By Jill Fox
As far as accomplishments go, Parkland resident Ashley Hoffman has “nailed it.”
In just five years, the business owner and nail tech established a new career, opened a salon and started a family and is now one of the finalists for Next Top Nail Artist, an international competition for professional nail artists.
A graduate of Coconut Creek High school, the University of Central Florida and the Boca Beauty Academy, Hoffman grew up in Coconut Creek. She now lives in the Parkland community of Watercrest with her husband, Andrew and two daughters Aria and Hannah, who keep her busy when she’s not working at The Nail Studio in Coconut Creek.
With stellar ratings on Facebook, Google and Yelp, this is not your typical salon. Hoffman says that she enjoys helping her clients bring their thoughts and creations to life through nail art. She challenges herself every day to try new and creative methods, which is why she decided to compete in the worldwide Next Top Nail Artist presented by NAILS Magazine.
After a rigorous screening process, Hoffman is one of 11 contestants remaining in this premier competition within the professional nail industry.
Last August, Hoffman submitted a few essays with her work, along with a video diary about why she was qualified for the sixth season of Next Top Nail Artist.
In the first round of elimination, Hoffman made the top 24, then 18, then 12. Now, she has moved on to the next stage, where each week, the finalists receive a new challenge to showcase their skills. After shooting video demos and sharing their entries via social media, each Friday, one contestant is eliminated.
The worldwide voting is comprised of head judges, guest judges and public votes on social media. Intricate hand-painted looks, sculpted acrylics, brushed-on gels, and mixed-media are evaluated over the course of the competition, which will culminate in Orlando for the official crowning of Next Top Nail Artist 6 this June.
Hoffman said that each week, she receives products to work with along with specific guidelines. So far, some of the themes have been “safari” and “seeing clearly”, where Hoffman used a combination of Orly’s Builder in a Bottle, iridescent pigment powder and cellophane to create over 50 bubbles for her winning design.
“With the theme of seeing clearly, I thought of bubbles. It made sense to me that if you are going to see clearly you need to look at things from various perspectives. I started the design by making over 50 bubbles to use as my embellishments,” said Hoffman.
Hoffman said that with her business being built on social media, participating in the competition has enabled her to reach a bigger client base that should continue to increase.
In addition to the title, the top nail artist will also receive cash and product prizes, the opportunity to work for a major nail manufacturer, a chance to take part in New York Fashion week, and a cover and spread in NAILS Magazine.
Check out the competition and vote for Ashley Hoffman here: NailsMag.com
The Nail Studio is located at 6111 Lyons Road, suite 103 in Coconut Creek.
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