Mental practice?

My question today is... Is it possible to practice for a nail-competition mentally? I have realized it is only three weeks left for Nailympics and I am in Japan, without any products... Well... I have only myself to thank when I screw the competition... I should have practiced a lot more, but I just haven't been in the mood for it the last months. When I come back I have some very hectic days at the salon, with no time for practicing. I will have to enter the Nailympics without ANY practice this year. Did I hear SCREW YOU???? :-D

I got my confirmation from Nailympics today

so yes, I *am* going to enter. It will be gel tip/overlay in 2 hours. I wished it was 2,5 hours, like last year, but hey, I HAVE done a set of nails in 1,5 hours! Sssshhhh... yes, it was not GOOD nails, but I at least I know I can... :) This time I am going to use Hannah, the model I used when I won in Manchester and London, at least I have done her nails before!

Since I am in Japan now, there will not be much time to practice for this competition. I'll go for the next-last place! :) It will be good competition practice anyway.

Hello from TOKYO!

I don't have internetconnection, but there is a computer at the executive-lounge, so have to be quick. Just wanted to say we arrived safe. There were no delayes and we had no problems with reaching the flight in Paris, although we only had 1 hour.

The temp. is about 30 degrees c. and overcast. It's warm, but not as humid as in Orlando.

I found a shop with lots of nail-magazines. I don't understand a thing, but there are lots of nice pictures and "how to do, step for step".

Conrad Tokyo (our hotel) is VERY nice. I will write about that later. I think we will have wireless connection in Tsukuba, so will have some more time to write from there. Will also upload pictures.

My research today

This morning I have done some research at the internet. I found Norwegian commercials and professional photos and tried to evaluate their nails, what was good and what would I have done different. What I don't understand is, when everything else is excellent, very often the nails are neglected at the models. Or even worse, you can see there has been a nailtech doing some kind of work, but not good work. I know, I know, doing photo-shoots, with very close-up photos, is really difficult as you have to be very, very accurate. BUT I would rather use a hand without enhancement than a hand with ugly enhancement, or a hand without polish than a hand with uneven polish.

When I did my research I found... haha... something I did years ago.... :-D It's here. I had forgotten all about this article!

Oval nails - very difficult to be consistent!

I very seldom do oval nails with white free edge. Usually when I do oval nails it is with clear gel.

Today I did my own nails and found it surprisingly difficult to be consistent. Normally, when doing square nails, I don't have much problems with being consistent, but today... well... you can judge buy yourself....

Another thing I found surprising was that I really like my nails like this!

A very good site for those who want to compete

Today I found a very good site for all those who want to compete. There were lots of pictures and lots of text PLUS some videos. I haven't had the time to watch and read everything, but I am sure I will read it, not only once, but several times. The site is written by Salina Rush, an award-winning nailtech. What I really liked with the site was that it was kind of broken down in small chapters so it was very easy to read. If you want to compete, take a look at the site!

There is a marked for verybody!

I have said this before, and I say it again...

The last week I have gotten several calls from new clients. Because I know I am much more expensive than the others, I feel I have to tell them when they call. And of course, those who haven't heard of me ask me if I am INSANE! They also tells me they can't pay that much because they can get it 1/3 the next door. So of course, I am loosing clients to the cheaper once. Stupid?

Well... I have as many clients I want to have (I very seldom take new clients, but because of the recession I do take some new these days. It would be stupid not to). And the best thing? I only need 1/3 of the clients that the cheap salons have, to earn the same amount of money!

On the other hand, 2 out of 6 phones choose to come to me. So yes, there is a marked for everybody!

What really concerns me is that most of those who called me called because they were not at all satisfied where they had been. Despite of that, they would rather go back to the cheap one... I don't understand this... And they ask me why I am much more expensive??? But again, it shows that there is a marked for everybody!

My little finger!

I didn't have much time today, but I decided to re-ballance my little finger. When I filed my nails round/oval some weeks ago I would never have thought I would like it. The truth is that I DO like it and I like it even better with French! I am going to re-ballance all my nails like this before going to Japan.

Yes, I filed off a little bit of the white, the ear...

Poison (toluen) in nail-polish

This is a Norwegian article about toluen in nail-polish. It is illegal in paintings and adhesive but legal in nail-polish with a concentration up to 25%. The article tells that the Norwegian state-board (not exactly the right translation, but I don't know how to explain it...) is working for a law that says all nail-polishes should be marked with this: "Keep away from children, only to be used by grown-ups!"

And yes, it concerns me, as I work with it every day. Luckily I don't use polish that much, as I usually do gel enhancement. However I have always known that nail-polish and remover are some of the most dangerous products we are using so it's not new for me.

On the other hand... what is NOT dangerous these days, what will NOT give you cancer and/or brain-damages?

I bet more people die of too much fat and sugar than from using nail-polish....

The products I am using

People have been asking me what products I am using. (Why do you write me on e-mail and facebook and not here?)

I am using Masterworks Innovation clear gel and primer. Creative Brisas white builder gel and top-gloss. (Sometimes I use Brisa top-gloss and sometimes Masterworks, I haven't decided which I like the best yet...) I know, I know, everybody tell not to mix products, but this works very well for me and my clients! I used to use Brisa solely before I found Masterworks. In my opinion Masterworks adhere much better, but unfortunately they don't have a white gel to use the traditional way, only the reverse. So far I have not found a white gel which I like better than the Brisa. As long as it works perfectly well for me, I mix the two of them.

My salon

For a strange reason I have never showed pictures from my salon. It is very small. Four years ago I had a HUGE salon, 220 square meters, in the middle of the city center and people working for me. So yes, I have tried it, but prefer to have a small salon and being the only one.

Will I ever get better?

These days I am lazy... I know I should practice for Nailympics, in September, but I can't get myself to do it. I don't feel inspired and I am afraid I will never get any better, no matter how much I practice. I am seriously thinking of not entering.... On the other hand... I may enter and see what's happening. After all, it can't get any worse than in Orlando! :-/

You can follow me on twitter

#MicaCosmetics

London Fashion Week (LFW) here I come!

I am so excited I can hardly breath!

I am going to work backstage with Marian Newman's team! I usually say that I am not lucky, it's hard work which has made me where I am today, but right now I feel LUCKY!

LFW is the same week as Nailymics, but I will manage to do my only competition Monday morning. Luckily that competition starts at 7.30 or 8, so I will finish early. Competition, LFW AND 6 days in London, ca I ask for more? I booked my airfare yesterday and will brows for hotel later.

This year has been amazing...... :-D

Competition-nails, not what we usually do.

As I promised, in a previous post, I will comment some of Marians articles. There were an article about Nailympics here. I really liked the article, and I agree with mostly everything.

One of the comment I hear, very often, is: "Competitions are not about the real world, it is not what we usually do at the salon!. I am not a competitor, I do REAL work!" Sometimes I feel like some people like to think that competitors can ONLY do competition-nails. (This is not Marians view, but in general). Strange, as most of the competitors I know are salon-owners and/or very success-full nailtechs!

I do NOT make very long, un-natural nails at the salon. BUT I do make all my cuticle-areas flush, I have to be a steady polisher, I have to make all 10 nails the same lenght and form, I need filing-control and I need product-control. I am very sure that my salon work has improved after I started competing.

Marian said she wanted to see more salon-nails in competitions. I fully agree with that. What I have seen, at many competitions, is that they have increased in nail-art, but still only have one competition-nails and one salon-nails. At some competitions I feel the whole competition is mostly about nail-art! I wished they could introduce more categories in salon nails. What about:

Do your own nail, one hand.
Do a nail-biter - a kind of make-over.
Do natural nail overlay
Do a reballance
Maybe they could divide the salon nails into a square and an oval category?

I don't know how this could have been done practically, but I am sure it would be "do-able".

Another point is that competitions are very different from country to country and from continent to continent. In UK they have begun with salon-nails competitions. I really like that those competitions are *real* salon-nails. In the US they already have salon-style category, but those are very similar to the European competition-standard. The US competition-standard is waaaaayyy too long, in my opinion....

I wished there were an international standard for competitions and I wished there were an international judging certification with universal rules. This industry is very small so it shouldn't be that difficult to do this? Or???

Some interesting articles!

This morning I read some interesting articles here. Marian Newman is one of the leaders in our industry, at least in Europe, and her book "The complete nailtechnician" was the first nailbook I read when I was a newbie. I remember I bought it the first time I was in London. I read it from page to page while the rest of my family were sleeping! Memories aside... :)

Later today I will write my view and some comments of the articles.