Rules for the 11 ONLINE nail competitions for Nailympia London 2025

To Stiletto & Beyond (was Invent A Nail Shape)

THEME – CULTURAL IDENTITY

MORE THAN 2 INCHES LONG – SCULPT ONE NAIL ONLY

Not a floor/live competition – photos, video & text need to be submitted into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

1. This is your chance to show the nail world how creative, imaginative & skilled you are. Design your own extreme style nail, sculpt & decorate it.

2. This requires just one nail of any length over 2 inches/ 5cm length from the cuticle. This is extreme nail shaping sculpture with art expression on top.

3. This offers the opportunity to demonstrate beautiful structure plus showcasing creative art & design skills.

4. Looking for a desirable & gorgeous shape, design, beauty, style & masterful skills.

5. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered once in this competition. Must be an original photograph that has not been previously published or displayed in public or on social media.

6. Points will be awarded for the nail finish, architecture & overall wow factor. All designs must be original & not seen in previous competitions or images.

7. Photograph the nail on a finger (artifical or real)

ALLOWED

1. Any nail product may be used with crystals/rhinestones/bullion etc. accepted for bling & design purposes. Go wild & create a stunning nail with design on top, underneath, to the side – wherever.

2. The more advanced & original the architecture is, the more points will be awarded.

NOT ALLOWED

1. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered once. No repeat entries from prior years are allowed.

2. In this photo submission no body parts just show the sculpted fingernail presented on a hand/finger.

3. No black & white photo.

4. The work must not have been published, on social media or entered any competition or published in any journal beforehand.

5. No entries that have been changed from previous competitions allowed.

6. A maximum of ONE entry per competitor is allowed.

TIP

Read the content of the score sheets. Check out the point distribution. Where you will gain the most points & where you gain the least. This will help your timing & focus. Knowledge of where you can gain points & where you can unnecessarily lose them is helpful.

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

Enter – One photo taken from above with no light reflection of the complete work. Then take side right & side left view photo, then underneath the nail, plus a 10-second video sweeping across the nail. This means 4 photos plus quick video. (Photo size minimum 2MB / maximum 10MB.) Create a word document with your description of your work.

 

Poster 1 – Extreme Nail Styling Poster -  Nails & Face

NO theme - one or two hands with face (any length nails)

1. Photo (jpeg/tiff file) & text to be submitted into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

2. One hand - 5 nails - can show face & body or just hand (s). Nails must be over 2 inches/ 5cm in length.

3. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered once in this competition. Must be an original photograph that has not been previously published or displayed in public or on social media.

4. A written synopsis of no more than 50 words in English must be provided with your photograph detailing how the look was achieved. This is for the judges to mark complexity & understand the journey to completed look. Please note points will be deducted for failing to include the text. 

5. It is the whole picture that will be judged, not just the work on nails. Points will be awarded for the nail finish & overall wow factor. The style, background & theme of the picture will also be judged.

6. Think nail magazine cover when creating this poster.

7. Image must be in colour. No black & white photos.

8. All designs must be original & not seen in previous competitions or images.

9. Finishing on the nails can be in any media. It´s a chance to go wild with nails & imagination but showcase a style.

10. It is allowed to use the nails crafted for the Art on Nails competition ONLY for the Extreme Poster Competition for Nailympia London 2025. DO NOT use To Stiletto & Beyond AKA  Invent a Nail entry for the photographic category.

11. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered once. No repeat entries from prior years allowed.

12. No black & white or sepia images.

13. The work must not have been published on social media or entered into any competition or published in any journal beforehand.

14. No entries that have been changed from previous competitions allowed.

15. A maximum of ONE entry per competitor is allowed.

TIP

Read the content of the score sheets. Check out the point distribution. Where you will gain the most points & where you gain the least. This

will help your timing & focus. Knowledge of where you can gain points & where you can unnecessarily lose them is helpful.

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

Enter one photo taken of the completed poster. (Photo size minimum 2MB / maximum 10MB.) Create a word document with your description of your work.

 

MIXED MEDIA ART

THEME: Open - Design 10 Nail tips 

Not a floor/live competition – pictures, video & text to be submitted into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

1. Competitors must use 3 of these 5 nail art media: airbrushing, embellishments (rhinestones, striping tape etc), L&P acrylic, gel, hand painting, one stroke. Failure will result in a 10-point deduction for each media less than 3.

2. For continuity, please describe the theme that is featured.

3. It must not have been seen in any competition in the world – whatever size.

4. All work must be ORIGINAL & not added to after a previous comp, copied from a masterclass or another tech’s work. Completely original.

5. This competition is a ‘show & tell’ format. Nails to be designed on varying sized nail tips & placed together. 5 different sized nail tips.

6. Art on the nails must not exceed 1/4 inch / 6,35 mm in height from the surface of the nail. For locations that have this as a hand-in box the display must not exceed A5 size, any larger may result in it not being displayed & if it’s too large, it may not be accepted. This is left to the discretion of the Nailympia team, the displays are measured by the judges. Any embellishment to the actual tips, whether attached to the tip or not, will count & must not extend further than 1⁄4”/6,35 mm from the nail surface or 10 points will be deducted.

7. All entries must be accompanied by a description (50 words MAXIMUM in English) of the work involved including types of nail art media & techniques used. Points will be deducted if no description is provided.

8. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered one time in this competition. Must be an original photograph/boxed art that has not been previously published or displayed in public, at previous competitions, in magazines or on social media.

ALLOWED

1. All media used must be used in an artistic way.

2. It is the competitor’s responsibility to clarify anything questionable prior to the event & the judges’ decisions are accepted as final.

NOT ALLOWED

1. DO NOT stick the 10 nails together to create one large canvas – there must be a gap between the tips & there must be at least 5 different sized tips used. This is art on many tiny canvases.

2. No decals allowed.

3. No stamping art allowed.

4. No molds to be used in this comp.

5. No embellishment or product may extend further than 1⁄4″ / 6.35mm from the original nail surface in any direction, if it does, there will be a 10-point deduction.

6. Please do not choose themes in copyright - NO Disney, Pixar – no movies, no characters etc. Check copyright.

7. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered one time. No repeat entries from prior years allowed.

8. No black & white image. Must be in colour.

9. The work must not have been published, on social media or entered any competition or published in any journal beforehand.

10. No entries that have been changed from previous competitions allowed.

11. A maximum of ONE entry per competitor is allowed.

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

Enter – One photo taken from above with no light reflection of the complete work. Then take side right & side left view photo and a 10-second video sweeping across the nails. This means 3 photos plus quick video. (Photo size minimum 2MB / maximum 10MB.)

Create a word document with a description of your work

FLAT ART BOX DESIGN

THEME – Carnival & Cabaret

1. Not a floor/live competition – pictures, video & text to be submitted into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

2. This competition is an ‘Art Painting’ format. Nails to be designed on varying sized nail tips & placed together but not touching.

3. Do not stick the 10 nails together to create one large canvas or push them together – there must be an OBVIOUS gap between the tips & there must be at least 5 different sized tips used (& 5 different lengths). This is art on many tiny canvases.

4. A written synopsis of no more than 50 words in English must be provided with your submission detailing how the look was achieved. This is for the judges to mark complexity & understand the journey to completed look. Please note points will be deducted for failing to include the text.

5. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered once in this competition. Must be an original photograph that has not been previously published or displayed in public or on social media.

6. Image must be in colour.

7. All designs must be original & not seen in previous competitions or images.

ALLOWED

1. It´s a chance to go wild with nails & imagination yet present a style.

2. Art acrylic paint & gel paints are allowed.

3. Contestants use only freehand artistic painting & one-stroke techniques.

NOT ALLOWED

1. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered once. No repeat entries from prior years are allowed.

2. Hand painting only – no airbrushing.

3. No black & white photo.

4. The work must not have been published, on social media or entered into any competition or published in any journal beforehand.

5. No entries that have been changed from previous competitions allowed.

6. A maximum of ONE entry per competitor.

7. No decoration or acrylic/gel product L&P can be used; if this happens, there will be a 10-point deduction. This is flat painted art only.

8. Any embellishment of actual tips, whether attached to the tip or not, will be considered a violation & 10 points will be deducted.

9. Do not stick the 10 nails together to create one large canvas or push them together.

TIP

Read the content of the score sheets. Check out the point distribution. Where you will gain the most points & where you gain the least. This will help your timing & focus. Knowledge of where you can gain points & where you can unnecessarily lose them is helpful.

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

Enter – One photo taken from above with no light reflection of the complete work. Then take side right & side left view photo & a 10-second video sweeping across the nails. This means 3 photos plus quick video. (Photo size minimum 2MB / maximum 10MB.)

Create a word document with a description of your work.

 

MANICURE POSTER – 2 hands

THEME: Open 

1. A photo (jpeg/tiff file) & text need to be submitted into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

2. It is the ‘whole picture’ that will be judged, not just the work on the nails. Points will be awarded for the manicure finish & overall ‘wow’ factor. The style, background & theme of the picture will also be judged. Think ‘magazine cover’ when creating this poster.

3. A written synopsis of no more than 50 words in English must be provided with your photograph detailing how the look was achieved. This is for the judges to mark complexity & understand the journey to completed look. Please note points will be deducted for failing to include the text.

4. One or two hands, short, square, oval, almond elegant nails to be showcased in one colour, French can be in colour or a mix of colours or natural. No nail art to be added.

5. NOTE: Can you see the nails clearly? Points are lost if the judges cannot see the nails clearly. They need to judge the quality of the finish of the manicure.

6. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered one time in this competition. Must be an original photograph that has not been previously published or displayed in public, seen in any format/place or on social media.

7. Image must be in colour. No black & white or sepia.

8. All designs must be original & not seen in previous competitions or images.

9. Must not use nails designed or published previously.

ALLOWED

1. Finish on nails can be in nail polish or gel polish.

2. Only 1 photograph is required.

NOT ALLOWED

1. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered one time. No repeat entries from prior years allowed.

2. No faces – only hand or hands in the photo.

3. No black & white or sepia image.

4. The work must not have been published, on social media or entered any competition or published in any journal beforehand.

5. No entries that have been changed from previous competitions allowed.

6. A maximum of ONE entry per competitor is allowed.

7. No nail extensions. Do not use UV hard gel or L&P acrylic systems to extend the nail.

8. No nail art to be added.

TIP

Read the content of the score sheets. Check out the point distribution. Where you will gain the most points & where you gain the least. This will help your timing & focus. Knowledge of where you can gain points & where you can unnecessarily lose them is helpful.

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

Enter – One photo taken with no light reflection of the complete work. This means only 1 photo is required. (Photo size minimum 2MB / maximum 10MB.) Create a word document with your description of your work.

 

PEDICURE POSTER - 1 or 2 feet 

THEME: Open

TASK

• Photo submission.
• All entries must be new to Nailympia and can only be entered one time in this competition. Must be an original photograph that has not been previously published or displayed in public or social media.
• It is the whole picture that will be judged, not just the work on the nails. Points will be awarded for the nail finish and overall wow factor. The style, background and theme of the picture will also be judged.
• Think nail magazine cover when creating this poster.
• Finish on nails can be in nail polish or gel polish.
• Full-colour nails, French, natural/nude or add nail art / crystals etc  for this pedicure poster - create nails that look amazing in style & finish.
• Image must be in colour. Please make sure it is sent in jpeg/PNG format and over 2MB in size for good clarity and resolution.
• 50 words on product and techniques used.

ALLOWED

• Finishing on nails can be in gel polish or nail polish or reconstruction natural finish. It´s a chance explore your imagination to create an elegant photo.
• Can depict hands, feet, toes, full body, part body, face, more than one person.

NOT ALLOWED

• All entries must be new to Nailympia and can only be entered one time. No repeat entries from prior years allowed.
• No black & white image.
• The work must not have been published, on social media or entered any competition or published in any journal beforehand.
• No entries that have been changed from previous competitions allowed.
• A maximum of ONE entry per competitor is allowed.

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

Every location will have its own submission system please check with the host how this is to be submitted.

Enter – One photo taken with no light reflection of the complete work. This means only 1 photo is required. (Photo size minimum 2MB / maximum 10MB.) Create a word document with your description of your work.

 

DESIGN NAILS FOR AN ALBUM COVER

THEME – Folk Music

• Design a set of 5 nail tips to fit the brief – for an album cover.
• Imagine this is a commercial brief, to create a set of 5 tips to be worn by a model for a photo shoot for an album cover in the above themed music genre.
• 3D art is acceptabl,  but must be wearable art – no higher off the nail than 0.5cm (5mm); flat art, simple, stylish small embellishments with rhinestones, bullion, glitter, crystals. Maximum height 0.5cm (5mm) from the nail surface.
• The 5 tips must be displayed simply by placing on a hand and photographing.
• Just 5 tips – that fit the theme.
• Please do not choose themes in copyright- NO Disney, Pixar – no movies, no characters etc.

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

• Send a close up photograph of the 5 tips on the hand & 50 words in a text document in English to explain how you’ve fulfilled the brief. Then send a photo of 5 tips together on a white background. This means 2 photographs with text. (Minimum size requirements for photo is 2MB / maximum is 10MB.)

 

ART ON NAILS – MORE THAN 2 INCHES LONG – one hand - 5 nails

Theme – Seasons & Folklore

• Style 5 long nails using the theme to guide your design.
• Nails to be sculpted or on long tips using L&P acrylic or UV gel systems.
• The application and length designed to the competitor’s desire and ability.
• Any shape is welcome but nails must be more than 2 inches in length from the cuticle. Points given for the more complex the shaping.
• Artwork can be applied on the surface or encapsulated. If artwork is applied to the surface it must be no more than 1/4inch (0.65cm) in height.
• Paint, striper foils, rhinestones and bullion are allowed. Colour foils (plain only) can be used for design. Products used can have colour or glitter added if desired.
• No decals allowed. This means no pre-designed or printed appliqués or decals to be used. No stamping of art allowed.
• All designs must be original and not seen in previous competitions or images.
• It is allowed to use the nails crafted for Art on Nails competition ONLY for the Extreme Poster Competition for Nailympia London 2025.
• This offers the opportunity to demonstrate beautiful structure plus showcasing creative art and design skills. The more skills and creativity you show, the better.
• No restrictions on shape – anything goes.
• Looking for desirable & gorgeous shapes, designs, beauty, style & skills.
• Please do not choose themes in copyright- NO Disney, Pixar – no movies, no characters etc.

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

• Photograph the hand from above, side view left/ side view right / down barrel /c-curve of nails and underneath – 5 photos. (Photo size minimum 2MB / maximum 10MB.)
• Text document of 50 words maximum in English to describe the techniques, skills & theme.

 

REALITY NAILS - 3 NAIL TIPS & 3 THEMES 

1 - Theme – Consumerism

2 - Theme – Technology

3 - Theme – Tradition

Decorate 3 press-on full-cover nail tips to the 3 design themes above. 3 nail - 3 designs. 

The 3 tips must be displayed side by side on a sheet of white paper, so they are clearly visible, then photographed. Then take 3 separate photos close up on the white background, so they are clearly visible.

1.. One text document – simply describe the 3 nail designs in no more than 100 words in total in English. Make sure the judge can clearly see each block of text for each nail design.

2. The finished nail designs should include a suitable shape & length for a salon client.

3. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered once in this competition. Must be an original photograph that has not been previously published or displayed in public or on social media.

4. All designs must be original & not seen in previous competitions or images.

ALLOWED

1. Flat art or embellishments with rhinestones etc. only.

2. Media Paints (non-toxic); Gel Polish; Glitters; Foils; Charms; Rhinestones; Flat stones; Decals; Embellishments; One-stroke: Dip System – anything goes – just NO 3D.

NOT ALLOWED

1. No 3D art is acceptable. Flat art or embellishments with rhinestones etc. only.

2. No mood boards necessary.

3. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered once. No repeat entries from prior years allowed.

4. The work must not have been published on social media or entered into any competition or published in any journal beforehand.

5. A maximum of ONE entry per competitor is allowed.

6. No black & white photos.

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

RUNWAY NAILS 

THEME  - Self Portraiture - The Good, Bad & Ugly...

Decorate 3 press-on full-cover nail tips to the design.

3 nails showing 3 different designs - one 'good' - one 'bad' - one 'ugly'.

1. Competitors must design 3 different nail styles they feel will enhance, accessories & interpret the brief outlined above.

2. The 3 tips must be displayed in a simple way with a short explanation or visual sketch of how the designs fit the

3. The designs must be reasonably easy & quick to reproduce (100s would need to be made for a fashion show). Think in terms of this when designing, as the judges will be in this mindset. If the designs are too complicated or busy, they would not win the commission with a fashion designer & will score poorly.

4. Note that the main focus of a fashion show is the designer’s collection. Nails can be a ‘statement’ accessory, but should not overshadow the complete look.

5. Nails at a fashion show are photographed close-up for detailed beauty shots.

6. The finished nail designs should include suitable shape & length.

7. All entries must be new to Nailympia & can only be entered once in this competition. Must be an original photograph that has not been previously published or displayed in public, on social media or published in any journal beforehand.

The 3 tips must be displayed side by side on a sheet of white paper, so they are clearly visible, then photographed. Then take 3 separate photos close up on the white background, so they are clearly visible for close inspection during judging. No black & white photos.

(Photo size minimum 2MB / maximum 10MB.) Create a word document with a description of the skills & techniques undertaken. 

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

Competitors may use ANY suitable materials that do not necessarily have to be nail products or can be a mixture of nail products & other materials. There are no restrictions on the creation of these 3 nails.

 A maximum of ONE entry per competitor is allowed.

 

NEW for 2025 - AI NAIL VISION STYLING POSTER 

Theme: OPEN

1. Anything Goes! – Your entry can be a completely AI-generated image or a mix of real photography & AI enhancements. Get creative!

2. Nails in Focus – Whether AI-generated or real, the nails must be the star of the image, with strong styling & visual impact. The image must feature at least 5 nails. Full body, face or just hand(s) is all allowed.

3. High-Quality & Professional – Submit a clear, high-resolution image (minimum 300 DPI). No low-quality or pixelated entries.

4. Original & Unique – The design should be fresh, bold & innovative, pushing the boundaries of nail artistry in a digital space.

5. Submission – Enter via the official Nailympia portal before the deadline of 17th August.

6. Judging – Entries will be scored on impact, originality, execution, styling & AI creativity.

Step into the future - let your imagination run wild!

 

Submit into the Nailympia London judging portal. 

Enter – One photo taken with no light reflection of the complete work. This means only 1 photo is required. (Photo size minimum 2MB / maximum 10MB.) Create a word document with a description of the skills & techniques undertaken.