STRIKEAPOSE

Preston-based nail & beauty pro, KIRSTY MCDONOUGH, shares an insight into her industry award wins & passion for competing

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There are fears: of the unknown, of putting your work in front of judges’ eyes and of not winning, that hold many back from entering nail competitions. It’s something place that Kirsty McDonough understands, after entering the competition sphere with an initial reluctance. In 2018, she was encouraged to compete by multi award-winning nail artist & educator, Hazel Dixon, during one of her extreme nail classes.

Now, Kirsty tells Scratch that competition wins are the highlight of her nail career.

“I was hesitant about entering competitions, as I had no knowledge of the process, but I quickly fell in love with the pressure and excitement felt when taking part,” she admits.

An extreme shape created by Kirsty in a class with Hazel Dixon.

“Competitions have made me a better nail technician and pushed me to a level I didn’t know I could reach. They’re not as scary as people think and take you on a learning curve, where you can also be inspired by fellow nail pros. The main thing I make sure to do is ask judges for feedback, so I can focus on implementing this into my work and improving my skill and efficiency.”

The beauty professional runs her business of 10 years, KM Nails and Beauty, five days per week from Preston salon, Pretty Glam. Her love for the nail and beauty industries bloomed from a young age, and her passion for nails became apparent once she began part-time work in a salon after college. Presently, 80% of her booked services are nail-related, while her other treatments include brow services, body waxing and spray tans.

Kirsty shares that L&P acrylic is her favourite nail system to work with. “I love the timeless nail classics; there’s nothing more satisfying than perfecting a French or ombré design,” she comments. “However, I also love fashioning wild, extreme nail shapes that aren’t suitable for everyday wear, and I compete so I am able to create both.”

Kirsty’s accolades scooped at the Professional Beauty North & FNP Nail Competition 2023.

Last September, Kirsty entered the Professional Beauty North & FNP Nail Competition in Manchester, winning first place in five categories and third place in three others. This meant she accumulated the highest overall score, scooping the Pro Champion award. One of the categories in which she won first place was Instanail (professional), which requires entrants to produce a photo they would be proud to showcase on their business Instagram page, alongside a step-by-step of the entry. “I’ve always wanted to enter a photographic competition category, but have doubted my camera skills,” Kirsty shares. “The theme was ‘Musicals’ and I wanted to create a Moulin Rouge look, inspired by the production’s fashion. The category rules were open to interpretation, therefore the entries were all so different and it was difficult to know if my image would be successful.”

Kirsty crafted the extreme shapes using L&P acrylic and HD Pro Long Sculpting Forms, ready to be adhered to her nails later. She then used an airbrush machine to achieve a lace effect. “I used lace as a stencil for the look, then HD Pro Art Gels and fine liner brushes for the line detailing, before adding crystals. I also put needles in the end of the enhancements for a wow factor.”

The nail stylist reveals that photographing the image proved difficult, as she was the hand model and her boyfriend was the photographer. “We can laugh about it now, but the picture wasn’t easy to take between the two of us, and it was challenging to get my hand in the most aesthetically pleasing positions. However, the hard work paid off as I love the pose of my hand in the winning image. You can notice the detail of each nail.”

As 2024 begins, Kirsty’s new year’s resolution list is long. “I plan to enter every Professional Beauty & FNP Nail Competition and implement judges’ feedback when doing so,” she says. “I also want to push myself to enter Nailympia London. It’s always been a goal of mine and I feel ready to go for it in 2024. My final aim is to put my teacher training qualification to use and begin passing on my knowledge to like-minded nail technicians.” With such passion and ambition, Kirsty is certainly a nail name to watch. 

Kirsty’s winning Instanail entry at the Professional Beauty North & FNP Nail Competition 2023.

“Competitions have made me a better nail technician and pushed me to a level I didn’t know I could reach. They’re not as scary as people think and take you on a learning curve, where you can also be inspired by fellow nail pros.”