Nail Safari returns for another wild week of learning
Last week, 21- 25 November 2022, the Nail Safari Paw & Claw event returned to Shepreth Wildlife Park in Cambridge.
The annual five-day intensive educational event is solely focused on nails and was hosted by session nail pioneer Marian Newman BEM, FNP founder Jennie Nippard and Scratch Magazine founder Alex Fox.
The event featured world-class educators showcasing a wide array of nail learning experiences with a healthy dose of animal adventure, fun challenges and networking.
Educators for 2022 included an international multi-award-winning line-up: Olena Oezman, Hazel Dixon, Andreea Simona Ignat, Mino Vo, Rebecca Isaac, Kirsty Meakin, Jennie Nippard, Barbara and Krisztina Ujvári & Marian Newman BEM.
Partners included FNP, CND, Gelish, Bio Sculpture and Morgan Taylor.
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A week of nail education might seem a bit out of place at a zoo, but as Fox explains, it has served as the perfect location for a joyful and secluded space for learning.
"Nail Safari was an idea born at my 50th birthday party in 2018 between Marian Newman, Hazel Dixon, Jennie Nippard, Wendy Old and Kay Dodd. I entered the conversation in time to say, 'Let's hold it on my family's zoo near Cambridge', and the rest is history," Fox tells Professional Beauty.
"We wanted to create and bring an original, fun and very different type of learning experience to the nail industry. We wanted to build a community where kindness is king while providing a great lineup of education. We appear to have achieved both in the three events we've hosted. It's completely unique to the nail industry and serves as a wonderful setting for learning."
Nail techs of all experience levels came from all over the world to attend the Nail Safari - from The Netherlands to Australia - to expand their skills and learn from industry icons.
“I loved the fact that you could learn so much in one place with different educators that I probably would not have had the chance to meet in Holland,” attendee Shelley Laxminarayan from Holland tells Professional Beauty.
"I loved that we all supported each other. We all shared products, brushes and experiences and helped each other. Being a nail tech can be lonely because many of us have a home salon with no colleagues. At Nail Safari, we are all like-minded people… it was well worth the trip."
Techniques 'Nail Rangers' got to learn ranged from detailed character art from Dixon to extreme Avant-Guarde shapes from Vo.
After 5 days of intensive learning, creating and making new connections, on the last day of the event students got to take part in a treasure hunt around the wildlife park followed by a fashion show to show off all of their hard work.
To finish up a great week an awards ceremony was judged by the one and only Marianne Newman including categories such as ‘most improved’ and ‘team player.’
"At the end of the five-day event, the Nail Rangers have new skills, polished up their existing skills, made many friends, laughed, cried, shared and made amazing nails," continues Fox.
"For the team leaders (organisers) we get to be around nailists, we also laugh, cry and learn and immerse ourselves in the experience and end up leaving just as sad that it's over, as the Rangers do. It really is a magical education event where everyone learns at their own pace, in their own style and gets the space to grow. It's a kind space, and right now this industry needs as many kind spaces as it can find."
*Pictured: Alex Fox, Barbara and Krisztina Ujvári