Local woman nails Aussie comp’
LUKE KIRKEBY
Being the only Kiwi competing amongst 120 top Australian nail technicians meant a Tokoroa woman was always going to stand out.
But it wasn’t just Amanda Viviers’ ‘‘strong accent’’ turning heads during the fourth annual West Coast Cup Nail Competition in Perth earlier this month.
Viviers, who was awarded runner up New Zealand nail technician of the year during the 2017 Beauty New Zealand Association Award, also got the attention of the judges. She placed in all nine of the categories she entered.
That included four floor categories using live models for salon French, sculpted French, embedded, and gel polish and pre-entered categories for photographic, flat art, salon embellished, fantasy, and natural nail art.
‘‘It was quite a shock as I was the first international competitor to compete on the floor. It is quite far to go but It will be like ‘oh we better go now’,’’ she laughed.
The mother of three, who works from her home-based salon Viviers Beauty, said the placings didn’t come without a few lighthearted Aussie digs.
‘‘There were comments and it was announced when I was going up for one of the awards that I had come all the way from New Zealand and I was going to have excess baggage because of all the medals,’’ she said.
‘‘They also said ‘‘if you haven’t noticed from her strong accent she is obviously not from here’’. I was like ‘‘oh come on guys’’ but it was fine as we all get to know each other.’’
‘‘We call it a ‘nail family’,’’ she laughed.
She said she was glad she took part.
Viviers said she now has clients coming from out of town.
‘‘I have people from Taupo¯, Hamilton, Te Aroha, and a few from Rotorua too. I am booked out until July, they just keep coming,’’ she said.