-CBN. Sa tapat mismo. Para tatawid na lang sila.” 

She called the shop Mimi Luxury Nails. Today, there are three Mimi Luxury Nails branches: the original Malate location, the one near the studios of ABS-CBN in Quezon City, plus the newest one inside The Peninsula Manila hotel. “The Manila Pen one I opened after the pandemic. During the pandemic kasi, my clients kept asking me to come over. I’d go inside each village and the guards were so strict it took me an hour to actually get to their houses. We’d disinfect, I’d get swabbed and I had to do that every time.”

She opened the hotel location so her clients could go to her instead. “It’s a VIP suite, very safe. We had one-on-one sessions. Walang ibang tao.” 

Since then, Mimi has been very busy. “Tuloy-tuloy na,” she said. 

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Her mom, who had doubts about her plans to become a nail artist, is very proud of what she’s achieved. And yes, she always gets her nails done at the salon. Mimi said with a smile, “My mom changes her nails every two weeks. Maarte siya. Gusto siya maraming gems and then she matches her clothes with her nails. May pinagmanahan talaga ako.” 

Celebrity clients

Mimi has a long list of celebrity clients. Her favorites include Ellen Adarna, Anne Curtis, Bea Alonzo—she had actually done both Anne Curtis’s and Bea Alonzo’s nails the day before our interview—and Vice Ganda. “Marami sila.”

There are clients who make sure they secure an appointment with her even before they land in the Philippines, like Kelsey Merritt and Bretman Rock. “Ako yung first and last stop ni Bretman when he visits.”

She’s also done the nails of Vanessa Hudgens and Nicole Scherzinger.

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And it’s not just girls. “I did the nails of SB19 members—si Stell, Ken and Josh. I’ve done John Lloyd Cruz’s nails. I also did a K-pop star—Lucas of NCT.”

A nail appointment can be a very intimate thing. The nail artist and client need to sit close together, hands touching again and again. It requires a certain level of trust. 

Mimi takes care of that trust. It is important to her to provide a safe space for her clients. It’s also why she doesn’t allow photos and videos in her salons. “I have people asking, ‘Why don’t you post photos of your celebrity clients? Their comfort is more important to me than social media posts. I want them to be able to go to our appointment relaxed, without worrying they will be photographed.” 

Mimi also does nails for campaign shoots, editorial spreads, all sorts of creative projects. She recalled “a super proud moment”: driving through EDSA and realizing that she had worked on every single billboard, from Makati to Quezon City. “Ang saya-saya ko,” she said. “That was the moment I said, ‘Wow, I made it.’” 

Does she still do the nails of non-celebrities?

“Of course naman!” Mimi exclaimed. “People make appointments and request me. Tinatanggap ko lahat.”

Mimi also does her own nails. For her Allure Philippines shoot, which took place on her birthday, she did red tips dotted with tiny pearls and gems. “I like 3D designs. I like gems.” 

She has a big collection of them. “A lot. I have a crystal room. I buy them when I travel. I like finding one-of-a-kind pieces, I like having stuff no one else has. I don’t like it when a client asks for something and I have to tell them, ‘Ay wala.’ My clients know that I’ll have what they’re looking for.”

Customizing colors

While Mimi enjoys intricate, creative nail designs, lately she’s noticed that a lot of clients are going for more classic looks. “They want minimalist nails—just classy, clean nude looks that match their skin tone. Parang no-makeup makeup but for nails.” 

Mimi even customizes colors for clients. She has one for Catriona Gray, a longtime client who has been going to Mimi even before she won Miss Universe, back during Mimi’s Malate days. “We call it Catriona Nude.” She also customized a nude shade for Vice Ganda. 

Many of her clients refuse to go to anyone else for nail care. “One client got her nails done in New York. When she returned, she said, ‘Never again. I’m never letting anyone else touch my nails.'”

They like Mimi’s style. She’s gentle (“I never cut their cuticles”), her work is clean–“pulido,” as she likes to say—and she’s incredibly creative. She’s a master at shaping nails—they look elegant, natural. “Clients really love my almond shape. It’s hard to perfect. It needs that personal touch.” 

Her work looks great in photos, in print, on TV, and most importantly, in person.

Her gel nails usually last about a month. “Tumatagal talaga siya and matibay. But there are clients who like getting their nails done every three weeks.”

And she’s very careful when it comes to the removal process. “When the removal process isn’t done right, it can damage the natural nails.”

Mimi is also particular about the products she uses. “Everything we use is 100% organic. I’m always exposed to them and I don’t want to die early so I really use good products for myself and my clients.”

Mimi works fast—so fast that she can do a set of nails during the commercial break of “It’s Showtime.” Her record? Doing the nails of 23 people for the Star Magic Ball. “My staff helped me prep but I did all the designs. Sobrang wild. I remember passing out by the end of it.”

Real diamonds

For the 2019 Star Magic Ball, she added real diamonds to Anne’s nails. 

People ask Mimi to do their nails for all sorts of special occasions. “Debut, weddings, birthdays, bridal showers, lahat. My signature is the nude ombre. Nag-trend before na every time I would do ombre nails on a client, they would get engaged. Ilang years yan. I started to have people telling me, ‘Uy Mimi, gusto ko na mag-pakasal, i-ombre mo na ako.’”

Mimi is honored that they go to her for those important moments. “Happy ako kasi yung ginawa kong nails become a part of their milestones. I love na ang laki ng trust nila sa akin. Si Anne, first na gawa ko sa kanya was yung kasal niya. Si Zeinab (Harake) din, sa kasal agad.”

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Clients also go to her to ask her to rescue their nails after a bad gel manicure—a reminder that not everyone who offers nail services actually knows how to do it properly. “Ang daming pumupunta sa amin, ‘Can you fix my nails?’ Minsan may fungus pa,” Mimi said, shaking her head. 

One of the hardest things about running salons is hiring good people, said Mimi. But she has trusted staff who have been with her for a long time—10 years, 18 years. One of them covers her shoots and celebrity bookings when she’s abroad.  

“Every month, I take three to four days off. I travel. But when I’m in Manila, I work every day until late, including Sundays. Basta may booking, go.” 

Her favorite place to go to? “Korea. Because I’m a BTS fan. “

When she’s in town, she chills at home with her husband, cooking and watching Netflix. Mimi loves to cook.

But doing nails actually relaxes Mimi. She has proof—her Whoop band’s stress monitor. “When I do nails, sobrang kalma niya. That’s how relaxed and comfortable I am when I’m working. So sometimes when I’m stressed, I say, ‘Okay wait, let me do some nails.'” 

Charles, Mimi’s super supportive husband, showed me the waveforms and how Mimi’s stress levels drop to an almost flat line when she’s doing nails, similar to when she’s sleeping. “Para siyang nagmemeditate,” Charles said.

Mimi said, “Sobrang love ko yung ginagawa ko eh. Gustong-gusto ko siya. Parang therapy ko siya. I don’t get tired. It’s only after na, ‘Ay, masakit na pala yung likod ko.’” 

She also enjoys connecting with her clients. “They’ve really become my close friends. Our appointments are really like therapy sessions. They open up to me, chumichika kami, ang saya talaga.”