The most common fault of amateurs and students is that they use the brush at the wrong angle (see brush control) when trying to make the product ‘meld’ with the nail, which in turn scoops the product from zone 3 and into zone 2 making zone 2 look bulky and zone 3 too thin or uneven. Keep the brush handle only slightly raised, the merest bit higher than it was in zone 2. The finished zone 3 should be thin, but even, and should ‘melt’ into the natural nail so that it is not possible to tell where the enhancement ends and the natural nail begins.

The second most common fault is placing the bead into the small gap that is left showing in zone three. This is the wrong placement of the bead and is the principal cause of product touching the skin, which will always cause lifting. Placing the bead in the gap leaves you with no room to work. The restriction on your space means that as soon as you start to work the bead, it touches the skin.

You must have control of the bead at this stage of your work, and placement of the bead is very important. Using the push and pull method in this zone also ensures no lifting and a thin and even coverage of zone 3. The push action firmly presses the product onto the nail surface (hence no lifting) and the pull smooths out and distributes the product evenly.

Make the correct sized bead and place in the centre of the nail and on the edge of the completed zone 2. Gently but firmly press the flat side of the brush onto the bead and push the product up to, but not touching, the centre of the eponychium and in one fluid movement, draw your brush lightly all the way down over the tip. Go back and do the same at each side- pushing the product back firmly and then smoothing forward lightly all the way down and over the tip.

Following through all the way over the tip with your brush strokes, when you do each zone ensures a silky smooth finish as all the zones are drawn together. The silkier and smoother the finish, the less filing there is to do later.

Creating the different pressures is very important. You want the firm pressure so that the product makes good contact with the dry nail surface but then, you want light pressure so that you don’t move or scoop the product into a zone where you do not want it. The smoother the surface, the easier finishing will be.

I always finish with a few extra strokes from one side to the centre and then the other side to the centre making sure the bulk of the product is always in the middle of the nail. It is so common to see nails that have a nice form, but they look ‘flat’ and uninteresting. This is due to lack of brush technique. Good brush technique lets you build the product up in the centre of the nail so that is has a lovely ‘C’ curve all along the length of the nail.

Important things to remember.
Use only the flags of the brush when working your product.
Never use the belly of the brush to press the product beads. Using your brush this way is an overexposure hazard.
Never use your brush to 'clean' around the edges of the nail plate or under the free edge. Using your brush this way is an overexposure hazard.