Sydney International Spa and Beauty Expo Nail Competitions wowed the crowds this year with creative new categories and outstanding attendance. Organised by highly-respected industry professional, Tracey Boyle, the competition arena was abuzz with a sense of excitement from the moment the doors opened up until an emotionally-charged, exciting awards ceremony at 4pm on Sunday.
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Manicurist of the Year Julie Dovolis
Industry stand-out, Sarah Ison took out The Nail Awards 2012 Overall Masters Champion trophy and The Robert Bowery Overall Champion 2012, plus first place sculptures, first place embedded art, second place tips and overlays and second place photographic art!
Sarah’s Oscar design was based on Liza Minnelli’s Best Actress Oscar win in 1974 for Cabaret. “I decided to give Liza some modern day nails that resembled stockings and garter belts. It was super fun to do and definitely one of my favourite art sections.” As for the French sculpture category, she put her successful set of nails down to her attention to detail and consistency. “As each competition is different and requires different criteria, it is important to know exactly what is expected of you. Also, having the perfect model with perfect nail beds is a must. Nails that require too much effort on the comp floor will not get you anywhere, except frustrated.”
This win was a particularly poignant one for Sarah who’s been in the industry for around 20 years. “Back when I first started competing, I won a few overall awards and it was a great feeling but this one was special for me because it’s the first time I have won overall since my Mum passed away six years ago and I know how pleased and proud she would be.”
Overall Masters Champion Sarah Ison
Coordinator, Tracey Boyle felt the event flowed without any major hiccups and there was a real determination from everyone to make it a stand-out year. “There were a significant number of first time entrants this year, which was great to see, and which only serves to prove that the Sydney Nail Event is THE event of the year, and the pinnacle at which nail techs showcase their skills. Attendance was up this year, with over 70 per cent of the competition entrants being new from last year. By any account, that is an impressive statistic,” says Tracey.
“The standard just keeps improving and I think is year the themes gave the competitors a chance to really show their creative side. Everyone took their skills to new levels and the winners pushed the boat out.” Tracey points out that the majority of the competitions were won by a small margin, “some as close as 0.5 of a mark which proves, quality is much more important than quantity!”
The judges this year were inspired by our International head judge, Sam Biddle believes Tracey. “It was a great learning experience for all to see someone as experienced and as well-known and respected as Sam take a lot of the judges under her wing – and indeed some were simply in awe. As a result, the judges all rose to the occasion, and I would like to thank them again for all their support and help.”
Sarah Ison London 2012
“Most importantly though, this event was and always will be about the competitors and it’s them who make the competition what it is. They form an industry I love and make my job one I adore. Without the nail techs of today the competitions of the future will not happen – so thank you to all the competitors for their efforts, and I hope to see them all next year,” says Tracey.
Sarah Ison agreed this year’s awards were a great success. “It’s had its ups and downs over the last few years, with different coordinators and lots of changes, but this one came together beautifully. As always, I would love to see even more talented nail techs give it a go because you can only get better as time goes on. It’s great for personal and professional development and keeps you up-to-date with current trends and skills.”
Among the many other wins: The Overall Manicure Champion trophy was awarded to Julie Dovolis and The Overall Novice Champion trophy was won by Misaki Wantanabe.
A highlight of the competition arena was The London 2012 creative competition in which entrants could submit flat, embedded and 3D nail art designs. The creations were truly awe-inspiring and the intricate attention to detail mesmerising. From fingertip-sized portraits of the Queen to elegant Olympics track designs and extravagantly crafted 3D London and Olympic-inspired nail art featuring double-decker buses, the London Eye and their Royal highnesses Kate and William.
In the 3D London 2012 category, winners included: Sayoko Shizu (masters); Ayako Murakami (open) and Nacki Nakayama (novice). In the flat London 2012 nail art winners included: Yoshimi Kusagaya (open) and Sayoko Shizu (masters/ championships) while Sarah Ison won the embedded London 2012 nail art masters/championships category.
The 2013 Sydney International Spa & Beauty Expo will be held on the 24th and 25th August 2013. For more information visit www.internationalbeautyexpo.com.au