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Terms and Conditions for LIA Online Lash Competition 2026 (New Zealand)

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1. Entry Process and Deadlines

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1.1 Registration and Submission

• Registrations open 12.00am March 27, 2026. A ticket must be purchased to register in a category.

• Entrants will be sent a private submission link via email with submission details. Please do not share this link with anyone.

• The deadline for ticket entries purchase is 1pm June 25, 2026.

• Submission cut off is 11.59pm June 21, 2026

• Category levels: Intermediate (less than 2 years) Advanced (2 years plus)

• Lash Industry Awards is not responsible for technical issues, upload errors, or lost submissions. Entrants are responsible for ensuring successful submission.

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1.2 Participant Eligibility

• The LIA Lash Competition is open to anyone who can meet category entry requirements. This includes those associated with Lash Industry Awards in ambassador/volunteer roles.

• Lash Industry Awards employees, Awards specific partners/sponsors and current event Judges are ineligible.

• Involvement in the Aotearoa Lash Conference as a speaker, panellist, exhibitor or conference only sponsor does not affect eligibility.

• The competition is open to anyone living in New Zealand at the time of entry.

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1.3 Multiple Entries and Placement Limitation​

• Multiple entries in a category are allowed provided each set is on a different model and has its own ticket and meets the appropriate level requirements.

• Entries are non-transferable and must be submitted by the individual or business named in the entry.

• All decisions regarding placements will be final and made in consultation with the category judges and LINZ organisers.

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1.4 Age and Media Release

• All models must be over the age of 18. A media release for photography purposes must be obtained and submitted with entry. This can be downloaded here.

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1.5 Entry Finality

• Refunds are not available; all transactions are final, and participants are required to commit to their entries.

• LINZ is not responsible for third party transaction fees.

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2. Submission Requirements

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2.1 Photo Requirements

• Prior to submitting your work, please carefully review and understand the photo requirements. Our team will not be held responsible for any incorrect or missing angles/photos in the submissions.

• Once an entry email has been sent, it will be considered the final entry for that specific category. No further changes to the photos will be permitted. Please review your entries thoroughly before submission.

• High Resolution images only ( jpeg or .png) No low resolution photos are to be submitted, these will not be judged as the set details cannot be seen.

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2.2 Photo Editing

• Edited photos, watermarked photos, or backgrounds featuring business logos are not accepted.

• Photoshop, Facetune skin smoothing, or filters are prohibited (exceptions in the Creative Lash Art category).

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2.3 Confidentiality

• All entry photos and video content cannot be shared publicly until after the winners have been announced on August 22, 2026. This includes sharing behind the scenes footage of your entry that may identify you. Infringement will risk disqualification.

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2.4 Lash Specifications

• Participants are responsible for adhering to lash weight, diameter, and colour specifications in each category.

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3. Category Adjustments and Disqualifications

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3.1 Category Adjustments

• We reserve the right to adjust categories with different levels. If there is a significant number of entries in an open category, we may divide the winners by level (Intermediate/Advanced).

• If there are insufficient entries in a levels category, all entries will compete at the same level. For example; the event of low entries in Mega Volume, this category will be merged with either pre-made or handmade depending on the set type.

• Organisers reserve the right not to award a placing in any category if the standard of entries / scores do not meet judging criteria.

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3.2 Disqualification Criteria

• We reserve the right to disqualify a chosen winner if it is found that the participant submitted in the wrong category or level.

• Organisers reserve the right to request additional evidence of work (including raw images, timestamps, or process documentation) to verify authenticity.

• Participants must complete all work without assistance from AI or others. Entries discovered to be completed with assistance or using work that does not belong to the participant will be disqualified.

• No refunds are given in the event of disqualification. Please read the guidelines throughly before submission.

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4. Judging and Feedback

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4.1 Judging Process

• Judging will take place following the submission close date and prior to the official announcement of winners.

• The competition is judged via a judging panel made of experienced national and international lash artists and/or experts in their field.

• Each category is judged against a defined scoring criteria including (but not limited to) application, styling, symmetry, direction, and overall finish. Full criteria is outlined in the category guidelines.

• All entries are coded when submitted and judged independently. No names or identifying information are provided to the judges. 

• Final scores are calculated based on an average of all judges’ scores to ensure consistency and fairness across all entries.

• Participants are warned to refrain from communicating with any judge regarding their entry during the entry period and judging process.

• If a judge believes they recognise an entrant’s work, they are required to declare a conflict of interest and that entry will be reassigned or removed from their scoring.

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4.2 Scoresheets and Feedback

• Lash Industry Awards is not obligated to provide scoresheets to participants. Judges' feedback is not guaranteed. Please understand that judges are not required to do so, they are volunteering their time.

• If feedback has been provided, this will be passed on at the organisers discretion.

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5. Awards and Shipping

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5.1 Trophies and Certificates

• Customised trophies and certificates may take up to 6 weeks to be processed after the winners are announced. Priority is given to those attending the Lash Industry Awards evening in Rotorua, NZ on August 22, 2026.

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5.2 Shipping

• When the trophies are ready for shipment, we will contact all participants to confirm shipping details and associated fees. Participants are responsible for all shipping costs.

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6. Intellectual Property

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6.1 Photo Ownership

• By submitting photos in this competition, you acknowledge that Lash Industry Awards is granted rights for commercial use and may use them at any time or place for marketing purposes, digitally or otherwise. If you use creatives (photography, hair stylist, makeup artists etc) you MUST have obtained a Media Release to use these images. This can be found here. Lash Industry Awards is not responsible for any compensation as a result of failure to disclose creatives or obtain a waiver of rights. 

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7. Prohibition of AI Usage

7.1 AI-Generated Content

• The use of AI-generated content in any form for entries or applications is strictly prohibited. All work submitted must be original and created by the participant without the aid of artificial intelligence tools.

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7.2 Verification

• Entries found to have utilised AI in their creation will be disqualified immediately. Lash Industry Awards reserves the right to request verification of the originality of submitted work.

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7.3 Integrity

• By submitting an entry, participants confirm that all work is their own and free from excessive AI assistance, maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the competition.

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8. Additional Terms​

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• Participants are expected to respect the integrity of the awards process and the time volunteered by organisers and judges.

• Any breach of these terms may result in disqualification or further action as determined appropriate by Lash Industry Awards.

• Lash Industry Awards reserves the right to modify, amend, or update the competition rules, guidelines, judging criteria, and any award processes at any time, if deemed necessary.

• Any changes will be made with the intention of ensuring fair and consistent experience for all participants.

• By entering, participants acknowledge and accept that the decisions made by the judging panel are final, binding, and not subject to appeal or dispute.

• Lash Industry Awards and the appointed judging panel maintain complete discretion over the evaluation, scoring, and outcome of the awards process. No correspondence regarding judging outcomes will be entered into.

• Lash Industry Awards reserves the right to amend timelines or event delivery due to unforeseen circumstances.

• All entrants must maintain professional conduct at all times. Any behaviour deemed defamatory, misleading, or damaging to the Lash Industry Awards, its organisers, judges, sponsors, or other entrants online or on social media, may result in immediate disqualification without refund and potential legal action.