Fun in the USA

HELENA BIGGS shares nail tales from a trip to Orlando, where pros were united & competition champions were celebrated

Florida called for Scratch’s co-founder & publisher, Scott Derbyshire, and I, as the Premiere Orlando trade show presented a multitude of networking opportunities and events. Held at the Orange County Convention Center, the expo attracted 52,000 visits from beauty industry professionals and students from 47 countries. A comprehensive education programme took place from 31 May to 2 June, with nail artists including Jenny Bui and Kirsty Meakin hosting classes.

It was my sixth time attending the event, which delights attendees annually with competitions, brand experiences and opportunities to see new products and techniques first-hand. This year’s visit to Premiere Orlando was the most special for me yet, as I met competitors from Season One of Scratch’s North America’s Star Nail Artist (NASNA) contest – including the three finalists: Anastasia Totty, Michelle Soto and Jessica Vero. What’s more, I hosted the Scratch Social, a party at which the first NASNA champion was announced.

It was a magical weekend, filled with meetups and fuelled by passion and recognition of nail excellence. Read on for a rundown…

North America’s Star Nail Artist showcase

On the morning of June 1, the three North America’s Star Nail Artist (NASNA) finalists headed to the Nailympia arena and set up their kits, so they could showcase their nail art skills to Premiere Orlando attendees. They were each invited to demonstrate a skill that was used within one of their NASNA challenges, to inspire and educate fellow nail enthusiasts.

Jessica Vero

Anastasia Totty

Anastasia Totty recreated a dragon’s wing from the nail design submitted for Challenge 5 of the contest: Change & Transformation sponsored by LECHAT. She shared: “I wanted to improve the wing based on the judges’ feedback, using brush-on builder gel and chrome pigment.” The wing represented ‘soaring close to the sun and achieving your goals, despite obstacles.’

Michelle Soto demonstrated her favourite nail art technique: one stroke, on her own nails – ready for the Scratch Social and NASNA winner’s announcement that evening. She commented: “I love that an ‘old school’ trend is still popular, and wanted to show that it can be stylish on nails. I learned the one stroke technique from a young age, so it’s very special to me.”

Jessica Vero, who flew in from Canada for the weekend, showed how to create the colourful butterfly that featured in her submission for Challenge 5. “I used L&P acrylic to sculpt the wings and petals for the flower, on which the butterfly sits,” she shared. “I then used black nail art paint to add details, with acrylic powder over the top for an ethereal finish.”

Showgoers and Nailympia judges gathered around the three talented pros to admire their handiwork: their last NASNA task before the winner’s announcement.

www.scratchmagazine.co.uk/nasna

Michelle Soto

Anastasia’s dragon wings.

Michelle’s one stroke nails.

Jessica’s butterfly creations.

The Beauty Changes Lives Gala

The Hilton Orlando provided a stunning setting for the 2025 Beauty Changes Lives (BCL) Gala, in collaboration with Premiere Orlando, on May 31. Each year, the charity hosts the event to unite the beauty industry and garner support for the next generation of professionals.

The Nguyen nail legacy

The 2025 iteration attracted over 400 industry leaders, pros and supporters, who immersed in live entertainment, cocktails and a three-course dinner. Scott and I shared a table with NASNA finalists: Anastasia Totty, Michelle Soto and Jessica Vero; nail artist, Valerie Ducharme; nail industry editor-at-large, Beth Livesay; renowned industry scientist, Doug Schoon, and Buddy Sims, learning experience specialist at hair, barber and beauty education organisation, Pivot Point. Over $700,000 was raised on the night to support BCL scholarships and programmes, which support and elevate careers in nails, cosmetology, barbering, make-up, massage and aesthetics.

The Nguyen family.

Emceed by hair industry icon, Sam Villa, and breathwork coach & author, Elizabeth Faye, the event presented three Legacy Awards to trailblazers whose contributions ‘have left an indelible mark on the beauty industry’. For nails, the late Minh Tam Nguyen and the Nguyen family were honoured for their profound work in the nail industry and transformative impact on the Vietnamese-American beauty community.

Mr. Minh Tam Nguyen (1933-2023) was a Vietnamese immigrant and helped redefine beauty therapy and nail artistry as professional careers in the USA. He and his hairdresser wife, Kien, opened a salon in 1978 and, on recognising the influx of immigrants from Vietnam with poor English skills, saw an opportunity to teach trades that could help set them up for their lives in America. They subsequently opened training school, Advance Beauty College, in Little Saigon, Orange County, California, in 1987. Mr. Nguyen’s legacy was celebrated by his children, Tam Nguyen and Linh Nguyen, who continue his commitment to education, community empowerment and industry transformation through their leadership at the college. The school has, to date, trained tens of thousands of professionals, many of whom have gone on to lead successful careers in the nail industry.

Jan Arnold

“Mr. Minh Tam Nguyen’s vision and dedication to elevating the nail industry, mentoring future generations and empowering the Vietnamese community, exemplify what it means to leave a legacy,” said Jan Arnold, co-founder of CND™ & founding member of Beauty Changes Lives. “We are honoured to celebrate the Nguyen family’s contributions and their continued impact through education, community and philanthropy.”

The Gala was a testament to the power of community, innovation and the impact of giving back, and guests took to the dancefloor before heading back to their hotels – ready for two jam-packed days of industry antics.

www.beautychangeslives.org

BCL Gala hosts: Sam Villa & Elizabeth Faye.

L-R: Charli Jepson, Buddy Sims, Valerie Ducharme, Beth Livesay, me, Jessica Vero & Anastasia Totty.

With NASNA finalists: Jessica Vero, Michelle Soto & Anastasia Totty.

Charli Jepson, head of education at Glitterbels, with Glitterbels co-founder, Elliott Maginnis.

Nail artist, Valerie Ducharme, with Pivot Point’s Buddy Sims.

Nailympia Orlando

The fifth Nailympia Orlando, hosted 1-2 June in an arena within Premiere Orlando, welcomed the most competitors to date, with 99 nail techs from nine countries entering turn-in and arena categories. Organised by global competitions director, Alex Fox, the event featured an esteemed international judging panel – with GlossaryLive’s Alisha Rimando as head judge. Turn to page 62 for the results.

www.nailympia.com

The Scratch Social

Nail professionals, brand owners and industry friends were invited to the Scratch Social: a three-hour party that started as soon as Premiere Orlando closed its doors on June 1. The event featured a DJ, complimentary drinks – served in colour-changing cups courtesy of Light Elegance – food and networking opportunities, and over 200 people attended.

The focal point was the announcement of the North America’s Star Nail Artist (NASNA) champion for Season One. Sponsors took to their seats towards the front of the room, while I introduced proceedings on stage. A video recap of the contest was played, which showcased the journeys of competitors from NASNA’s commencement in October: including who took the top spots in each challenge and who was eliminated.

I invited a representative from each sponsor brand to join me on stage: Jan Arnold (CND™), Elaine Watson (Light Elegance), Morgan Haile (Gelish), Newton Luu (LECHAT), Charli Jepson (Glitterbels) and Katy Ellis (The GelBottle Inc). They each shared what they loved about the contest and admiration for the dedication and creativity of competitors. Next, it was time to welcome the top three to the stage, and Anastasia Totty, Michelle Soto and Jessica Vero walked up to rapturous applause from the audience – many of whom had competed alongside them in the season’s challenges.

With feelings of anticipation in the room, I announced the second runner-up: Canada’s Jessica Vero. The talented tech was shown her ‘best bits’ via video screen and accepted her trophy and bag of prizes, including $750 and product vouchers from sponsors.

Jessica Vero

Michelle Soto

It was then time to announce the winner: a moment the trio had been working towards for eight months. The room fell to a nervous silence as I exclaimed, “The winner of North America’s Star Nail Artist – Season One – is… Anastasia Totty!”

Industry representatives on stage rushed to congratulate her as she clasped her face in disbelief – and the room filled with claps and cheers. While she gathered her thoughts, I spoke to first runner-up: the sensational Michelle Soto, who had been busy on the show floor that day demonstrating her artistic skills and judging for Nailympia. The pro received a $1,250 prize, trophy and gifts from sponsors, and revealed that she’ll be entering Season Two.

After showcasing Michelle’s highlights on screen, Anastasia had her moment to shine. She raised her trophy to the ceiling and accepted her prize – which included $2,500 and an invitation to write a column in Scratch and showcase her work on a future front cover. Speaking after the event, she commented: “I didn’t realise how much I wanted to win until I saw the sponsors on stage and watched the competition recap. Everyone was so happy for me, and being crowned NASNA champion is an amazing career achievement.

“This contest taught me so much about content creation and video editing. My email inbox is full of messages asking about Season Two – so I encourage pros to get ready, as it’s going to be a fantastic experience!”

Scott & I with the Wanderlust Worldwide event management team.

NASNA Season One champion, Anastasia Totty.

If you’re a nail pro currently working in the USA, Canada or Mexico, register your interest for North America’s Star Nail Artist – Season Two, by scanning here.

Visit bit.ly/3FoeTdr or scan here to view more photos from the Scratch Social.