The Nail Nation Fashion Nail Expo & Competition took place March 26-27 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This new global competition, organized and cofounded by Sammi “Sparkles” Newell, was created so competitors could have a place to grow and expand their boundaries. Live competition categories included Fantasy Sculpture & Costume, Gel-Polish, Pink & White Sculpture, Mixed-Media Boxed Nail Art, Soak Off Gel-Polish, and Blinged Out.

A photographic contest, sponsored by NAILS, had the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party as its theme. The first place winner was Kinga Micaci of Angel Nails by Kinga in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, who also claimed the title Best Gel Tech at the Nail Nation Industry Awards Ceremony. “These competitors really blew me away with their creativity and exceeded my expectations, especially given it was a first-time attempt for some of them,” says Newell.

Nail Nation will expand across Canada next year, hosting shows in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. It will also be adding three competition categories that are new to North America, including Runway Style Nails.

The theme for the next photographic competition — which will be held at the Vancouver show September 3-4 — is Vampires in Literature (Bite Me!). 

For more information, go to www.nailnationexpo.com.