CAT’S claws

Scratch Stars Hall Of Fame pro, CATRIONA LEITH, serves up industry insights & advice for nail sector success

COMPETITION ADVICE FROM A NAILYMPIA JUDGE

ABOUT CATRIONA LEITH

Cambridgeshire-based Cat Leith boasts 19 years’ experience in the nail sector. She balances salon and education roles, crafting artistic creations for the loyal clients of her business, The Nail Studio, while delivering high-quality training to pros as co-head of education for Hazel Dixon Nail Artist Academy.

Cat has scooped a multitude of awards, including the Scratch Stars Gel Tech of the Year and One Stroke Artist of the Year accolades in 2022, 2023 and 2024. As a result, she entered the awards’ Hall Of Fame for both categories.

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S o, you’ve entered Nailympia – you’ve found your model, packed your kit numerous times and tried to convince yourself that you are totally prepared. Chances are, you’re probably thinking ‘ why on earth did I enter this? ’.

I’ve been lucky to experience Nailympia as both a competitor and judge, and these experiences have made me realise the huge difference between knowing you are being judged and understanding what judges are looking for. With Nailympia London taking place this month and Nailympia Sicily next month, I thought I’d give you an insight into what happens when your nails land in front of judges – and hopefully take away a little bit of the mystery and panic.

Rules and regulations

First things first, read the rules. Don’t rely on what you remember from last year or what someone told you in a Facebook group. Rules can change and every category has its own requirements. The last thing you want is to spend a long time creating your entry, then lose points because you’ve done something that isn’t allowed. If there are criteria that you’re not sure about, seek clarification. Emailing the organisers prior to the competition will prevent any last-minute panic.

Score sheet success

One of the most valuable things you can do before competing is look at your category’s score sheet. Focus on where points are allocated; anything worth a significant percentage of your overall score needs to be a priority. Do not spend too much time perfecting a skill worth a couple of points, and ignoring criteria worth more. Check out Nailympia score sheets via www.nailympia.com/score-sheets

Time tactics

When competing live, time is everything: once that clock stops, you must finish. This is where having a plan and practicing your timings really helps. You need to know how long each part of your design takes, and where you can afford to spend extra time if needed.

Also, try not to worry if you look around and another competitor seems to be making more progress than you. They might be quicker at one aspect of their work, but that doesn’t mean their finished nails are going to score higher than yours. Keep your head down, trust your training and stick to your plan.

‘‘ Judges aren’t hoping you’ve made mistakes – we want you to be brilliant! ‘‘

You will learn something from every competition: how to work under pressure, where your timings need to improve, what techniques you need to practice and, most importantly, what you are capable of. ‘

When you reach the last few minutes of a competition, use them wisely. Don’t panic and decide you need to completely change something. Look at your nails and think, ‘what can I realistically improve in the time I have left?’. Clean them up, check the nail shape, sidewalls and finish, then stop.

Arena atmosphere

There is always a lot going on around you during a live competition. From other competitors and spectators to judges checking that everything is being done correctly, it can feel very different to working in a salon. If a floor judge comes over to check something, they aren’t trying to catch you out. They are simply making sure everyone is competing on a level playing field.

Judgment time

Then comes the part most competitors dread: the judging table. Judges look at everything from overall structure, shape, length, symmetry and product application to sidewalls, apex placement, C-curves, free edges, finish and cleanliness.

Structure is hugely important in technical categories. The apex must be placed properly, the sidewalls must be correct, the shape must be consistent and the enhancements must be balanced. Competition nails should also be clean: no flooding, dust, scratches, dents, lumps, product on the skin or filing marks – and don’t forget to clean up underneath the nail.

Remember that judges aren’t hoping you’ve made mistakes – we want you to be brilliant! As a judge, there is nothing better than having nails in front of you that make you think ‘wow’. We want to see creativity, skill, control and attention to detail, and evidence that someone has pushed themselves to produce the best work they possibly can.

Competition cooldown

Once the competition is over, whether you placed or not, it is crucial to look at your score sheet. Make a note of where you lost marks. Was the structure not quite right? Did the finish let you down? Was the shape inconsistent? Did you miss something in the brief? Recognise areas for improvement – that’s your homework for next time.

Finally, to anyone competing at Nailympia in the future, enjoy it. Of course everybody wants to place, but just competing in the arena and putting your work out there to be judged takes courage. You will learn something from every competition: how to work under pressure, where your timings need to improve, what techniques you need to practice and, most importantly, what you are capable of.