Q: Why should I choose Obsession Beauty Academy over another reputable school?
A: Firstly, this industry is unregulated, therefore so is the education and training requirements. At Obsession we take a thorough, unbiased approach in teaching with constantly updated curriculum related to esthetics including skin, anatomy, skin/nail disorders and diseases, bacteria and virus knowledge, proper sanitation in accordance with Alberta Health Regulations and industry professionalism. We have mirrored our program to the red seal trade requirements of the other regulated provinces until Alberta implements these standards as well. We are licensed by the City of Calgary as well as Alberta Health. We constantly take classes between teaching to keep current and attend industry events, conventions and competitions to always stay relevant to industry trends.
With Obsession you will be given all the tools you need to become an advanced nail technician by being taught the proper skills while still beginning. We will be there for you every step of the way to help nurture and support you in the development, use and growth of your techniques. Express courses teach express nails that won’t last and likely neither will the careers producing them. We don’t believe in nickel and diming students for essential skills that are necessary for a successful career in this profession, yet not included with many other short courses or even 6-8 month long basic textbook based esthetics training courses. Check out Student testimonials here
We provide detailed theory and an exclusive custom written textbook as well as complete hands on training with multiple clients to build clientele and confidence in school. Classes are well attended by limiting sizes to just four students and taught in a licensed professional home salon environment. Join a class where your name will be known and all your questions and concerns will be answered.
We offer the added bonus of not only teaching proper salon etiquette but also include an independent business skill building section for those looking to become entrepreneurs with at-home nail businesses. We demonstrate requirements for getting your home business Alberta Health and City of Calgary approval, helping students through their own process and building a clientele before even being certified.
Our Master educator Cera constantly continues her own education to stay on the edge of industry advancements. Cera has been certified as an educator by multiple well known nail brands such as International Nail Manufacturers (INM) and was also hired to run the nail program for National Institute of Wellness and Aesthetics (NIWA). It was those experiences that drove her to spend over four years writing and developing the Obsession programs, which she still updates and edits to this day. We are now recognized in the local community for our excellent education and services, even being asked to guest speak for other educational esthetic institutes such as Delmar College.
Secondly, most schools are generally sponsored by one brand or product line and that is all that is taught or acknowledged in the course. A lot of schools wouldn’t even mention the fact that one of the benefits in doing gel nails specifically, is the versatility of products and brands. In our course you will try multiple brands to find the consistency that you work best with, learn how to mix and make your own colours, advanced art application techniques in both gel and acrylic, proper hand and electric filing procedures, advanced sculpting and shaping methods, which are all typically additional training and fees in other programs. Our students take multiple in class clients gaining advanced experience in new sets and fills, even taking back to back clients to learn proper time management skills, routine sanitation and booking experience.
Not only will you learn multiple brands but you will have access to a ton of in class product available for your use at all times to help preserve your own student product kit. Your personal student kit is packed with full or oversized professional product so you are not left without product when certified and trying to start your business. You will have FREE access to use school facilities 5 days a week to take clients even on non-school days if you are not yet setup at home. You will also have access to free continuing education and Obsession alumni support. We go above in beyond in ensuring our students have the most solid foundation and support for long successful careers.
Q: What is included with the price of the Advanced course?
A: Upon admission to the course you will receive a pre-course study guide as well as program guide. The first day of class you will receive your full student product kit and private textbook to keep, worth over $2000. You will also receive $100 off on the purchase of a top of the line Ugly Duckling Electric file while in class. You gain FREE after hour access to salon facilities and product for your practice and client use. You can utilize our salon client list to help booking in class clients and even our previous students love being models and supporting our new techs. You learn many advanced and additional techniques not covered in other courses as well as business building components like social media, clientele building, nail photography and home salon certification. You have the advantage of signing out school equipment such as LED lights, desk lamps, practice hands, dust fans, file bits, multiple kinds of electric files and even portable nail desks for your at home or mobile use to give you experience with various equipment types and improve your at home practice experience.
There are in class refreshments such as coffee, tea, water, pop and juice available everyday as well as snacks like muffins and banana bread on Sundays, although it is still advised to bring a lunch on Sundays.
Advanced tools used for specialized techniques will also be available for in class use or to purchase for personal or at home use. The course moves at a fast pace and is based on a minimum of ten hours at home practice per week. Upon successful completion of our programs students will receive an Obsession Beauty Academy Certificate/Diploma recognized Canada wide by distributors and even internationally.
The Professional Advanced Student Kit Includes:
Gel kit: Swarovski gel brush, *prep, *prime, *500 pack forms, clear gel, white gel, fufu pink gel, gel cleanse, sanding bands, *files, *buffers, *500 pk nail tips, *brush on nail glue, no wipe top coat, 30pk assorted trial files, box of dust masks, 24K cuticle oil,
Acrylic kit: Swarovski #8 acrylic brush, Swarovski 3D acrylic brush, *prep, *prime, *500 foil forms, *files, *buffers, clear acrylic powder, white acrylic powder, pink acrylic powder, cover pink acrylic powder, monomer, odourless monomer, brush cleaner, dappen dish, *500 pk nail tips, *brush on nail glue, pinching tweezers, Swarovski c-curve sticks, Apron.
Gel Polish kit: Base/top coat, white, black, four colours of choice, matte topcoat. implement kit, orangewood sticks, cuticle pusher, replacement tips, cuticle nippers, esthetic scissors, pack of nail trainer tips,
Art supplies: Swarovski nail art detailer 2 brush, Swarovski nail art striper brush, Swarovski blinger tool, Swarovski silicone tools, nail art, display tips
At home supplies alcohol, acetone, two pump bottles, Dual UV/LED lamp, full pack nail wipes, roll of blue shop towel, CS20 sanitizer, sanitizing receptacle, surface sanitizer and of course Obsessions own custom written textbook.
While in school you are encouraged to use school product to save your kit for your career. By the time many students complete their courses the kits are empty causing them to make another big investment before being able to start their careers, with Obsession we want to give you the best foundation in every aspect for optimum success.
Q: What are some things I should look for when choosing an educational facility for nails?
A: We love this video from the our colleague the very well known and loved Suzie of Nail Career Education. A few factors to consider are; Does the school have photos of their actual students work produced while in their program? Do the educators have sufficient experience and education to be confidently instructing classes? Do the educators have full clientele and use professional products? Do the educators attend expos, conventions, industry events and classes to keep their own education current and up to date? Is there follow up support for students after certification? Has the curriculum been updated recently to reflect industry changes? Does the school have any successful students that have completed and recommend the program? Does the program provide enough hours and experience to allow you to confidently pursue a career?
Q: How can I be sure I will be able to successfully get a job with Obsessions certification?
A: Obsession Beauty Academy is contacted frequently by local salons looking to hire our students specifically due to our specialized and exclusive program. The quality and craftsmanship of this trade truly shines through in our graduates work and of that we are truly proud. We also offer apprenticeship opportunities after certification as well as all the tools you will need to set out on your own. Some of our former students work(ed) at well known local salons such as Frilly Lilly, Nail It and Distilled Beauty Bar. We also have many students running successful, fully booked at-home businesses. In the words of one of our favourite product lines “Your success is our reward” and we are dedicated in seeing you do well in whatever business goal you have set.
Q: What happens if I lose my textbook?
A: The Obsession textbook is a custom written and printed textbook that is exclusive to only us. If the textbook is lost or stolen it is the students responsibility to replace it to successfully carry on and complete the course. The fee to have a single textbook reproduced is $150 so please take extra time and care with it, that is your nail bible!
Q: I found a cheaper nail course, why is Obsessions more?
A: You will find many cheaper and express courses but they will not provide a complete product kit or foundation for you to build skills and a solid career from. Unregulated education can leave many students feeling lost and ultimately unsuccessful and quitting after incomplete or unsatisfactory training. This is a very competitive industry with express shops on every corner undercutting certified techs by over half the cost of a service. The way this course is designed is from beginning to advanced, every aspect and skill you will need to run or work in a salon or start an at-home business will be provided at one cost. You will not need to take continuing education on how to use an electric file, do nail art or promote yourself. We also help guide our students to other careers that can branch from being a nail tech. Do your research and choose your teacher well as it will be the determining factor in how successful you will be too!
On the alternative, we found many other longer courses to be drawn out and still missing essential skills and consistent practice to fine tune application skills and techniques. Some taking over a month just to cover basic body biology and anatomy that is grade school review before focusing on relevant trade skills. We avoid wasting students valuable in class time on review by adding thing like the pre-course study guide, allowing class time to be utilized for relevant career experience.
Q: Will my certification be valid in all of Canada?
A: Each province has individual licensing requirements but your certification will be valid for Alberta, B.C. and some other provinces and even states. Most accreditation evaluations are based on certification hours and our 200 hour program meets most requirements Canada wide. Smaller or individual classes may not. Please inquire about others.
Q: Why do you not belong to other councils or organizations I see listed?
A: Many places belong to a beauty or esthetic related council in which you show your certification and pay a fee to receive a certificate of membership which is supposed to indicate you are properly licensed. In almost all cases there is no inspection, follow up or follow through on either party to ensure these members are indeed practicing proper sanitation procedures and salon etiquette. With so many places doing it and there being so little regulation, we feel until legitimate industry standards are established it loses its credibility. We mirror requirements of provinces that recognize esthetics as a regulated and licensed trade for our curriculum and foundation. When there is a governing body or council that puts forth action in ensuring those enlisted in these groups are abiding by the standards agreed upon we will happily join.
Q: We notice nail courses range from just one day to four days long to even a year long, why is the Obsession Advanced Nail Technology program 8 weeks? Is it missing things that longer courses include?
A: We have custom formulated our course to be the most effective and efficient way to learn nails available to students today. By optimizing the time spent in class on hands on training and offering balanced out of class learning and product homework it allows the course to flow quickly in an easy to learn manageable way without leaving out any crucial information or techniques. By seeing students multiple times a week we are able to monitor progress making sure unproductive techniques are not developed and ineffective habits formed while developing the skill. This accelerates productive learning and fast tracks the learning process.
Our course includes all of what every other class short or long program includes plus more. Everything from esthetic history to human anatomy, bacteriology, salon etiquette, home business certification on top of all the necessary skills from fundamental basics for beginners to proper e-file use and advanced art and shaping techniques for well practiced techs. What would be anywhere from three to nine additional courses at other schools is all covered in one place with the Obsession exclusive Advanced Training.
Q: Is esthetics a sustainable career? Can I do this for a full-time living?
A: It was the last oil and gas downturn in 2009 that our educator Cera decided to step out of the corporate office and into the salon for a completely new life. Due to the unregulated nature of the industry, artistic passion and eye to detail is greatly lacking throughout salons, making those who do possess it impossible to miss. With a solid education as your foundation, the drive to want to produce quality work and the eagerness to succeed, you simply cannot fail. There are so many different directions an esthetics career can take you, salon ownership, product development and representation, nail competitions, nail education, the film and glamor industry, the possibilities are endless and the opportunities are abundant and we are here to support you every step of the way. Not many people can really say they love what they do everyday, have a life they never want to escape from and are able to comfortably provide for themselves or family, passionate nail techs are an exception.
Q: What are some examples of the types of nail art I can expect to learn with Obsession?
A: To list a few: Konad stamp art, multiple marbling techniques (flowers, roses, rose quartz), embedded art, 3D and 4D art in both gel and acrylic, stickers, water decals, glitter fades, sparkle and diamond application, custom jewel making, alcohol inking and watercolour methods, hand drawn line work, Unicorn and clam shell nails, character drawing, custom colour mixing, how to make custom nail decals, nail piercing, ombre/french fade in both gel and acrylic, foiling, sugaring, icing, negative space and much more!
Advanced smile lines: regular, dramatic, strait, slant, dovetail, V tip
Advanced nail shapes: stiletto, almond, coffin, ballerina
top coats: gloss vs matte finish
– Tips on combining different nail art types
Q: I only want basic nail technician skills why is the Advanced Nail Course so much more economic to take?
A: We do offer basic or advanced nail technician courses but we truly believe if you are to do something do it properly, the first time! The single courses will give you a great stepping stone into the industry but there is a lot more needed to really understand and master nail technology as a real career. Giving students a thorough, solid foundation to base a career upon is one of the utmost important aspects to any education or training that is always upheld at Obsession. This is why we have priced and encourage students to take the full course over the single ones.
Q: How do I know Obsessions Educators are qualified?
A: Obsession courses are taught by our experienced and certified Master Educator Cera Jade. With a decade of industry experience in both home and salon based environments Cera invests in advanced training yearly to keep her skills on the forefront of the industry. She has been asked to guest speak for other esthetic schools such as Delmar College and loves having other educators and industry professionals into her own classes for a diverse spectrum of skills and opinions. It is also one of the only courses that includes a privately printed textbook written exclusively for Obsessions Students. Check out our educator bio here!
Q: How do I know I will receive the best education I can hope for if I choose Obsession?
A: The benefits of small and exclusive class sizes of only up to four people are too far and precious to even word. One on one coaching from an industry professional practicing what they preach daily in the salon providing services to clients keeping their own hands on experience relevant is essential. YOUR success is OUR success so it is in our utmost passion and interest to ensure each student leaves confident and equip with every skill needed to launch a successful and fulfilling career. Every detail of your success is not only covered but exceeded in our program. From our student desks loaded with top of the line professional equipment for your use, portable desk rentals for at home setups, school facility use even on non-class days, huge student product kits including at home and after certification product quantities and on going support after certification. These extra details are not a rare bonus of Obsession classes, its a class standard and continuing commitment we make to our students to continually raise the bar in always providing the best in service, quality and education.
Obsession Beauty Academy is run solely by Master Educator Cera, who takes care and pride in each students development and career growth. Unlike larger corporate schools that employ or contract various teachers that can cycle in and out or are not available for follow up support. Six months, a year or even five years after your education is completed it will always be her smiling face you are able to come back to for support.
See our past students work check on the student references page here.