Magazine for the professional nail industry.
Issue link: http://nailsmag.epubxp.com/i/271273
58 | NAILS MAGAZINE | APRIL 2014 When we brought the Top 3 finalists from NAILS Next Top Nail Artist (NTNA) to Long Beach, they knew they'd have a busy weekend in store. In addition to a full-day cover shoot, Buddy Sims, Lauren Wireman, and Ryoko Garcia battled it out until the very end. On Sunday, January 26, the Top 3 competed in a live Valentine's Day "quickfire" challenge at the NAILS booth on the ISSE Long Beach show floor. They were given three hours to create five individual nail tips using a mystery box of products that included an assortment of Gelish gel-polish colors and miscellaneous craft store items. Show attendees, sponsors, other finalists, the NAILS team, and even a camera crew waited with bated breath as the finalists crafted their nails. box of products aft store items. The Top 3 were presented with a mystery box that contained a selection of Gelish colors and fun craft store items. The contestants had to use at least 10 dif erent products from the box across fi ve nails. Some of the other Top 12 NTNA fi nalists traveled across the country to attend ISSE and meet their fellow competitors. Here they are with NAILS editor and head NTNA judge Hannah Lee. Clockwise from left: Top 4 fi nalist Julie Ventura, Top 10 fi nalist Temeka Jackson, and Top 11 fi nalist Victoria Zegarelli. Buddy Sims contemplated how he would incorporate all of the products from the mystery box into his nail designs. The entire Martone family came out to support NTNA top six fi nalist, Lexi Martone (second from left). Nails by Lauren Wireman NTNA contenders Ryoko Garcia and Lauren Wireman compared notes while working on their Valentine's Day "quickfi re" challenge sponsored by Gelish at the NAILS booth. Nails by Buddy Sims ISSE Long Beach was the site where our Top 3 NAILS Next Top Nail Artist competitors fi nally met in person to compete for the title. Here they are in the NAILS booth. From left to right: Ryoko Garcia, Lauren Wireman, and Buddy Sims. NAILS Next Top Nail Artist: The Final Road to the Title S H O W coverage ISSE LONG BEACH } { nails f le Nails by Ryoko Garcia Valentine's Day "Quickf re" Challenge >>> n a 0 4 1 4 s h o w . i n d d 5 8 na0414show.indd 58 2 / 2 4 / 1 4 3 : 5 3 P M 2/24/14 3:53 PM