Paulina Pastuszak shines both in the competition arena and in the classroom. She’s been crowned the Munich World Champion in Nail Art and a seven-time finalist in the Polish Championships. As the former owner and instructor at a Cracow, Poland, branch of ABC Nailstore International, Pastuszak shared her knowledge with students, guaranteeing that training was conducted at the highest level. She now works as a representative of Indigo Nails Lab, which provides materials for a range of nail art from acrylics to gels to one-stroke designs and mixed media. She’s done demos at the Beauty Forum and Les Nouvelles Esthetique & Spa trade shows. See more of her work at www.studiokreacji.pl.

You’ve won a lot of nail competitions. What is it about your nail art that makes you a competition favorite?
This is a difficult question, but since I’m also a competition judge, I think I can answer it objectively.  Creativity is important — an unusual approach to the subject is key. But the priority is a good mastery of technique. You can’t win a championship if you’re not sure of your skills and products. Preparation is also important. While I like to improvise, I draw a pattern, preparing the materials and testing how long it takes me to do the styling ahead of time. Finally, don’t forget about the model. She (or he) should be patient, disciplined, and committed. My best model was my husband.

Do you work in a salon too?
You can’t be a good coach if you don’t practice the profession. My salon is called “Fanaberia” (translated to English as a fad or whim) and I do services for hands and feet, plus eyelash extensions. Cracow is a great location because students from all over the world, after training, visit the unique town with pleasure.

What are some of the popular nail styles and trends in Poland?
Fortunately, in Indigo Nails Lab we offer pink-and-whites created in different ways. For example, we can use white gel under the builder gel and can choose from five varieties of white and 11 varietes of cover. For monochromatic nails, I offer over 220 colors. I never work on tips, only extensions with forms, because my clients like a gentle final effect. I do experiment, but only on my own nails.  

Next page: Ilona Musik's nail art

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Ilona Musik started her career in nail styling about 14 years ago and has been an international educator for 12 years.

She’s been featured in countless magazines including Russian Nailure, Nail Fashion, and Polish Paznokcie. She occasionally competes, including winning first place in the Nailspace Talent Show 2010. She lives with her husband and daughter in Poland. See more of her work at www.proshape.com.pl.

Tell us more about yourself.
I teach courses in Poland and all over the world. Classes bring me a lot of joy and satisfaction. That’s why I give my whole heart to training my students. The biggest value in my work is my students’ contentment. My hobbies outside of my nail career are drawing and painting.

Do you work in a salon too?
Yes. It’s called ProShape and it’s in the center of Poland in Lodz. We offer nail styling, training, and makeup.

What are some of the popular nail styles and trends in Poland?
Women in Poland as clients are well-groomed and demanding. They care about how they look, in fashion and in nail styling. My clients especially love the almond, pipe, and stiletto shapes. Nail length depends on the profession a client is in — some prefer very short nails, and others want them as long as possible. Bright colors are trendy. Zebra, leopard, snake, and other animal motifs are popular. Fuchsia, lavender, and all tones of pink are adored. Businesswomen prefer pastel colors and the French manicure. Personally speaking, I love extravagance — very long and sumptuously ornamented and experiments, mixing different styles and techniques (like acrylic paint and gel) to achieve spectacular effects.   

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International Sensations: Russian Nail Art