Judges From Around the World that Support Nailympia Competitions

1 Nailympia Judge

Rebecca Orme

United Kingdom

Area of judging expertise: Session Work, acrylic design and Competition pink and whites

Years as a judge: 12

Number of Nailympia events judged: 1

Nailympia events judged: Online

Are you an educator?: Yes

Industry accolades: I am an international master artist educator, celebrity nail tech & session manicurists. I've been in the industry 24 years, teaching for 14. I not only teach private accredited courses, but am a qualified assessor & I run NVQ courses too. I have taught & worked globally, from my own brand's distributor in Slovenia, supporting education & distribution in South Africa & Las Vegas, to teaching spa staff for eight-days on a private island in the Maldives. I've been on set with Kate Moss, Naomi Cambell, Burna Boy, Joanna Lumley, Richard E Grant, pedicured supermodel Bella Hadid's toes & been to Emily Sande's house a few times to tend to her fingers and toes. I've been involved in campaigns for big brands such as Sally Hanson, Samsung, Range Rover, H&M, Ugg, Loewe & M&S to name a few. Each year I do nails for London & Paris Fashion Weeks. I won the first nail competition I entered, i've judged Scratch Stars and UK Skills as well as winning a Scratch Stars award for my company.

Favourite nail brands: Mystic Nails & Be Creative (founded by myself), Essie polishes.

Industry figures you admire: Antony Buckley has always been a mentor that I look up to, his nails & skills are phenomenal.

Career biography: I started my nail career at 21, attending a hard gel nail course that I eventually realised didn't give me a nail qualification. After booking another beginners course, this time in L&P, I realised I was given misinformation about nail products on my first course & was advised to prepare to get dermatitis if i chose to become a nail tech. After that, I made it my mission to learn everything I could about nails. I became a sub-distributor of EzFlow Nail systems in 2008 & a few months later became an educator too. The following year I scored higher & reached Master Artist level & the year after that I became the youngest International Master Artist Educator. I founded a company with Sam Biddle to bring niche nail products & tools to the nail industry, then seven years ago I found Mystic Nails (a Hungarian brand) & became its exclusive distributor in the UK. I continue to expand the Be Creative brand with overseas distributors, I teach nails & do session work for big brands.

Personal biography: I have recently found a hobby in gardening! Not a great one for the nails, but I'm wearing gloves, I promise! This year I've grown radishes, tomatoes, potatoes, lots of herbs & one lonely cucumber, which my little boy told me was delicious. It's a great pastime we are enjoying together. My son is now five years old. I gave birth during the first few months of lockdown, which was no fun, especially as it was decided I needed an emergency c-section, but all was well with the birth & we enjoyed a good few months as a new family at home alongside the rest of the world.

Why you believe in nail competitions?: Nail competitions are amazing for honing your skills. It makes you look at the detail, aiming for perfection, interpreting themes & pushing your own personal boundaries. I heard comments about fantasy nail comps asking why do it? You can't wear those nails! But look at the skill involved in creating them? Knowing your product so well, you can make it do anything! It's a fantastic way to show not only your skills but also your creativity & clients love to brag about their award-winning nail tech! Even if you don't place in your first, second or third competition, you learn so much more each time. Gaining feedback on where you can improve, means you have valuable knowledge of what to work on to improve your application, which filters down into your salon nails. Clients see the difference when a tech starts competing, the whole experience is invaluable.

Advice to competitors: Always read the rules carefully & if in doubt, ask a judge before the competition begins. Once, I entered a competition without having a model lined up. Thankfully, a friend exhibiting at the show kindly offered one of her staff to step in. As we were heading to the arena, I noticed her thumbnail was badly damaged - broken in the middle & growing out after being shut in a car door months earlier. I had to think quickly. My plan was to polish the opposite hand red to disguise the damaged nail, knowing I’d lose points in a pink & white competition, but it felt like the only option. When a floor judge came by, I explained the situation & asked how many points I’d lose. She suggested using a cover pink. I asked, “Am I allowed?” She replied, “It doesn’t say you can’t.” Fifteen minutes later, the competition began & I went on to win 3rd place. Top tip: Always bring two bottles of nail adhesive in case one of the lids gets stuck!

Nail work

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