If you're a talented nail tech who'd love to be recognised for your skills, the Nail Competitions at Professional Beauty North is the perfect opportunity for you.
REGISTER NOWThe 2025 Competitions are for Nail professionals and students who want to compete and show off their skills while rewarding entrants with valuable networking and learning opportunities. Judged by industry professionals, let your skills be seen by the best. An awards ceremony and certification handout will take place after the judging to award excellence of skills displayed.
Would you like to compete?
Student - any person that is currently enrolled in their first course or education pathway to become a qualified nail professional or who has qualified as a nail professional within the last 24 months. (Evidence may be required at point of initial registration to compete and may be requested at the registration desk on competition day – (digital evidence on phone is satisfactory). You will be judged at student level
Professional – any nail technician whether a professional or an educator that has been qualified for more than 1 year
As well as naming winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) in each category, the competition will reward the nail tech with the overall highest score, giving points accumulated for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placements, over two days of competition including any InstaNail and catwalk showcase entries.
This means that the more competitions you are placed in, the better chance you have to be named overall winner.
Note: There has to be a more than 3 competitors in each category to be considered for a championship.
Competitor Level: Open Competition Purpose: Is to create 10 salon style nails using Structure / Builder in a bottle gel. This competition is completed on natural nails only The model is to arrive with manicured nails, prepare the nails prior. Nails should be ready for Structure / Builder in a bottle gel system/product. No design element is required. The end result to be a flawless set of nails. No manicure procedure is necessary during this competition. Both hands in 1hr 15mins - Your choice as to which hand is french and which hand is natural 1 hand french – using structure/ builder in a bottle application techniques. You can create your French using gel polish over the structure gel. 1 hand full cover traditional pink/nude – using structure/ builder in a bottle application techniques No glitters/shimmers to be used in this competition Sculpt or tip and overlay can be used to create a longer length if required Nails can be any shape but all must be the same shape and length on both hands, the judges are looking for consistency No White tips to be used
09:00 28th September, 2025 Book Now
Competitor Levels: Open Competition Purpose: for the times when a client arrives with a design, they want you to reproduce. Show an ability to replicate the demonstrated design plus show your creativity in using the technique but adding your own ‘twist’. Watch Demo – 30 mins Planning time 3 ‘tips on sticks’ in 60 minutes (tips will be provided) This Category will involve: Watching a demonstration on the Live Nail Stage that may involve a variety of products and techniques Making notes Planning your own ‘twist’ 1 tip to replicate the demonstrated design 2 tips to create your own design with a twist using the ‘new skill’ You will be sent a list of products required for the replicate a week prior to competition. You can use products from the list or matching products from another brand. You will need to bring: A basic gel polish kit comprising of a selection of colours, base and topcoat to use in your design and you UV/LED lamp. Liquid and powder products Embellishments A selection of art tools such as brushes, stampers, dotters etc. Ensure your UV Gel Polish and topcoat is suitable for foils, glitters, pigments etc.
10:30 28th September, 2025 Book Now
Competitor Levels: Open Competition Purpose: 75 mins includes time to read the brief. (3 tips will be supplied): You will be expected to create 3 nail designs and you will be given the brief prior to the competition start time. You will need to bring all nail art products and tools that you would normally have in your kit to create designs. To help you with choosing your products the theme will be based on a scenario that will be announced prior to the competition. You will need to bring: A basic gel polish kit comprising of a selection of colours, base and topcoat to use in your design and you UV/LED lamp. Liquid and powder products Embellishments A selection of art tools such as brushes, stampers, dotters etc. Ensure your UV Gel Polish and topcoat is suitable for foils, glitters, pigments etc.
13:00 28th September, 2025 Book Now
Manicure (45 mins) Competitor Levels: Student/Nail Professional Purpose: focus on perfect and safe preparation of the cuticle and surrounding skin and immaculate painting using UV Gel or traditional nail polish. A ‘before’ picture will be taken by the lead judge on a smart phone. 2 hands in 45 minutes A judge will take a ‘before’ picture on a smart phone Cuticle work to be carried out during the competition Exfoliation and hand treatment required Hand massage to be completed 1 hand painted in a traditional ‘French’ (clear or milky pink or beige, not opaque to be used for the nailbed and a solid white tip) traditional nail polish 1 hand painted in a crème dark colour traditional nail polish Using only traditional nail polish. Top coats are allowed Cuticle oil allowed to be used but not excessively
09:00 29th September, 2025 Book Now
THEME-HORROR Student/Nail Professional Nails to be designed on 5 varying sized nail tips and placed together however there can be a gap between each nail. Art on the nails must not exceed 1 inch / 2.5cm in height from the surface of the nail. Any embellishment to the actual tips, whether attached to the tip or not, will count and must not extend further from the nail surface or points will be deducted. Please ensure your entry is no bigger than an A4 piece of paper. This will be measured and may incur a point penalty. If your box is decorated, please be aware this will not be scored. Entry must be accompanied by a step by step in English of the work involved including types of nail art media and techniques used. Points will be deducted if no description is provided. CLARITY OF THEME. The design should be apparent & identifiable, and the design must represent the theme. The tips must be individual tips and not have product on them to create a flat canvas. Judges must be able to see the curvature of a tip. LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY & SKILL: The complexity of the design is evaluated on its degree of expertise & skill. How complex is the design. Does design flow across the 10 tips. FINISH: Are there any irregularities in the finish? Is the application even? Is the finish appropriate to the design of the theme? MEDIA: There must be a minimum of 3 types of art used/products/techniques used – and they should be incorporated into the design cohesively. An element of 3d must be incorporated into the design. CONTINUITY OF THEME: How well is the theme carried through on all 10 nail tips? Does the theme appear to flow from nail to nail? Does the design match the theme that has been given on the written description? ORIGINALITY: The overall look must be an original interpretation of them & serving an impact with its delivery. Is design original and innovative. The work must be created on tips, no model is required in this category. All media used must be used in an artistic way. It is the competitor’s responsibility to clarify anything questionable prior to the event and the judges’ decisions are accepted as final. All entries must be new to PBH competition and can only be entered one time. No repeat entries from prior years allowed. The work mixed media boxed art must not have been published, on social media or entered any other competition beforehand. A maximum of two entries per competitor is allowed. Please hand in your entry at the show. Deadline is 10am on the Monday of the show. All work must be collected on the show as unfortunately we cannot post out any left behind. Read the score sheets available in files section of “Pro Beauty Competition Group” on Facebook. Check out the point distribution and see where you will gain the most points and the least. This will help your timing and focus on the best areas.
09:00 29th September, 2025 Book Now
Entry deadline: Thursday the 18th of September 2025 @ 5pm Online Public Vote Opens: Thursday the 25th of September 2025 THEME-HORROR Competition Level: Student/Nail Professional Purpose: To create a photo you would be proud to showcase your skills and business. This image should showcase your skills, and your creativity. There will be two awards for this competition. Image must be of a high resolution for printing purposes (300dpi). You must provide a short video reel of you creating the design or image step by step of your entry (this will not be scored, this is for proof of authenticity) Images can be used on social media after you have submitted your entry. Professional competition judging team will score all images based on set judging criteria and scores. 1st, 2nd ,3rd placings will be awarded on a student and professional level. Online PUBLIC vote where the photo that’s most popular will win the Voters’ Choice Award. All entries MUST be submitted digitally to pbcompetitions@thepbgroup.com before the agreed deadline, please ensure your full name is on your email. No entries received after the deadline will be judged and no entries will be accepted at the competition. You may enter a maximum 3 entries into this category; however, they must be different work and cannot be the same nails in a different pose. Only 1 of your highest scoring entry can place in the top 3. The same nail work may be used in the Mixed Media Boxed Art Comp
10:00 29th September, 2025 Book Now
UV Gel Polish (45mins) Competitor Levels: Student/Nail Professional Purpose: To demonstrate accurate and safe application of UV gel polish to one hand using French and dark colour. This competition is completed on natural nails only (Nails will be checked prior to competition start) The model is to arrive with manicured nails, prepare the nails prior. Nails should be ready for gel polish and coated with any type of Gel polish/Soak off system/product in a bottle. No design element is required. The end result to be a flawless set of nails. No manicure procedure is necessary during this competition. 1 hand in 45 minutes Cuticle area to be tidy Consistent nail shape/length 3 nails finished in a traditional ‘French’ (clear or milky pink or beige on the nail bed and a solid white tip) with gel polish not paint. 2 nails (Thumb & Pinkie) to be painted in any dark crème colour with gel polish not paint. Cuticle oil allowed to be used but not excessively Acrylic paint, colour gel, painting gel or gel polish in a jar /tube, sculpting gel or hybrid/polygel/acrylgel is not allowed.
10:30 29th September, 2025 Book Now
Salon Nail (60 mins) Competitor Levels: Student/Nail Professional Purpose: Create the perfect salon nail in a system of your choice (Liquid & Powder or UV Cured Product) with either tip & overlay or sculpt. One Hand Polish Thumb & Little Finger Crème Dark UV Gel or regular Polish. This is a salon nail NOT pink and white. 1 hand in 1hr Tip & Overlay or Sculpt YOUR CHOICE Liquid & Powder OR UV Cured Gel Products YOUR CHOICE Free Edge Shape: YOUR CHOICE 3 nails finished to a high shine YOUR CHOICE OF FINISH 2 nails (Thumb & Pinkie) to be polished in a crème dark colour with gel or regular nail polish. No nail adhesive to be used if sculpting. (Adhesives will be confiscated from any Competitor choosing to sculpt) Dip powders BIAB or “gel on” extensions are not allowed Cuticle oil allowed to be used but not excessively
11:45 29th September, 2025 Book Now
