Hi guys,
here is a little inside info for Competitions..................
You can view competitors, there is usually a viewing area, or at least an open door, so you can have a peek...........There is a Novice Category and an oldie Category lol.....................
The setting is normal...heck it is only a room lol........... rows of tables and techs sitting one side and models the other side...................
There is nothing scary going on............ no one is going to be shot at dawn for either not finishing on time..........or forgetting to tidy up a nail............ you loose points, not your life lol...............
Comps are not there to scare the pants or tunics off Technicians, but if used wisely the best one to one feed back, you will ever likely to get from the industries top people..............
You have a briefing prior to the competition, which outlines all the rules and comp regulations..............
You have floor judging, as well as your final model judging.............
Floor judging will give you marks on desk set up, safe working practice, and the way you look too............tidy hair aso.............
One you start, believe you me, you will not even notice who is sitting next to you lol.........unless it is one of your geeky mates, how could you not notice them lol..........eh Paula, Dawnie, Caroline, Liza, Antony, Marco, Jess and so on lol..............
You will spend the next 2 1/2 hours working your butt off, to produce the best seat you have ever done............
Your surroundings will just fade in the background, all you will be aware off is your model and your tools...........
Your model should be a vital participant in all this too, it's not just her hands that are important...........
She is also your time keeper...............She should advise you on time expired as in............ 30 mins gone by............ 1 hour gone by............. these are vital check points to make sure you are working within your practised timing, this stops you from stopping and checking your watch.............and stops you from faffing around lol...............
Then once time out is called, you leave the Comping area....... usual words to the models are............. don't knock your nails...........this moment is like leaving your first born for the first time at the infant school gates...........
You then spend a few hours walking and talking nails, having a few ciggies (well I do), checking back on your model to see if she has been judged yet.....
No personal contact can be made with your model at this time, but drinks will be passed on to her via Competition staff................
Then at last she emerges.......... you run over, you hug and then take her for some well earned food and drink.......... and some more ciggies in my case for me ..................
After what seems like an eternity, the call is made over the PA system...........
Can all competitors and models for the Nail Competition make their way to........ the nearest pub lol........nope nearly. ... the award area.............
This is where you see all your fellow Competitors, holding hands, chewing their bottom lip, some clutching tissues, yes that's me...........
Then if you are lucky your name is called out......wohooooooooo..........but most importantly, you get to collect your judging score sheet................your placement in your category will be on this so will be the judges names...So go and find them......they in turn will be available to you, to tell you why they have given you x marks for x section..................then they will advise you on how to tweak that low score into a high score..................Have also a look at the winning nails and compare them to yours, what is so different that made them the winner...................
But one thing I will say is that............once you have competed your Salon nails will be 100% different.............. you will see and notice things you hadn't even thought off............
In short a Competition will give you more then you think...Consistency in your work, working your product to a 100% performance, a sharper eye for detail in your work, if you can do a set a fab enhancements under strict time limited conditions, in an unfamiliar surroundings, then just think what you can achieve in your familiar place of work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And as it was said before, If you don't do it, how will you know if you are ready...
You are ready, when your bum goes on that seat, your model is in front of you and you just think............OK GUYS, LETS ROCK !!!!!!!
Just the way it is for me lol xxxxxxxxxxxxxx