This info was edited and published in Nails Magazine in 2001

Have you ever been curious about competitions or wondered what it would be like to compete? Have you ever wondered why some nail technicians like to compete so much ? I used to be curious about these things myself. After reading articles and speaking to some of our industry leaders, it became clear to me that learning about competing and the competitions themselves, help to refine the technicians artistic eye to create better salon nails. This is something that really can not be explained, it has to be experienced. The following paragraphs are all about my experience participating in my first competition. I hope that it will encourage you, help you understand what it is like, and what it can do for you.

Here is my story:

I had only been doing nails in a salon for less then a year part-time. I worked in a nails - only salon with many very experienced technicians. I am very proud of the profession that I have chosen and enjoy doing nails more than anything. I read all our industry publications cover to cover and keep all of them to refer back to from time to time. I also network with nail techs on the internet from around the world including some of our industry's leaders. All of these sources convinced me that by competing, I will enhance my skills in creating salon nails. I decided the first chance I got, I would compete.

As luck would have it, the owner of the salon I used to work at, Rose Johnson was thinking about going to the Great Lakes Beauty Show and Competing in the Professional Sculptured Nail Competition. Another technician at the shop Caroline Pawlow told me that there was a first-timers competition for anyone that never placed fifth or above in any competition and the contestants would have to do one hand with only the thumb being polished. This would be the perfect warm - up competition for me - I HAD to go.

The show was less than four weeks away. After we booked our flights and our hotel rooms I knew I still had a lot of preparation to do

Rose offered to give Caroline and I a competition class. Rose is an incredible nail technician and experienced in competitions; I was lucky to have her as a mentor. Rose spent a few hours going over a few different things. It even showed me all the things I needed to work on with my salon nails. Rose went over the points we needed to focus on. We studied "c" curve ( convex and concave) the placement of the arch, the side walls, the side grooves, how thin they should be and the smile line. Most importantly ( and a big challenge for me) was keeping the consistency from nail to nail. She also showed us application and filing techniques. The way I see nails now is forever changed.
In the year I have been doing nails I have used many different products, so when it came time to choose which one to use for the competition I had a tough decision to make. One product I used in the salon was great in every way but always had tiny bubbles that only a judge could detect. Another product I used in the salon had a perfect white and pink, was very easy to make crisp smile lines with but set up to fast for me to pinch the "C" curve. Luckily Rose is an educator for an acrylic line that I wanted to try so she taught me that along with the class.

One of the most time consuming things was finding a red polish color for just the thumb. I must have bought 12 polishes from various manufacturers. It had to be a red cream polish: not to blue, not too orange , without any shimmer. Then I had to test them for coverage on pink and whites. I was testing for a red that would be opaque enough so that it would not show the white free-edge through it. This proved almost impossible.

I had a few questions about things not listed in the rules so I called the Competition Director Sharon Martin about 3 times to get definite answers.

Packing everything up the night before our flight was made easier by some articles that I had saved about competitions that included lists of supplies a competitor should bring.

During our flight I mapped out on paper my timing during the competition. It was an hour and a half competition for one hand. I gave myself 30 minutes for the application, 30 minutes for the filing, and 30 minutes for the buffing and polishing of the thumb. I wrote this down on a piece of paper to keep at the competition table with me and a small digital clock in case I got side-tracked.

The night before competition arrives. We got off the plane at 7:30 pm and did not get to the hotel until 8:00 pm. Our models were to be in our room by 8:15 pm so we could practice on the other hand. The models did not arrive at our room until 9:00 pm and we still had to eat dinner. So much for getting to bed early. When I finally did get to bed, I was so excited and nervous that I could not get to sleep.

Finally competition day came and the "first-timers sculptured nail competition" was scheduled for 9:00 am. I dressed nice but comfortable as I think all competitors should.

I had to have coffee so I would not be a zombie, but then I worried about having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the competition. I decided being a zombie would be worse! I could barely eat breakfast. I made sure my model and I went to the bathroom before we started. When I got to the competition room I was very surprised at how small it was. The room was set up in classroom fashion, each table was to stations big. The front of the room had the judges booth with the closed curtain. I got more nervous just looking at it. My shoulders hurt badly from all the stress. As we were unpacking it was warm in the small room. I was glad that I brought my lamp otherwise I would not have been able to see very well. I barely got set-up when Sharon counted down the time and said "go". After I had finished applying the thumb and was starting on the index finger I felt it getting cold and the air conditioning air was blowing on me. My product was setting up so fast from the air hitting it. I went to squeeze the C-curve on my thumb and it would not budge. I went on applying the pink to the next nail and it was setting up before I could stroke it out, I had to literally PUSH that nail into place. Once I got to the ring finger, the room started warming up again and I was able to pinch the "c" curve ( so much for consistency). I purposely brought 2 brushes in case one got gunked up. Well, they both got gunked up and I panicked. I wished that I had brought my heating pad. I heard people filing around me and I was not even done applying yet, this made me more nervous.

When I got to filing I had to keep stopping myself because there was so much more filing to do but I did not have the time. When it was time to buff I was down to the wire and the finished look of the nails suffered because of it. Because this was a one hand competition, we only had to polish the thumb. I think I had 15 seconds left when I got to polishing. I knew I'd better get it on perfect and thick because I did not have time for two coats or time to clean up the cuticle. Incredibly my polish went on perfect ; now why can't I do that in the salon? When Sharon called "time", I realized that I was not completely happy with my nails. My main goal was to finish on time. I had at least done that, so I was satisfied.

When it came time for the awards I brought my camera to take pictures of the winners. First they called fourth place it was a person that I knew from the internet, Patti Schneyer . At this point I was very relaxed I had no thoughts of placing and was just proud that I had competed and what I learned from it. They called third place but the tech was not there to receive the award. Then they called second place, Kimberly Lesser...that's me! I was shocked and in disbelief. When they called first place and it was my co-worker Caroline Pawlow I was so thrilled for her. Caroline had left for home already so Rose accepted the award for her. Rose was so proud of us. We were all very excited because Rose came in second in the "Professional Sculptured Nail Competition" . That meant that all three of us were coming home with a plaque for the salon.

Knowing what I know now there were a few things that I would do differently. I would have started practicing much earlier. I would have planned to arrive at the hotel sooner so I could have received the proper amount of sleep, and I would have come prepared for the unknown ( heating pad, two lamps, and a sweater for the cold).
Competing will give you a whole new way to perceive, evaluate and enhance your salon skills, I encourage everyone to compete, to take a competition class and to find a mentor.
I'm so lucky to have such wonderful mentors and educators around me like La'Shaun Brown-Glenn and Barb Wetzel (of nailsplash.com) ; but most of all I have to thank Rose Johnson for her training and support. It is professionals like these, industry publications and competitions that continue to raise our standards and push our industry forward.

Blurry digital picture of Barb Wetzel, Rose Johnson ( owner of the salon I used to work in) and myself, at the Nailtech and Salon of the year awards.
Had La'Shaun been able to make it I would have had a picture of me with all of my mentors. We missed her.

You can see pictures of my competition nails ( judge's statements coming soon )

Great Lakes Beauty Show

October 2000

COMPETITION

"First-Timers Sculptured Nails"

I hate posting these pictures becuase

I know they are UGLY but just so

you can see the real picture

These pictures were taken the next day and seeing as how thin competition nails are,
Shannon ( my model), had already had a chip off her middle finger and a chunk
come off the side of the thumb. my sharp corners were already rounded a little.