“Believe me, it wasn’t easy to recover from my loss in season 1 of NTNA. My heart was broken, and it took me forever to pick up a brush again…But I had a goal, and that was to make Top 3. Considering I was SO CLOSE, I knew I owed it to myself to get back into the competition! My approach both years was the same, to give it all that I could give. I waited one year in between because I knew I had MUCH to learn.”
How did you balance the grueling schedule of the weekly challenges with seeing clients, having a life, etc?
“Life? What’s that? I was just thinking the other day that I am feeling pretty empty now that I don’t have weekly challenges to worry about…What do I do with my time now? I remember mentioning in my interview with NAILS Magazine that time management is KEY! This competition is very time consuming (in the best way possible), and it requires a lot of planning ahead. I would always set the weekends aside to complete my challenges, and work through out the week when I get off work.”
What kept you motivated to continue the competition week after week for almost a year?
“There were a few weeks that I was so close to giving up! But I had a good support system, my best friend pushed me through it.”
Everyone has commented on the special bond you have with your fellow Top 3, Celina and Sarah. When did you guys start to communicate? What drew you to each other to become close friends while competing against each other?
Tell us about your final Last Chance Design Lab challenge with Victoria. Where were you when you found out you’d won and were part of the Final 3?
“I was in front of my computer, constantly hitting that refresh button…trying not to cry.”
How did you split up your time between the final five sets for the last challenge? Did you do them in order? How long did each set take?
“It took me a while to get started on the final sets! I gave myself three weeks to plan, which was particularly hard because you want to give them ALL YOU HAVE! I didn’t do them in order, no. I had set aside a week to finish each set, and the last week before due date was for finishing touches and video editing. I would get each set to a point where I’m close to finish, and revisit later on with a set of fresh eyes.”
How did you pack for Chicago? What supplies did you bring based on what you were scheduled to do?
“Chicago was really hard to pack for. I packed everything I needed for my cover shoot, and the final sets were in pizza-like boxes. I thought it was appropriate. (ha)”
Tell us about the Beauty Changes Lives “Shout Your Beauty” runway process – How did you design your model’s final look?
What was your Chicago experience like? We saw you guys running around like crazy. What did you do from when you landed to the announcement at the party?
What advice do you have for nail techs who want to enter NTNA? What should they be prepared for? What do you wish you’d known when you started?
“I know it’s a competition, and you want to do well. But remember who you are. Both as an artist and person. Be prepared to make sacrifices, and know that it will all be worth it at the end. This competition has taught me so much. A lot of skills were developed along the way, and I think that is the best lesson to take away from this whole thing.”
What were your favorite nails this season? Both yours and someone else’s.