Bluesky UK launch?

[Michaela at Bluesky UK]

While I do appreciate your efforts to improve your outreach to professional nail techs, I do find this a bit disingenuous. Although you are Bluesky UK, you are a distributor of Bluesky. That is important because although you are apparently not selling the Bluesky Shellac, Bluesky continues to make and market it as seen in this parent company website - http://www.blueskynail.com/products_index/&FrontColumns_navigation01-topnavFirstColumnId=81.html. There are still no MSDS on either Bluesky UK or the parent Bluesky website. Bluesky, like most Chinese cosmetics products, is not cruelty-free and is tested on animals. Both Bluesky UK and Bluesky continue to sell directly to consumers. While individuals are considered professional, so are products. A professional product is one that is marketed to professionals, provides education and marketing support for professionals, advertises in professional media, and generally supports the professionals of the trade. While anyone can buy anything in an open market, it is the focus of the company/product that makes a product professional and it is the combination of a professional product used by a professional tech that makes for a professional service.

Perhaps it is a failing on my part, but I must admit there is probably little Bluesky could do to convince me that it is willing to be a legitimate brand in its own right. I don’t mean to sound harsh or rude, but I have watched Bluesky for the past several years as they had to be sued by CND and HNH to remove “Shellac” and “Gelish” from their products, as they used (stole?) the graphic identity of other brands, as they inundated Amazon and eBay selling directly to consumers, as they provided no associated products and no support to professionals (and still don’t- the training is for those with no previous experience). Every professional is free to make her own choices. My work has been in training and moving NSS and borderline NSS into the realm of professionals. I will continue to advise my clients to avoid counterfeit brands like Bluesky and CCO.

Nancy, I notice that you are based in the US. We are currently talking with the editor on NailMag about our training courses for Bluesky and certification. Do you have an insight into how the different states work in terms of CPD that you would share. It seems a mine field that even the editor is struggling with. Thanks.

 

[Michaela at Bluesky UK]

Feels like most of you have no clue what professional means.
Professional nail tech is a nail tech that makes living by doing it.
Amateur nail tech is who does it for fun and treats it as a hobby.
Professional product is usually available only to the industry professionals who have certificates and qualifications etc.
Professional using professional products would be more desirable to a client as a client can't get the same results or service at home.
Professional using non-professional products is just less desirable to a consumer.

Thank you for a very logical response. I could only add that if a consumer believed a product to be unsuitable to be applied in a professional context then it may be less desirable. There are two elements there that come back to 'try it and see'.

 

[Michaela at Bluesky UK]

I always think that people who go as far as hating something are secretly in love with it, or threatened by it, but maybe that's just me

 

[BuzzyBee12]

I always think that people who go as far as hating something are secretly in love with it, or threatened by it, but maybe that's just me

I don't think that's quite right really. I hate sprouts but I don't 'secretly love them' or feel threatened by them either.

 

[Michaela at Bluesky UK]

I always think that people who go as far as hating something are secretly in love with it, or threatened by it, but maybe that's just me

 

[es22x]

Michaela just browsing your website just now, what is Shinerlac?

 

[es22x]

I always think that people who go as far as hating something are secretly in love with it, or threatened by it, but maybe that's just me

Sorry meant to quote you

 

[Jordon]

What about the animal testing issue?

 

[RED STAR]

Knew there'd be a 'rumble in the jungle' over this one!!!!!!!
The fact that the Beauty Guild accredited it, means Jack sh*t...they seem to be accrediting just about any training course lately!

 

[pure]

Knew there'd be a 'rumble in the jungle' over this one!!!!!!!
The fact that the Beauty Guild accredited it, means Jack sh*t...they seem to be accrediting just about any training course lately!

Accreditation is something paid for by the supplier and says nothing in terms of quality of the course or the products used. The whole accreditation system is quite frankly a farce, it's a means for the accreditors to make money and the accredited to have an appearance of quality.

 

[blossom]

Whatever they do with the brand it will always have a stigma about it for professional techs who like to use professional products.

The public have all seen it freely available on eBay for ages and will not have the same respect for techs choosing to use that,and will make their own minds up as to what they think, although obviously there will still be a market for those techs, because there will always be cheapskate clients wanting bargain nails.

 

[Michaela at Bluesky UK]

Accreditation is something paid for by the supplier and says nothing in terms of quality of the course or the products used. The whole accreditation system is quite frankly a farce, it's a means for the accreditors to make money and the accredited to have an appearance of quality.

Are you saying that courses accredited by organisations such as the Beauty Guild are worthless? Because there are many brands that purport not to be available for general sale that have courses accredited by them?

 

[Michaela at Bluesky UK]

What about the animal testing issue?

Unless you're are going for canine pedicures, I can say that there is no animal testing. I wonder where the rumour came from?

 

[Michaela at Bluesky UK]

Michaela just browsing your website just now, what is Shinerlac? View attachment 194225View attachment 194226

It's a Bluesky brand, ES22. Thanks for visiting the site.

 

[pure]

New Are you saying that courses accredited by organisations such as the Beauty Guild are worthless? Because there are many brands that purport not to be available for general sale that have courses accredited by them?

Absolutely not! There are many excellent course providers who pay for their accreditation, they do so because it's something they have to have in order for insurance companies to offer cover for their students. Unfortunately accreditation by any body, not just The Guild, still does not guarantee quality of course or products.

 

[NancySyd]

"Thank you again for your comments, and note that blueskynail is not the parent company."

So are you telling me that Bluesky UK is not in any way affiliated with http://www.blueskynail.com/products_index/&FrontColumns_navigation01-topnavFirstColumnId=81.html
even though they have the same logo, bottles, color numbers? If you are an authorized distributor, who are you a distributor for? Where does your product come from?

 

[NancySyd]

I don't think that's quite right really. I hate sprouts but I don't 'secretly love them' or feel threatened by them either.

I'm sorry, but that is a very adolescent response, more appropriate to a middle school fight than a professional forum. And no one "hates" Bluesky; they are raising valid concerns about the product. The concerns are the same as those asked of other brands promoted here, like IBX or Megamix. You might examine those threads to see examples of a good exchange of information. Right now, this resembles more the debacle over the O'Nine brand from a year or two back.

Insulting the people you hope to market to is not a good strategy and undermines your credibility.

 

[Michaela at Bluesky UK]

Absolutely not! There are many excellent course providers who pay for their accreditation, they do so because it's something they have to have in order for insurance companies to offer cover for their students. Unfortunately accreditation by any body, not just The Guild, still does not guarantee quality of course or products.

Maybe that's something to take up with the UK Beauty Insurance sector then, because the courses are accredited to safeguard consumers and to insure the students to practice as professionals using the product of choice. They are trained to decide what to use, and when, and to operate in a professional setting. That is what professional indemnity insurance is for - to indemnify a professional.

 

[Emm87]

"Thank you again for your comments, and note that blueskynail is not the parent company."

So are you telling me that Bluesky UK is not in any way affiliated with http://www.blueskynail.com/products_index/&FrontColumns_navigation01-topnavFirstColumnId=81.html
even though they have the same logo, bottles, color numbers? If you are an authorized distributor, who are you a distributor for? Where does your product come from?

Thanks Nancy for asking this question as I was thinking exactly the same thing! Is Bluesky UK related to the products on the link or not? And if not, why is 'Bluesky UK' not doing anything about another company seemingly copying them and contributing to their unprofessional image? These unanswered issues are just a part of what makes this a brand I wouldn't want to support.

 

[Minkeybox]

Can we go back to the animal cruelty issue please?

Now ok, you are the UK distributor. Is The Bluesky gel polish you distribute/sell developed, tested & made in the UK?

Is it developed, tested & made in any country in the EU?

Or, (as I suspect) is it sent over to you (for distubution) from the country in which it was originally developed, tested & made-China? China most certainly does test on animals, as far as I know its a legal requirement for any cosmetic product thats sold/produced in China to be tested on animals.

You have stated that its cruelty free- can you elaborate on this please? You have elaborated on many other questions raised in this thead but your attitude towards the animal cruelty one seems to just be 'well its not, so there!'

If im wrong on any of these points, correct me