A RED Indian stands outside his tepee, his feathered headdress and painted face making him look especially stern.

Nearby, a lion, elephant and water buffalo are frolicking.

But this isn't some wildlife safari or reservation park.

These are figurines, painstakingly sculpted by nail artists with acrylic powder and painted over before being attached to nail extensions with nail glue.

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of mixed media nail art, where outrageous three-dimensional creations are carefully crafted over a period of weeks and sometimes even months.

Miss Ning Li Thin, 27, a manicurist from Citabella Beauty and Artelier, took about two months to complete her safari-like creation last year for the mixed media nail art design component of NailsAsia last year.

Tomorrow's nail art competition, organised by BeautyMart International (BMI), is part of Beauty Asia 2009.

Some of the nail art artists The New Paper on Sunday spoke to didn't want to reveal their entries ahead of the competition. But, some said they would have nails dressed up sweetly with dolls and lace, while others will go for a combat theme with little soldier figurines hidden in a forest.

New creations

Twenty of the 90 competitors, including Australians, Vietnamese, Chinese and Thais, are taking part in the mixed media nail art category this year.

Mrs Elaine Low, 24, an educator at Phenomena Nails and Make-up Academy, has been sleeping four hours every night for two weeks, just to complete her entry this year.

She said: 'Despite the lack of sleep, there's satisfaction when you create and make something completely new.'

Madam He Yan Hong, a freelance manicurist in Singapore, credits her nail art fascination to her love for art, including charcoal sketching which she used to do.

The art has turned the 42-year-old's life around.

After she lost her clerk job in Shenyang, China in 2001, she came to Singapore and took on several odd-jobs, including cleaning, before getting into the nail business.

That was three years ago, and Madam He has not looked back, having attained nail art diploma at the ICN Academy here.

She said in Mandarin: 'Learning the trade has helped give me a guarantee, a back-up in life. It's given me skills and a passion for my work.'

BMI's chief executive, Ms Jasmine Lim, 41, said: 'NailsAsia presents a business opportunity during the crisis as the start-up capital of about $500 is low.

'It's a way for people to become entrepreneurs and start their own business.'

Beauty Asia will be on at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre Hall 402 from 10am to 7pm, tomorrow till Wednesday. Entry is free.

This article was first published in The New Paper.