NAILQUEEN

Education On Cruise ~ September 2012

2012-01-20T15:56:00.002+08:00

Nail education has never been more exciting when you can do them all at once on one of the largest most luxurious cruise ship in the world !

Sail away on the world’s largest cruise ship with the nail industry’s best educators. During our weeklong cruise, experience three days of intense education to inspire the nail star in you. Mix business with pleasure as you enjoy fine dining, first-class entertainment and fun in the sun. Ideal for nail professionals, salon and spa owners, friends and your entire family!

Experience the ship that revolutionized cruising, Oasis of the Seas®— its ground-breaking design introduced seven distinct neighborhoods built for ultimate enjoy-ment. Hop on a classic carousel on the Boardwalk®, then watch acrobats splash down in the AquaTheater, the first amphitheater at sea. Let imaginations soar in the Youth Zone—the largest kids' area at sea—or at the Pool & Sports Zone, where you'll find FlowRider® surf simulators and zip line views. Unwind with a stroll in Central Park®—a meandering garden lined with shops and fine restau-rants—or melt away stress at Vitality Spa®. Jazz up your evening with Broadway hit Hairspray, or hit the Royal Promenade for memorable moments with Dream-Works® Experience characters. Join us onboard the ship that changed cruising – a world where innovation rules.

It's Finally Here!

2012-01-15T01:46:00.001+08:00

NailQouture is about the art of designing. It showcases a combination of gel painting and acrylic art and you will get to see some of my award wining designs upclose.

NailQouture is finally here, hot off the press ! I think that if I have nothing else to do all day, I could probably publish a book every other month. Unfortunately the reality is that working on a project like this requires so much time; from conceptualization to the actual creation of the designs, photography, editing to putting it all together. There is indeed a great sense of fulfilment once the project has been concluded and I'm already full of ideas for my next book.

For now, if you want to get your copy to the latest design trend :

ORDER NAILQOUTURE

Tartan Inspired Gel Polish Designs For Salon Works

2012-01-06T00:09:00.001+08:00

Soak Off Gel Polish (gel in a nail polish bottle) has been a hit since it made the appearance in the nail salons. It's taking over the nail polish market by storm and we wonder why ?

- Only seconds to cure in an LED lamp and minutes in a UV lamp

- Applies like polish with all the benefits of Gel

- No chip, Always glossy

- Makes your nail look fresh and juicy

- Strengthen the nails with a thicker coating

- and the best of all, you can blend, marble, fade and do amazing designs with no dry time!

Here's my take on the 3 brands that I love and use for all my designs !

I.GEL by Odyssey - Can be used as gel polish AND art paint for drawing delicate lines, florals, motifs and use it just like paint! It doesn't bleed or dull. The finishing almost looks like watercolor effects when you paint with it. I love how their dark colors gives the best thin coverage.

GELIST by NfuOh - more than 500 choice of every shade imaginable from cream, pearl, frost, metallic, bling to irridescent colors that you will adore. This is the Queen of colors after all !

LUXIO by Akzentz - The classic colors especially the nudes and pinks/corals are to-die-for. They are the gel specialist after all and the Luxio gel polish are a hit with people who wants the extra strength and a nice plump juicy volume to their flatter nailbeds.

I.Gel used on the tartan stripes and roses design

Happy New Year 2012 - New Inspirations, New Aspirations

2012-01-05T23:34:00.000+08:00

2011 breezed through like the wind, it has been an eventful year full of excitement and achievements, as well as a sense of deep loss as four of the dearest people in my life have departed from this world leaving only the fondest memories that makes me treasure every living moment and appreciate the people who touched my life.

Ushering the new year with renewed hope and a refreshed mind, I have been looking forward to get back to work after a really relaxing vacation.

I wish you all the best for the new year, and may we continue to realize our dreams and create beauty by touching lives

Happy 2012!

The ONE Gel Japan Tour - Tokyo & Osaka 2011

2011-12-09T01:21:00.001+08:00

I've spent several years in Singapore working with Japanese expatriate nail students at my training centre, and it is indeed very special for me to be able to train the nailtechs in their own land during the recent Tokyo and Osaka tour. It is also important to note that the nail styles of Japan greatly influenced the nails in South East Asia to date, but Japan is also opening up to learn different styles of nails and nail art that we are bringing to their shores. I'm very excited with this development and Odyssey Nail Systems have made all this possible with their global presence.

NAIL EXPO TOKYO 2011

2011-12-09T01:02:00.000+08:00

It's great to be back in Japan again for the Nail Expo after missing it for a few years. At the same time there was also a nostalgic moment as Japan nail industry paid tribute to the late Tom Holcomb, the icon of nails who was a big part of the Japanese nail industry. His memories will be forever etched in our minds.

My class at the Nail Expo for ONS The ONE Gel and I.Gel

VivCat and nail model for our "Renaissance" themed designer nails using The ONE Acrylic and Gel Collections

ONS Stage demonstration by Trang Nguyen (USA), Viv Simmonds (Australia), Elvira Kim (Russia), Stephy Pang (Malaysia) and me (Singapore)

A VivCat collaboration

MBC Nail Elite Class - Season 4

2011-12-09T00:44:00.001+08:00

Another successful season for the MBC Academy Elite Class in Korea, these girls are a joy to work with, the class was packed with talent, passion and enthusiasm - makes me love my job even more !

VIVCAT Toronto

2011-12-09T00:39:00.001+08:00

These girls rocked the class in Toronto, had such an amazing time and a wonderful host - thank you Michelle we look forward to see you guys again real soon !

Back in the Netherlands!

2011-11-30T01:03:00.005+08:00

Holland never fail to take my breath away.....this time I got a chance to experience the suburbs and see the windmills upclose and take in the beautiful and colorful surroundings. It was great to catch up with my Dutch friends and fellow educators.

Had an amazing time working with the class full of nail lovers, of course !

The ONE Gel paint

Hans from Profnail is so cool, he's sporting a Christmas demo nail by me and... doesn't this pose remind you of a character from a movie ? ;) :)

Seminar in Helsinki, Finland

2011-11-30T00:31:00.003+08:00

November has been a busy month indeed! Made it to 4 countries in 2 weeks, with the first stop in Finland ~ land of Santa Claus and the reindeers where days are short and nights are long. I was expecting to freeze but to ; my surprise, the weather was beautiful and fresh. Even if it was too cold, it wouldn't have mattered because we were indoors most of the time :) and by the time we went out, it was already dark.....

My new designer nail shape with the "nail armour" embellishment

The pillow and the bow

before the end of the class, almost everyone "blinged" their nails big time !

Alas....Finland techs have turned from simple to adventurous ~!

featuring traditional finnish delicacy.....

Food is always the highlight at the end of a hectic day doing nails !

Coming Soon - My 3rd Step By Step Nail Design Book

2011-10-20T23:04:00.012+08:00

First there was Nail IT! (2009) then NailQ Signature (2010) and now....NailQouture (2011)

It has been a pet project that I've been working on this year in between my busy schedule and the travels and it's finally coming to fruition. NailQouture ( ~ nail couture) is inspired by couture fashion. It showcases dramatic and spectacular work on nails as a fashion and art installation.

Mediums used are wide and varied, showcasing particularly acrylic L&P, gel paint, prints and embellishment. The concept is bold, outrageous and avant-garde but artistically fused together as wearable designs.

Available from December 2011!

More Gel Painting Magic

2011-09-27T00:31:00.001+08:00

Checkin In LONDON !

2011-09-12T21:47:00.003+08:00

Corrine Bailey's finished Dumbledore and Harry Potter ~ just awesome !

The Art of 3D Acrylic Embossing

2011-09-06T08:50:00.005+08:00

3D technique is largely used in mixed media and fantasy work, the amount of embossed details and product control is the key to visual impact.

Mixed Media in the nail world, refers to a combination of mediums (i.e acrylic, gel, resin, silk, paint...) and techniques (3D, handpaint, airbrush, embedded....) used in creating a design. Usually there will be some limit to the height, length and width to the design on each nail.

Fantasy on the other hand is the complete opposite in terms of such size limitations. 4D or free standing character is used here to enhance the entire look. One can create according to your imagination plus you get to also dress your model according to the theme of the nails.

So in order to master Mixed Media and Fantasy, one has to perfect each and every medium of nail application and learn every possible technique that can best express your creations.

Dress Up the Snakeskin Effect With Some Bling !

2011-08-30T21:53:00.001+08:00

I dressed up the snakeskin effect with some bling and chains with the Hyper Bond and they stayed on real good.

Tried and tested with all the travelling, luggages and CRABS !

All is well and these nails remains clean (can't stand dirty long nails) and proud to say that they are still in mint condition :)

VIVCAT-ONS Aussie Tour

2011-08-27T18:04:00.003+08:00

The tour started with the Sydney Expo with a proud moment of victory for ONS Australia - Vivid Nails education team

Both Viv and I keep ourselves constantly evolving and moving forward because of the wonderful and passionate people whom we encounter in our industry through education.

Sydney (special thanks to Olga Menshikova, Sam Goddard & Emi Ohkuma)

Brisbane (special thanks to Desiree Dowling)

Adelaide (special thanks to Kirsty Crouch)

Melbourne (special thanks to Olga Mesheryakova & Mandy Meeson)

Hope this tour has inspired you and sparked your creativity in the salon with our amazing products & technology. Let us all continue to spread the love and do beautiful nails !

...and don't forget to have some fun doing it !

The Snakeskin Effect

2011-08-27T08:35:00.000+08:00

Snakeskin is recently the talk of the town. Nailtechs are embedding the real thing from shedded snake skin into nails to create that special effect. Though I consider myself quite adventurous when it comes to nails, I admit that I'm not quite liking the idea of having the dead cells of some living creature sandwiched in between my nails !
So, here it is....my version of the snakeskin effect using ONLY GELS! Nothing is embedded inside the nail, not even nets. I've shared this fast and easy technique during "play day" with some of my educators recently. I'm wearing it now to see how well it is coping. I'm sure we will have plenty of new designs with this technique in time to come, so stay tuned :)

Maximum Effects, Minimum Time

2011-07-26T21:12:00.003+08:00

Time is money, time flies.
As we get older, we find that we always don't have enough time and wish there were 48 hours in a day. For the nail tech, time is money and who really cares about all that fancy art if it takes all day to do one nail, you can't make money in the salon. Well, we can't please everybody. Art is art, art is passion, love and it is very subjective.

To have a very good technique and the artistic ability enables the technician to differentiate themselves and create a niche where they can charge higher. However, time is of great importance to the customer as they won't want to sit in your chair all day getting a masterpiece done on their nails.

So begins my mission.... to come up with the fastest way to whip up an amazing piece of art that takes no more than 15mins to create. (after training & some practice)

Together with a great product and through research and experimentation, I've now developed the training in my workshops/classes for techs to learn and master these techniques so that they can apply it to their day to day gel painting or acrylic 3D creation in the salon. Note that if you're naturally slow, you will still find a great improvement in your designs.

See below for our workshop attendees' art after just 2 days of training :

100% painted with Gel

Note : These art are meant to be complex for training purpose.

Run For The Roses - Courtesy of NAILS Magazine

2011-07-20T17:39:00.003+08:00

NAILS Magazine - August 2011 Issue arrived at my doorstep today and pointed to a video interview that Kim Pham & Jessica Hoel did with me while we were in Orlando. Thanks ladies! It was great catching up and I had a great time xxx
Get the story here :
Run For The Roses Interview

Aussie Tour in August 2011 - Mark Your Calendar !

2011-07-03T18:10:00.001+08:00

Australia, we are coming to your area to showcase some great techniques you can use in your salon in both gel painting, gel & acrylic design sculpture, so mark your calendar and be sure to reserve your spot as space are limited ! Click on the poster below to get the details for registration. Thank you guys !

Top2Bottom - I LOVE IT!

2011-06-30T07:03:00.002+08:00

I need to rave about this awesome, awesome gel top coat ! It cures in LED lamp in seconds and UV Lamp in minutes.

What's so special about Top2Bottom is that it is a soak off system, super easy application and guaranteed to deliver crystal clear High Shine

You can use it 2 layers as a nail strengthener alternative, or use it as a base and a top coat for gel polish over natural nails, traditional gel nails(both hard/soft) or acrylic nails.

(Do not apply over regular nail polish as a topcoat, however you can use this as a basecoat prior to nail polish application to protect your nails from yellowing and to give it that nice smooth surface to polish)

Because it is pure soakable gel, you need to wipe off the final dispersion layer with a cleanser but I promise you, it will not dull like the generic ones, You will be pleased....Very pleased at the finish :)

I'm loving it because I've used this for all my recent competition work to deliver such gorgeous finish and I just have to share this info with all the nailtechs out there because I have tried so many soak-off gel topcoat and this one just blew me away !

Just Fantasy

2011-06-26T18:54:00.001+08:00

My entry for Mythology of the East & West @ IBS Las Vegas

This has got to be one of the most rushed entry that I had to work on, it started in Singapore and completed in the USA over 10 days in between transit and work. It was also my most fulfilling piece of creation as I love the characters of mythology and especially working with different mediums and exploring new techniques to push the level a notch higher.

Models : Fiona Otten (Greek Goddess) and Gina Silvestro (Angel) ~ Thank you xxx

As a bonus, these "girlfriends + nailtechs" of ours were fabulous as models who brought our theme and character to life

Kentucky Derby ~ Run For the Roses @ Premiere Orlando

Nailed 4 First Places in NailPro USA Season 2011

2011-06-26T18:01:00.002+08:00

2 First Place win at Premiere Orlando 2011

Winning pose with my team mates Milena Bogasow (Germany) 2nd Place and Lee So Young (Korea) 3rd Place in Design Sculpture Veteran in IBS Las Vegas

With Fiona Otten (Netherlands)

With Viv Simmonds (Australia) and Trang Nguyen (USA)

I'm ecstatic winning 4 first places in veteran - Fantasy (Kentucky Derby & Mythology), French Twist and Design Sculpture in the US recently and to top it all, our ONS Team bagged the Nailpro Cup 2011

It was truly mission accomplished for this competition season for me and being able to catch up with all my nail friends !

Strawberry Shortcake & Friends - Wear It, Flaunt It !

2011-05-17T20:30:00.003+08:00

The characters of Strawberry Shortcake and Friends came alive in the hands of the nailtechs who did a workshop with me which ended today. I cannot wait to share their talent with you here :)

Miniature Gel Painting Workshop in Taiwan

2011-05-08T19:45:00.001+08:00

Step by step demonstration

I had a very talented class of award winning nail techs and they have made me reflect that

all art is an individual expression of culture. Well done girls !

Taiwan Nail Competition by Taiwan Nail Association (TNA) 2011

2011-05-08T19:30:00.001+08:00

The competition arena this year was a beautiful sight with more than 700+ registrations, a new record for the Taiwanese nail industry. Before the competition began, the attendees witnessed some 1500 people who came together to do their nails to enter into the Guiness Book of Records.

It's an honor to be able to judge alongside the esteemed industry leaders and judges from USA, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Friendly staff working backstage, check out the trophies !

World Of Nails (WON 2011)

2011-05-08T19:00:00.003+08:00

Thank you all for a successful launch of our 1st Edition of WON in Kuala Lumpur recently!

"World of Nails (WON) Is an Educational Forum held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia annually where nail technicians come together for the most updated nail education with the latest product and technology with a wonderful opportunity to network and meet top educators in the nail industry locally as well as international. We would love for our nail industry to grow with the best nail technology and a sharing nail community.

Look out for another exciting year in 2012 where we only bring you the BEST !"

Stay tuned to WON 2012 on 16-18 April, 2012

~We will to see you there ~

Join us on facebook WON Facebook Group

Miniature Gel Painting

2011-05-08T18:42:00.001+08:00

The new generation gel paint can help you achieve amazing details from start to finish without having to flash cure in between. More and more nail techs are keen to learn this new technique and it is no longer an impossible feat for any newbie in art to learn this. Since the launch of the ONE Gel, I have spent a great deal of time developing this painting technique so that it can also be applied to salon work with ease.

If you wish to participate in our upcoming workshops, please send an email to ecsalonce@pacific.net.sg and indicate "Subscribe Newsletter For The ONE Gel Workshop". You will be kept in the loop for our workshop schedule.

The ONE Acrylic 3D Workshop SINGAPORE - 16 & 17 May, 2011

2011-04-22T01:36:00.005+08:00

Back by popular demand after previous workshop themed "Precious Moments", we will bring you another exciting class creating the characters from "Strawberry Shortcake & Friends" this coming May!

PRECIOUS MOMENTS

The ONE Gel Hands-On Workshop @ PREMIERE SHOW Orlando, FL in June!

2011-04-06T23:17:00.000+08:00

Organizer : Premiere Show & Odyssey Nail Systems
Where     : Room 207C PREMIERE ORLANDO
When      : 4 June, 2011 (Saturday)
Time       : 12noon - 2pm

This is an incredible hands-on step by step class that will teach you Catherine Wong's special techniques in using The ONE gel paint showcasing its maximum potential so that you can offer this artistic techniques in your business and in the competition arena. You will not want to miss out on the limited edition full color gel painting step by step handbook that will be given out to the first 20 enrolments for this class.

(Note : Designs for each class is exclusive and will not be repeated)

For more information and registration information visit :
Premiere Orlando USA

Go to Education/Events - Nails - Page 49

NailQueen Workshop Series - Season 2 (2011)

2011-04-02T10:15:00.003+08:00

NailQueen Workshop Series - Season 2 (2011)
- Handpainting (Realism & fantasy)
- Design Fantasy (Avatar Theme - Princess Neytiri)
- Mixed Media (Leopard Theme)

This private class achieved a lot in the sense that the work had a lot of detail in it and they managed to complete 3 projects in 3 days. While majority of the attendees are already in the advanced level, we are thrilled to see some newbies stepping into the design arena and managed to catch up with the pros. All thanks to their trainer Sheila, who prepared them well with strong foundation before joining my workshop.

Handpainting (Realism & fantasy)

Free hand painting techniques on nails

Design Fantasy (Avatar Theme - Princess Neytiri) & Mixed Media (Leopard Theme)

Design Fantasy is a 4D art, free standing object which can be viewed from all 360degree

This form of nail art is applied to Fantasy competitions where the model is required to be in costume and make up, wearing the nails to match the whole look/theme.

Mixed media nail art covers all the different mediums of professional nail products and some embellishments used to create the design and effects. This form of nail art is widely used in nail competitions, fashion and design work.

the fine artists behind the awesome work!

NAILPRO April 2011 Cover: 3-D Nail Art Butterflies and Flowers

2011-03-24T01:12:00.005+08:00

Loved how Nailpro named it the Trinity Butterfly !
Had an amazing time with Gina and Viv doing this cover for Nailpro Magazine in L.A

The crew behind the nail pros

We could do this all day and all night!

Trying hard to stay awake till wee hours in the studio....

Beautiful model and great personality !

The final product

World Championship In Dusseldorf

2011-03-23T23:38:00.007+08:00

National champions representing 25 countries compete in Dusseldorf in gel and acrylic categories

It's an honour to partake in the Internationale Nail Meisterschaft in Dusseldorf (screen) in the Gel Category and made it to top 10 amongst 25 countries

I thank my team for their enormous support and assistance that made this possible especially following the hiccups during competition "o)

Asia has never won this championship yet, the only Asian who won this championship was Trang Nguyen, but he represented the USA.

It is our dream to see an Asian flag make it to top 3 one day ~

Successors of International Nail Meisterschaft, David Fowler and Stephanie presenting a farewell gift to Tina Werle (outgoing founder & organizer) in an emotional moment

The competition floor in action

My lovely hand model, Amanda

The top 3 winners in the Gel French category : 1st-Latvia, 2nd-Hungary, 3rd-Germany

The top 3 winners in the Acrylic French category : 1st-Hungary, 2nd-Norway, 3rd-Russia

Great times, great company !

(L-R : Regine, me, SongSiEun & Trang Nguyen)

L-R : Amy Becker, me & Carla Collier

Berry Shum (green scarf) - Congrats! She was also in Top 10 in the acrylic category and the first Malaysian to represent her country in Dusseldorf.

These ONS Germany girls Rocks !

NailQueen Workshop - Season 2 (2011 ~ Gel Painting)

2011-03-14T21:04:00.004+08:00

NailQueen Workshop - Season II started with my very first class in presenting the latest technique in gel painting and we had the honour of having a guest artist, Trang Nguyen who is also the founder of Odyssey Nail Systems that made this class possible with the launch of the ONE gel.

These are 100% gel painting created by the attendees using the ONE gel

Everyone did an amazing job !

Gel Talk

2011-03-13T20:56:00.006+08:00

As a professional nail educator and enthusiast, I can say that I've worked with almost every type of gel there are in the nail industry. People have often asked me what are the difference and they just can't figure out all the craze about gel, soak off gels, hard gels, gel polishes etc etc...it's all getting a little confusing and finally, they figured out that as long as you stick their nails under the UV lamp, it's gel....(even some people get away with acrylic or polish and a gel top coat!) well, that's not "entirely" wrong either!

Traditional Gel
Also known as hard gel was introduced as the earliest form of light cured nail enhancement (artificial nail extensions) commonly available in clear, pink and white. It's UV-light cured and it is non-porous. The only way to remove is by filing off by a trained professional.
Traditional gel is still very important and useful if you want to wear nails long term as it is very strong, durable and doesn't yellow. You can wear the nails really long or short as this gel has a lot of strength. Infill is highly recommended. Traditional gel is still the way to go for designer nails, competition nails and it works wonders in the hand of a trained technician. Today it cures in both UV and LED lamps depending on brand.

Soak Off Gel
Also known as soft gel is more flexible and as it is porous, it can be broken down and removed by soaking off with acetone. Soaking off can take between 15-20 minutes depending on thickness and it is recommended for people who like to remove or change their nail enhancement often. Available in clear, pink, white and also assortment of colors in a pot that is applied with a brush, curing layer by layer. Colors can be custom mixed and they tend to be a tad thicker than regular polish and yet still look natural and shiny and stays on for 4-6 weeks. Soak off gels can be used for short extensions and not recommended for long extensions as they can be too flexible (again depending on the brand). Some brands recommend inserting silkwrap for strength. Infills are not highly recommended as soak off gels do tend to yellow over time because of its porous nature. Soak Off Gel or Soft Gels still requires the skill of the nail technician for a perfect and durable application, and they can give your nails a complete makeover, even for nail biters as it offers bonding, strength and shine. Cures in both UV and LED lamps depending on the brand(s).

New Generation Gel Polish
Also known as a hybrid brush on gel polish that applies like polish and wears like gel for up to 3 weeks and it comes in a polish bottle and can be cured in both UV and LED lamps. The 2 most important feature in this hybrid gel polish is that it incorporate different volatile solvents that allow them to soak off faster (up to 75% faster) than the current soak-off gels in potted jars, and the hybrids have other ingredients to lower the viscosity so that application is more similar to that of a polish that requires little to no prep. In other words, you can almost DIY at home. I don't know if this is good news for us nail professionals but it's definitely the biggest breakthrough since the advent of gel nails and it's taking the industry by storm. Every nail manufacturer in the nail industry is launching their own line of brush on gel polish and it will certainly be exciting to see how each formula stands out.
I found out from a reliable chemist that amongst 2 things that distinguishes the high quality gel polish from others is that :
1) The color stays true and does not separate or settle in the bottle and does not require shaking
2) It is Odour Free
I guess it would be accurate to say that when comparing prices between these hybrid polishes, these 2 features would be of key consideration with regard to quality.

New Generation Gel Paint
THIS is something really new and I'm loving it. It is the highest quality paint in the form of gel and can be cured both in UV or LED lamp. Think "The ONE" :)
I don't need to elaborate more, if you look at my earlier posts, you can see that a picture paints a thousand words !The ONE

Bringing A Touch of South-East Asia To Seoul

2011-03-13T18:31:00.000+08:00

Feeling right at home with the "elite" group of rising stars in the Korean nail industry. These girls have been specially selected from a top nail school in Korea to train with international educators from USA, Japan, Korea and Singapore and grooming them to be the future champions and educators.

I was thrilled to spend time with these amazing talents and sharing among others, a touch of South East Asian flavour into their designs

A Little Cuteness In Our Lives....

2011-03-13T17:03:00.001+08:00

Japanese "Kawaii" culture is known to the world where the distinctively Japanese breed of adorable and cute attributes is injected into all aspects of the consumer culture, and this includes nail art too. While I am not a fan of cute nail art, I do have a soft spot for Hello Kitty accessories and I think every girl do have a favourite cute character which they grew up with.

In November 1, 1974 Sanrio company introduced the first picture of Hello Kitty with a red bow in her left ear and blue overalls. In her own make-believe world, Hello Kitty wasn't even Japanese. She lives in the suburbs outside London with her father, George White, mother, Mary White, and twin sister, Mimmy White. Hello Kitty is a nickname for Kitty White and on her birth certificate states Kitty White.
Much issue has been made of Hello Kitty's mouth, or lack thereof. A handful of feminist scholars say her noncommunicative nature perpetuates the submissive female pre-teen type. While others attribute Hello Kitty's appeal to her blank stare -- onto which fans can project their own emotions.

According to Hello Kitty's official bio on Sanrio's website, "Kitty is a cheerful, warm-hearted little character baking cookies is her forte, but what she enjoys most is eating a slice of her Mama's apple pie!" We also learn that her favorite things include candy, stars, and goldfish, as well as the inevitable "small, cute things." Hello Kitty is in third grade. She weighs the same as three apples and stands five apples tall. Her blood type is A.

So anyway, Ros & I found this adorable Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongdae in Seoul, Korea recently and we checked it out !

The interior was pink and cosy

Lots of Hello Kitty deco everywhere

They even have an beeper to tell you that your order is ready for collection at the bar. The food and drinks were too cute to eat

The whole building was designed with total Kawaii-ness !

We had good fun exploring this place, a must visit for all Hello Kitty fans :)

NAILS April Cover : Behind The Scenes

2011-03-12T22:17:00.001+08:00

Viv Simmonds and myself working on hand model Tracee King at NAILS

It was a spring "Bird" theme

Viv working on left hand focusing on the colors of earth and plants. She made a fairy and a humming bird that I absolutely love, it was adorable !

I was working on the colors of the skies. I made colorful birds and texture of feathers

The end result was a complementary design of birds in the skies and on earth, assimilated into nature.

We usually start with an idea, and talk about colors and concept, but we never know how the end result would be until we finish working on the nails.Viv and I really love working together this way and the end result almost always turns out to be a pleasant surprise.

Gina was also at Nails doing another cover which will be out sometime soon. The 3 of us had such a blast together and she was our tour guide in L.A :) :) (that's another story....)

Vu the professional photographer expertly captures the essence of our designer nails....(thank you Vu!)

The awesome NAILS team behind the scenes

The end result !

Haute Couture

2011-02-12T22:39:00.001+08:00

Haute Couture literally means high fashion. It is a fancy expression for made-to-order clothing and only 14 brands in the world qualify. The brands that make couture have to invest in the best designers, materials and craftsmen, and precious few people can afford to buy the results. Why do they do it ? Because it's the highest example of fashion as art - a chance for designers to showcase their most imaginative creations, unburdened by ideas of what's practical, commercial and saleable. And when you see the clothes in real life,you will understand why. The designs are elaborate, the construction - flawless. The fabrics are visibly luxurious and expensive. The colours are rich, vivid and multi-toned. If you can produce couture, it means you're among the best.

To me, couture nails are the same. They are every nail artist's dream, to be able to create without any boundaries and unlimited posibilities using the best materials and technology available to us. Made-to-order nails for every occassion and express art in a miniature wearable form.

Fashion and beauty are inextricaby linked. Nail technicians should not just be limited and contented with caring for people's hands and feet but they should be able to play an active role in the world of fashion and explore their skill and talent beyond just a manicure, pedicure and a polish job !

New Colors, New Creation

2011-01-23T12:27:00.000+08:00

Sitting in front of more than 60 new color samples of acrylic color powders, my head starts spinning and adrenalin starts pumping. I feel like a little girl in a candy store ! It's finally narrowed down to 48 colors and now begins my journey of making a difference with the designs that I'm about the create with these new amazing colors which will now be part of the ONE new acrylic collection by Odyssey.

To make art wearable, encapsulated or embedded art is not only long lasting and stunning in appearance, it gives a "looking into glass" effect. I'm taking it one step further to introduce movement, layering and realism into my embedded art which is all created with brushwork in acrylic and still maintain a reasonable thin finish.

Moda En Unas (Mexico) Cover

2011-01-19T22:09:00.001+08:00

What fun it was to do a cover for ONS in Mexico for the nail magazine Moda En Unas in this issue. After a long show and classes, all of us got together to get the cover nails done for the photoshoot the following day.

Our beautiful hand model Eva Luz

Also stay tuned for the next hot sizzling cover with design by Viv Simmonds as we shared the hands of the same model.

Year Of The Rabbit 2011

2011-01-19T21:23:00.004+08:00

Year of the Rabbit, painted with The ONE Gel Paint

Year 2011 for me started off with an exciting trip to Seoul for the 5th Global Nail Cup. The weather was freezing and hovering between -5 to -16 degrees celcius and for the first time in all these years to Korea, I was caught in the middle of a heavy snowfall right in the heart of Seoul ! Our team took home 13 awards from the event including the Best Team Effort award. I had the privilege of showing the new gel painting (The ONE) in the super demo together with five other international nail artists from Korea (Nam Gung Soo & Lim Hee A), Australia (Viv Simmonds), Netherlands (Tamara Bhagoe) and Japan (Jurry Sato). My theme this year is the Rabbit all painted with gels and I hope you like the design :)

What's New in 2011

2011-01-03T21:14:00.001+08:00

Cheers to the New Year 2011! It's time to celebrate life and reflect on new resolutions.

I've been searching for inspirations during the holidays and feel anxious to get back to work again. This year, I will be releasing a series of nail design classes for miniature folk art painting available in both paint and gel medium. I am especially intrigued by Russian folk art styles and so I've incorporated a fusion between the eastern and western folk art styles to my designs. Strong and vivid colors are used with lots of layering to create depths and movements to make the designs look delicate and lively.

Beauty Asia Singapore 21-23 February, 2011

2010-12-24T21:37:00.001+08:00

Working on Magazine Covers with the Pros

2010-12-07T00:23:00.001+08:00

Had the pleasure of working with two very established magazines in the nail industry while in the US and looking forward to their 2011 issues. Kudos to these very dedicated and passionate people who have been supporting the nail industry with all the behind-the-scenes work and keeping the industry updated with the latest information/news and giving nailtechs the opportunity to express their art.

VIVCAT L.A with Guest Artist GINA Silvestro

2010-12-06T23:59:00.002+08:00

What a great bunch of nailtechs! VivCat had so much fun at the recent Los Angeles class at Beverly Hills. I have to say that L.A is a little over-rated for me, with all the traffic and fog/pollution, it's not my favourite city in the US, however the great people that came to our class and the people that we met & worked with at the magazines made up for the city's shortcomings. We managed to get lost while driving (using the tomtom navigation) and almost made it to Santa Barbara and back. The shopping experience was great though, I would go back just for Camarillo :):):)

Carolina won a set of nails by Viv,Cat & Gina

Completed extension before 3D work

Viv working her magic

Winner set of nails with 3D work

Going natural...I took off my long over the top nails and went for the "celebrity nail look" by Gina, short, classy and natural :)

We're missing Tonya in this photo! Check back later for an update ^^

Amazing Mexico

2010-11-28T00:06:00.000+08:00

Mexico has a special meaning for me this year as I met all my Mexican nail friends again and I was able to work alongside other international educators like Trang, Viv, Carmen, Max and YeoJung, I also saw a lot of good quality work coming out of the techs whom I met last year. They are very artistic and have a good grasp of color concepts. We did a cover for UNAS, the leading nail magazine in Mexico and the photographer did an amazing job. I'm looking forward to see it in print.

Mexico City - Watch this Space !

2010-10-08T09:34:00.001+08:00

For Mexico: please contact Gerry at email : gerardo@odysseynail.mx

NAILQUEEN Presents The ONE - 2 Days Of Spectacular Design Madness 2011!

2010-10-07T23:37:00.009+08:00

Register for this highly anticipated event of February 24 & 25, 2011 now !

Click for Early Bird Registration

100% Gel Painting Technique

Promising Artists

2010-10-02T23:07:00.002+08:00

Just finished teaching 3 days workshop with these promising nail artists working on 3D techniques, handpainting and creating a dragon out of acrylics. I was very impressed with the outcome of these first time dragons completed in less than 6 hours. Thank you girls for the wonderful time and the host for their hospitality. It's my hope to see them continue their passion and to see their work on the competition floor in the very near future.

An Affinity with Colored Acrylics

2010-10-01T23:23:00.003+08:00

Although gel is taking the nail world by storm, I think I will always have a soft spot for acrylics because it's such a vital part of nail artistry.

These are some of the designs I've been teaching in my 3D workshops and I love the challenge of cooking up new designs for every workshop so that all attendees can look forward to learning something different and exclusive to every class.

The NailQueen Workshop Series will end this season in October 2010. We are planning a big bash & 2 days of "special" workshop in February next year right after the Singapore Beauty Expo. Look out for our 2 days "NailQueen Presents The ONE" class on 24&25 February, 2011 to be held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Mark your calendar for the dates and we will announce the details soon. Subscribe to our newsletter by emailing ecsalonce@pacific.net.sg and indicate "subscribe NailQueen events" in the subject heading of your email.

NAILS Magazine is blogging about VivCat L.A Class

2010-09-27T21:51:00.000+08:00

NAILS Magazine USA

My Painted World...

2010-09-23T23:20:00.000+08:00

Painting is brought to another level when you can wear them ! With a brush in my hand, I feel I could almost paint the world any way I dream it.

What We're Wearing

2010-09-23T22:52:00.002+08:00

Florals are always a hot favourite, but my take on the trend this season would be a more realistic twist to the floral arrangement; designs are combined both embedded and embossed to emphasize depth and realism. The shape of the nails would be softer and less dramatic, although longer length is still the nailartist's choice to bring out the best in designer nails !

VivCat's NailOut !

2010-09-20T21:26:00.003+08:00

Nothing can be more fun than when two nailartists get together for a playday and a photoshoot !
If you're registered for the VIVCAT L.A class on 21 & 22 November, 2010 ~ you'll have this special VIVCAT Dragon&Phoenix Limited Edition Poster in print and...be sure to register early as it will be free for a limited number of early bird registrations only!
Register VIVCAT L.A Class here

Animal Rules!

2010-09-18T21:30:00.000+08:00

It's about time that Viv comes out of her foot injury ! It's been 5 months since the accident and finally made her way here to do an "Animal" themed class with me in Johor Bahru recently.
Check out the rest of the pictures in the ONS S.E.A Blog

3rd International Nail Art Competition in Hong Kong

2010-09-13T21:49:00.000+08:00

It was truly a joy judging another great competition where competitors and entries from the asian region (HK, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea) pitched their skills and present their masterpiece in this exciting yearly event. Our team took home 4 awards and I'm especially proud of our student group which did an amazing job in the flat nailart. For the record, I did not judge that category.

Showcase of Budding Talents from Ecsalonce & Our team members

2010-09-13T21:20:00.003+08:00

I'm very proud of these entries, a lot of love, effort and hard work have gone into these beautiful and unique pieces. For those that placed, a hearty congratulations, and I certainly hope to see many more work coming out of these talented nail artists ! Well done, girls !

Handpaint Galore

2010-08-30T16:43:00.000+08:00

Some amazing work came out of this workshop in just barely 5 hours of painting, many are beginners in advance painting, these techs can go really far given sufficient time to enhance and improve their work. I'm certain we'll be seeing more of their hand paint creation in time to come. Can't wait !

NailQueen Handpainting Workshop 2010 (Batu Pahat)

The Designer Nail - A New Wave in Nail Education

2010-08-20T23:11:00.002+08:00

The new generation of affluent nail techs do not only go high tech but nail professionals in this region are also well equipped with skills and talent to offer their clients the latest trend and styles in the nail world. They are passionate, creative, willing to invest in good education, high quality products and keep an open mind to learn and upgrade themselves on a regular basis.

Designer nails are making waves as techs are becoming more artistic. This added edge enables every individual to create a niche for themselves on top of offering regular nailcare services in their salons.

NailTechs Going Hi-Tech

2010-08-20T22:13:00.001+08:00

The new generation of nailtechs... these days, it has become quite a common sight at my academy with techs working on designs with their laptops ! I'm loving it :)

Advance Gel Design

2010-08-11T21:10:00.001+08:00

Gel is probably one of the most versatile medium for designing, especially if you need to create depth with the ease of painting. Working with different consistencies of gel could create textures as well as 3D effect.
These designs are made from 100% gel, there's absolutely no paint or acrylic used. I am pleasantly surprised that these effects could be achieved, one of the many experiments that I've been working on with traditional gel.

Marbling is probably one of the most common technique used with gel; what I wanted to achieve here is a more complex marbling and combination of colors and patterns, for this Exotic Butterflies design.

Gel is excellent for creating ripples and waves. Also in highlighting fluid movement and giving your design a "wet look". In this Tropical Stream design, I wanted to create a realism for the koi fish in the stream and turtle basking among the waves.

The Lionfish Mermaid design is one of my favourite. These gel colors are custom blended and I've used painting technique to create the mermaid using only gel and gel is such an excellent medium to create bubbles !

Bride2Be

2010-08-02T22:49:00.000+08:00

Created this set of nails specially for my sister-in-law on her wedding day.

Spending Some Creative Time with Aussie Talents

2010-08-02T22:32:00.000+08:00

My better half in the Nail World :)

amazing people!

The 1st Global Nail Awards, Melbourne - Australia

2010-08-02T22:22:00.001+08:00

A highly anticipated revival of the competition fever in Australia, we saw a great turnout for the 1st Global Nail Awards held in Melbourne organized by competition veteran and 4 times Australian National Champion, Viv Simmonds and supported by industry leading brands. We look forward to the 2nd Global Nail Awards - Gold Coast on April 3, 2011

We are also very excited that 6 out of 8 of our handpaint nailart entries took all top 3 places in both the student and the open division and for the record, I did not judge this category =)

Congratulations to all contestants for your effort in competing and to the winners, keep up the great work !

Another Fantastic Nail Awards

2010-08-02T22:06:00.001+08:00

Another exciting and challenging year for all competitors and judges at the Fantastic Nail Awards Malaysia held in Kuala Lumpur recently. Top competitors and judges from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam contributed towards nail excellence and also it was such an encouragement for our nail industry that better quality work and high level of skills have been demonstrated in this competition.

Wacky nails

2010-07-21T08:32:00.000+08:00

There are times when I get bored with all the designs, and what do you come up with ?....
Worn this set for 2 weeks, time to get them off and try something else ^^

Acrylic Designer Glass Nails

2010-07-18T21:18:00.001+08:00

Glass and crystal clear inspired nails

NailQueen Workshop Series SINGAPORE - July Schedule

2010-07-02T22:49:00.000+08:00

Venue : Ecsalonce International Nail Academy, 171B Goldhill Centre, Thomson Road, Singapore 307622
Time : 10am - 5pm

Thu 29 July - 3D Nail Art (Advance - 10 Designs)

Fri 30 July - Design Sculpture II (3 new shapes - Funnel, Bridge, Modified Pipe)

Please send email to ecsalonce@pacific.net.sg to obtain full details of the class

Registration closing date : 22 July, 2010
Class is limited to 15 persons on first registered first serve basis.

Happiness is.....

2010-07-02T22:36:00.001+08:00

Happiness is...when you know the technique is effective and when you've empowered someone to do amazing things!

Bridge Nails by Kelvin Liew

This is one of the very few guys and a really talented nailtech based in JB, Malaysia whom has faithfully attended my advance workshops. Grooming him is also a very amazing and dedicated teacher ~ Cyndy C.
His work never fails to amaze me :) keep up the great work !

The Chameleon ~ Bridge Nails

2010-06-27T18:09:00.002+08:00

A tribute to the Ukrainian nailtechs whom by introducing unconventional nail shapes such as the pipe, edge, bridge into the industry brought so much excitement into my research in nail artistry.

I've put a twist to it and perfected this look using ONS Chameleon Collection :)

sideview

Demo Nail Collections

2010-06-23T21:29:00.000+08:00

The Tiger Rules....

2010-06-23T21:08:00.003+08:00

This was a demo nail by me during the Design Fantasy workshop

Image courtesy of Angie Chong

These work were done by the talented nail artists from JB, Malaysia and here is a very cute shot of baby tiger (centre) created by Cyndy Chan.

Work in progress....

New Wave, New Shape

2010-06-23T00:43:00.002+08:00

Courtesy of NailQueen Workshop Series - Design Sculpture 2

NailQueen Workshop Series Empowers Malaysian Techs

2010-06-23T00:39:00.003+08:00

NailQueen Workshop Series is an advance DESIGN programme specifically customized to meet the demands for up-to-date fashionable nail techniques which bring you a step ahead of the rest. You will be able to bring your skill to the next level in the shortest time.

This is a 6-part workshop in 3D, Handpainting, Mixed Media, Design Sculpture 1, Design Sculpture 2 and Design Fantasy. Workshops are held locally in Singapore at Ecsalonce and conducted by other Organizers throughout the year in different countries and new schedule will be announced in my blog and facebook soon !

Be prepared to open your mind and let loose with ideas, concepts, new shapes and master each technique within a day. Attendees will be able to achieve each look, design and structure of the nails in the most efficient manner. Each class is a one day hands-on intensive workshop limited to 15 participants.

It is advisable that all attendees must have prior training in nail enhancements and have completed a professional nail course before joining this programme.

So proud of these work by the professional nailtechs in Malaysia recently in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru :

Roaring 20's Fantasy Nail Art

2010-06-16T01:52:00.001+08:00

Fantasy Veteran 1st Place - Premiere Orlando

Had so much fun with this set of fantasy creation, didn't think I could make the entry with all the travelling in between, but it's definitely an exciting theme to work on. The formation of my design was based on the art deco inspired Roaring 20's theme

Amazing Taiwan

2010-06-14T22:20:00.002+08:00

Education is never enough, what an amazing class as always...

I love this girl, she's not only multi-talented, but she actually wears these awesome nails and work with them !

The night market in Taiwan is famous for its food trail.....oh yes, these Taiwan sausages is a worthy competitor against the Bratwurst :):):)

these ice-cream are like cotton candy that melts in your mouth and the fried stuff are equally yummy...

there cute little puppies were for sale at the night market....I was so tempted to buy one !

This was the most memorable Mixed Media entry from the competition by a taiwanese ONS educator (YiWen) which came in a well deserved first place win. Simply stunning and high quality work!

Competition organized annually by Taiwan Nail Association (TNA)

Check out the trophies ! We had fun giving them away :)

Design Sculptured Nails Spring 2010

2010-06-14T21:14:00.001+08:00

This entry placed 1st in veteran for Design Sculptured (Flowers Theme) at the IBS Las Vegas, at the last minute I hooked up with my hand model who happens to be a nail student finishing her natural nailcare training. I was told recently by her teacher that this experience motivated her to pursue further to study nail enhancement. I'm so glad for her !

These were demo nails done at the booth in April and she later had them filled and shorten

and just had it removed when I saw her recently in June !

HotRods entry for Mixed Media placed veteran 3rd Place. I'm so sad that I lost one of my favourite tip with the beer glass because the liquid inside the glass moves...I'll just have to make one more, but it will never be the same :(

What does Hershey and Nails have in common ?

2010-06-13T22:41:00.001+08:00

.....they took my breath away! The world of Hershey chocolates is huge that they have a town named after it, a convention centre, theme park, hotel, school, factory and even Hershey chocolate martini! In the bedrooms, Hershey's kisses welcomes each guest and also served as after dinner sweets. It's also here at the Hershey convention centre in Pennsylvania that 2500 cosmetology students gathered for a great event of shows, competition and classes. I admire these upcoming talents and their dedicated educators and feel greatly honored to spend a few days with such wonderful people. If you're in the US, and you want to have the best education for cosmetology, check out the Empire Group of beauty schools.

Another memorable part of the event was being able to see the amazing hair maestro Nick Arojo in action! He made me wanna do hair! LOL...that's the power of inspiration...

Class attendance for Trang Nguyen and Catherine Wong

Trang sharing a joke with the attendees

Entrance of Hershey Hotel

some of the nail art entries from the cosmetology students

Feel the energy of the students !

Nailist to Celebrities

2010-06-13T22:06:00.001+08:00

I'm just so proud of my girlfriend, who's not only an awesome educator, beautiful inside out and she's nailist to these celebrities...just to name a few.... lol... you're okay G..!

Pictures of Celebrities from Google

Order of Nail It & NailQ Step by Step Instructions

2010-05-01T13:03:00.000+08:00

Orders from USA, Mexico and Canada, just to give you a heads up that both books are available to order in USA at Gel Essentialz

Viva Las Vegas

2010-04-29T18:12:00.001+08:00

L-R: Design Sculptured Nails by Kirsty Meakin, (Me) and Max Estrada

Donna, Max, Anya, Anna, Shawn, Amy, Kirsty, Me & Sally

Hangin out after the expo at Downtown LV....Kirsty Meakin with her idol MJ & Elvis

Nailpro Comp at IBS Las Vegas with International judges from USA, Japan & Korea

Took 2 awards ~ 1st & 3rd Place, couldn't ask for more!

Nails brought us all together

High Road To Education (HRTE) Melbourne

2010-04-29T14:29:00.000+08:00

Tammy Warner (founder of HRTE) making the intro

Christine Maher introducing Natural Nailcare & Spa system

Viv Simmonds showing us how to make a fantasy design

Upclose with Gina Silvestro working her magic with Gel French and Design

Chelsea showing the reverse technique, blings and colordrops

Catherine Wong combining gel and acrylic in design sculpture and 3D

Thank you HRTE Melbourne....you guys Rock!

Melbourne Expo with VividNails

2010-04-29T13:46:00.000+08:00

I did a set of "sampler nails" on Viv for the expo out of gels and acrylic combination

Olga posing at the booth, an amazing talent herself!

Olga's stunning nails

Vivid's staff & educators at the expo

New Design ~ Colors of Spring

2010-04-11T22:13:00.001+08:00

Food trail in Germany and the Netherlands

2010-04-05T21:57:00.001+08:00

We managed to squeeze some food time into our tight schedule and it was awesome to savour the delectable palletes of cheeses, frankfurters, chocolates, etc

This is a typical German dish with sour cabbage (sauerkraut)

served with apple sauce (below)

the good ol' german sausages (bratwurst) in all its glory

chocolatier & sweets

absolutely no room for diet!

it's okay to feast the eyes, but not the tummy...

a typical sight for nail people...lol...have a quick bite while soaking off your nails...

this snack is fantabulous! it's Surinamese food called Telo ~ I could live on this!

Netherlands is geweldig!

2010-04-03T22:32:00.001+08:00

Spent a day with these awesome nail artists in ONS Europe HQ in Enschede, Netherlands.

Check out the chocolate stores just in time for Easter

Lots of bicycles in Amsterdam, what a great way to keep fit and minimize pollution

Beautiful sceneries and caught a glimpse of the windmills along the journey

Stunning Nails from Europe

2010-04-03T18:58:00.002+08:00

These nails were absolutely stunning in person and pictures do not do them justice at all. They were so awesome when I took the pictures that I regret not getting the names of the nail artists.The white one and the black lilac were from Hungary and the one with the turtle was from Germany (she made the ring too!) Kudos to all of them, a beautiful job well done!

26 Countries took the stage at the world championship at International Beauty Dusseldorf 2010

2010-04-03T18:28:00.002+08:00

It was an eye-opener and a great learning experience to compete amongst the best competitors in the world. Having been exposed to french nails from the USA, Japan and Korea, looking at french nails from other parts of the world such as Russia, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Czech, Ukraine, amongst all 26 countries in both the gel and acrylic categories just took my breath away. This experience have certainly helped me improve and greatly inspire me to the next level.

Trang Nguyen and his winning nails

A time to celebrate !

Masahiro Matsura, Catherine, Liu Hsiao Yi

Amy Becker of USA

Nam Gung Soo of South Korea

Me at work on Vanessa

Gorgeous girls...Kirsty's model - Sardha and my model - Vanessa

Kirsty Meakin working her magic

Aritou of Japan

Hanna of Finland

Favourite Product of the Month

2010-03-16T16:37:00.000+08:00

Looooove this nailbed coverage pink from ONS - Duvet Pink acrylic powder. Took just 30 minutes from start to end sculpting using Duvet Pink, file and one coat of UV gel top, cure 2mins to get this natural finish. Definitely a lifesaver for quick fixes!

Thinking Out of the Box with Mixed Media

2010-03-15T20:59:00.000+08:00

Global Cup Div 1 - 1st Place (Tattoos Of the East & West)

Mixed Media is one of the most creative category in a nail competition where an artist can tell a story with the different mediums used to maximize visual expressions that should draw a spectator's attention over and over again. We are so proud of the excellent artistry presented by Stephy and Mei Fang on their first attempt in this global competition, may you have many more success to come!

Global Cup Div 1 - 2nd Place (Mermaid Dreaming of Humanity)

NailQueen Design Sculpture Class

2010-03-08T13:45:00.005+08:00

The nail techs of Singapore, Malaysia & Japan came together for 2 days design throwdown with me, their talent exceeded expectations, thank you girls, hope you had as much fun as I did. Keep up the great work!

Some of the Demo Nails

Awesome nails done by the Attendees, you have successfully made the design your own ~

Interview@Inspirationail

2010-03-02T06:43:00.002+08:00

Thank you Tam, I had fun with the interview and awesome post.
I'd like to share this informative website
INSPIRATIONAIL UK

Information on Fantastic Nail Awards - 4th International Nail Art Competition in KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

2010-02-25T09:08:00.003+08:00

Competition date :14 July, 2010
Registration Form & Competition Rules

Why is a Brand Name important for Nail Enhancement Products

2010-02-15T18:42:00.005+08:00

Nail enhancements refer to artificial nails or nail extensions.

Branding in terms of a professional nail product by no means that it is luxurious or high end, but to be assured that it is widely used, trusted and provides product and education support. Information on material safety data sheet (MSDS) should also be available on demand from the manufacturer.

A brand name is Important; resorting to cheaper, unknown nail products with absolutely no knowledge about the contents or origin is irresponsible. Shops and nail course providers that resort to making a quick buck are not new in our industry, it is our responsibility to research and be well informed of any doubts that you may have in using products that may harm you or your customers in the long run.

Professional nail enhancement products are not plucked out of thin air, they have been through years of research and development and usually tried and tested by nail professionals. Products are developed based on the needs of technicians; a good product company will normally educate specific set of skills and techniques together with their product once it is launched. Branding is very important to a nail technician for three main reasons. 1) the products are supported by an education program on the correct usage and to maximize its potential and it becomes more credible if there are proven track record of use in many international markets 2) when students learn using a known product, it is easier for them to follow up and continue getting supplies and product support effectively after they have graduated and not resorting to waste time searching for a substitute 3) Using quality and proven nail systems guarantees your work and ensures your customers’ and your own safety.

As a training provider, I can vouch that all good educators will come from some background of training by global product companies with strong education support and often these education support also have a history of involvement in professional nail competitions or product development.

We are in a skill-based profession, and good skills are not only developed through working experience but it is also polished through science of precision and consistency by working with reliable products developed for the exact purpose.

NAIL QUEEN DESIGN SCULPTURE CLASS SINGAPORE

2010-02-15T16:39:00.003+08:00

Thank you all, it was a great spending time with you, see you again soon !

Year of the Tiger Nail

2010-02-15T16:24:00.004+08:00

Sculpted 100% out of acrylic on my thumb, this Tiger nail is absolutely a wearable piece of art, for the fun of it~ this lunar new year :o)

Happy Lunar New Year ! 新年快乐!

2010-02-13T00:20:00.000+08:00

Happy Lunar New Year to all celebrants and my dearest friends and family.
May you have a prosperous, healthy and auspicious year of the Tiger

Launch of NAILQ Signature Step By Step ~ NEW !!

2010-02-08T08:27:00.003+08:00

Order information at NAILQUEENBLINGBOX