NAIL YOUR CATEGORY!

The Nail Competitions return to this year’s Professional Beauty & Hair, offering both aspiring and established nail technicians an opportunity to showcase their skills

The Federation of Nail Professionals (FNP) and Professional Beauty & Hair are collaborating once again to bring you the Nail Competitions, sponsored by Glitterbels. With eight categories in total, entrants are being invited to demonstrate their creativity and skills as they compete for a chance to raise their profile in the industry.

SUNDAY, 21 APRIL

1 COMPETITION NAIL

For nail professionals only, demonstrate accurate structuring and manipulation techniques of liquid and powder or UV cured product. Create the perfect 50/50 competition nail with extended nail bed.

2 LEARN A SKILL

Open to both students and nail professionals, watch Kirsty Meakin create a design on the Trends and Techniques Stage, and then replicate it, demonstrating your creativity in using the technique, while adding your own twist.

3 SHAPE OF YOUR ART

For nail professionals only, create your preferred extreme nail shape and let your imagination go wild. Embed or embellish these nails in a design of your choice, your choice of system (liquid and powder or UV cured product), and your preferred shape – for example ballerina, Russian almond, pipe, stiletto or edge.

MONDAY, 22 APRIL

1 MANICURE

Open to students and nail professionals, focus on perfect and safe preparation of the cuticle and surrounding skin, and immaculate painting, using traditional nail polish. A ‘before’ picture will be taken by the lead judge on a smartphone.

2 UV GEL POLISH

Open to students and nail professionals, demonstrate accurate and safe application of UV gel polish to both hands using French and dark colour.

3 SALON NAIL

Open to students and nail professionals, create the perfect salon nail in a system of your choice (liquid and powder or UV cured product) with either tip and overlay or sculpt.

OFF THE FLOOR CATEGORIES

1 INSTA NAIL PHOTOGRAPHIC (THEME – FAMOUS PLACES)

Open to students and nail professionals, create a photo that demonstrates your skills and business offering. There will be two awards for this category – the judges’ placings and the Voters’ Choice Award. Image must be of a high resolution for printing purposes (300DPI) and you must provide a short video reel of you creating the design or a step-bystep image of your entry. Images can be used on social media after you have submitted your entry. All entries must be sent digitally to fnpnailcomp@gmail.com before the 12 April deadline.

2 MIXED MEDIA BOXED ART

Open to students and nail professionals, create 10 nail tips of your choice. These must be showcased in a box no larger than A4-squared with a clear lid that may also be decorated. You can use the tips from your photographic entry so, if you like, you can enter both competitions! An A4 portfolio of design inspiration and creation (no brand names) must be provided detailing a step-by-step of theme interpretation, products and skills used. Hand this in at 10:30am on Sunday, 21 April to be judged and showcased at the show.

Entry fees are €35 for professionals and €15 for students, and the results will be announced at Professional Beauty & Hair on Monday, 22 April.