Amy Becker has been competing for all but two of the 16 years she has been a nail tech. She’s a countless winner at competition and graced the NAILS Top 25 list every year from 1994 to 2004. In 2003, she was named NAILS Nail Tech of the Year at the Artist and Visionaries Award. One of her prizes was a trip to come to Los Angeles to do the cover of NAILS. It took almost two years to get this busy tech out here, but we finally did it.

Amy, who co-owns Masterworks salon in Meqoun, Wis., with her mother, Georgianne Dickau, says that winning Nail Technician of the Year reaffirmed her belief that there is always something to learn and different ways to grow. “I shared in my application, how I repeatedly tried new things and started over time and again,” says Becker.

“I applied for Nail Technician of the Year for the same reasons I compete. Only this time is wasn’t to have my nails critiqued. I wanted a more personal critiquing. How well was I doing with the gift God gave me? I can strive for being successful. I truly believe what I teach my children: No matter what outcome, the most important thing is that you try.

“The experience also made me aware of how spectacular the top nail stylists in this industry are,” continues Amy.

Amy began by applying a non-leveling pink gel on the nail bed, she used a custom C-curve device she has been tinkering with (I saw it; it’s top secret, but really cool). Next she sculpted the tips using two to three coats of white gel over clear forms. After curing, she shaped nails, applied a sealant, and cured one last time. She then attached the cameo that she sculpted with white acrylic (again, a top secret technique that you should look for in the future).

Ultimately what does Amy love most about her Job? “Being able to use an artistic gift that helps people feel better about themselves is what I enjoy most about being nail stylist.”