Presence championships vs. online championships

by Fernanda Vilela

Dear lash artists, my name is Fernanda Vilela. I’m from Brazil, but I’ve been living in Barcelona, Spain, for almost 12 years. Today I want to explain to you how to take part in a presence championship, which is an exciting experience! We will also talk about online championships, which have become very common especially during the last two years.

At the championship, the judges look closely at all your movements, every angle of your job is important here; this is thrilling and also gives you the opportunity to meet a bunch of people.

For those that have not taken part in a championship yet, I want to give you a piece of advice: trust your model, practice as many times as you can with the same person, so that your model feels used to it, feels relaxed and comfortable, and shines beautiful and confident during the event!

These are other aspects that you should take into account: • Participating in a championship means that you are there to win, therefore you will have to practice your technique as much as possible. • Keeping calm is important even when the clock counts every second. • I highly recommend you to prepare everything in advance for the day: light, pads, brushes, humidifier, enough lashes for two models – just in case! • Another good advice is to bring 2 or 3 different kinds of adhesive for different humidity, that will ease your work, no matter the environment conditions! • Bring comfortable clothing for you and your model, and also a blanket in case they are cold. • A fundamental step is to read carefully the rules, because each championship has its own regulations and you will need to know what adhesive you can bring, what bends to use, and the maximum and minimum lengths accepted. • Usually there is a photo shoot before presenting the works and an after check-list.

The big question is: Why should I take part in championships? Although the answer is broad, at the same time it is simple: Our everyday clients barely ever see the faults in our work or in our technique, but if you compete in a championship, the jury will judge you as a professional, point on your weak points and help you to grow.

If you win a trophy and you are among the best ones, it means that your job is more valuable and therefore you can earn more money – in some cases even you can charge a 100% more than before.

Also, I think it is important to be able to work under high pressure (people looking at you, the clock ticking, the noise, etc.).

On the other hand, at online championships you have plenty of time to work with your model. This makes the level and the results of your work better, because you are not under the pressure of time.

Take a lot of pictures and videos from different perspectives and with a good photo camera. But try to send just the exact number of pics required by the organiser, and always on time!

Don’t post anything on your social media before you get the results, it doesn’t matter if you win or if you lose! I warn you, participating in championships it is very addictive, and once you start you won’t be able to stop until you have a shelf full of trophies!

I really encourage you to delve into the presence and online championships world. We will probably meet there some day! I wish you all the luck!