How far do you blend?

[marie111]

I know we are taught to blend so the tip line is invisible but how many of you actually do this? I do this because that's the way I was taught and I used to do a lot of silk/fibreglass so had to. I'm asking because I seem to spend a long time blending and can't reduce my times anymore.
I have been told many times that I am a perfectionist but I don't see that as a bad trait, but am I being to much of a perfectionsist blending down to make sure the tip is invisible?

 

[Jaffacake]

I blend till the tip is invisible too, but this last set that I applied on myself im not happy with... im sure that I blended them in fully (even though it gives me cramp doing my own) but after id applied the L&P i could see the line where the tip would have been?? think i saw a similar post to this the other day where someone said it looked like a double smile line almost? anyway I airbrushed over the top of them so it doesnt show...

 

[Vetty]

I don't believe you are being too perfectionist wanting the tip line invisible..... it is something I do every time and makes a huge difference to the quality of my nails (I use l+p btw). Blending used to take me ages and I totally dreaded it, but now although still not a quick job I have speeded up.

One thing I am interested to know though - how many of you pre-blend tips before applying to the nail? I was taught to cut the well area out, apply to the nail and them blend til invisible..... I had some 1:1 training recently and the educator reckoned I shouldn't cut the well area just use a file to reduce and then pre-blend before applying and then finish blending on the nail.... I've tried it and it takes me ages - is there anything wrong with the way I was doing it before?

Yvette
x

 

[ValencianNails]

am I being to much of a perfectionsist blending down to make sure the tip is invisible?

I don't think so at all.... what's the point of having the tip visible through the fibreglass, l+p or gel? they would only look awful.
I try to get my tip as invisible as possible too.
One of my clients actually takes her glasses off to have a closer look at the finished product
I think we all know what looks better on the nail, a nicely blended tip will win every time.
what sort of timescale do you have Marie? maybe there are other ways of shortening the length of time it takes.
Geeg showed me a couple of tips for speeding up and it's helped me loads. Applying all 10 nails with the fibreglass then trimming the excess off on all 10, putting the trimmed fibreglass on the back of your hand so you only discard once and not 10 times as I was doing before. This has taken my time down quite a bit.
hth
xx

 

[DONZIE]

Hi,
I was taught to cut out the well area with a pair of curved scissors unless you use Velocity tips then theres no need as the well area is already reduced. I then thin out the tip a bit and thin the edge so it starts to look a bit feathery. Then I apply the tip and thin out a bit more then tilt the file a little to blend in the edge of the tip to the nail plate. I find I have to be careful not to file too much when the tip is on cos very often I find I file through the tip. I also have the problem where sometimes I can see the edge of the tip which looks like a shadow but I don't understand why cos when I've blended the tip you can't see where the tip ends and the nail starts. But when the product goes on and is brought to a shine, you can see this whitish shadow!!

I don't think so at all.... what's the point of having the tip visible through the fibreglass, l+p or gel? they would only look awful.
I try to get my tip as invisible as possible too.
One of my clients actually takes her glasses off to have a closer look at the finished product
I think we all know what looks better on the nail, a nicely blended tip will win every time.
what sort of timescale do you have Marie? maybe there are other ways of shortening the length of time it takes.
Geeg showed me a couple of tips for speeding up and it's helped me loads. Applying all 10 nails with the fibreglass then trimming the excess off on all 10, putting the trimmed fibreglass on the back of your hand so you only discard once and not 10 times as I was doing before. This has taken my time down quite a bit.
hth
xx

 

[marie111]

I cut the tip but I'll try thinning it by filing, makes sense when you sit and think about it. I am doing mainly L&P now. I know that for the look and balance of the nail it's best to file right down but I'm talking 3/4 hour to prep apply tips and blend.

 

[pmason]

I find I have to be careful not to file too much when the tip is on cos very often I find I file through the tip. I also have the problem where sometimes I can see the edge of the tip which looks like a shadow but I don't understand why cos when I've blended the tip you can't see where the tip ends and the nail starts. But when the product goes on and is brought to a shine, you can see this whitish shadow!!

This happens with me as well! I've got a real 'thing' about blending the tip till it's invisible and there's a real fine line between doing that and filing the whole thing away. I've had to reapply tips before now cos I've filed right through it. So annoying!

 

[DONZIE]

What I do now is try not to over thin the before I putting it on the nail. I do finish with thinning the tip down the tip so to feather the edge a little then I find the edge seems to just melt away. I try also to use a very light touch.

This happens with me as well! I've got a real 'thing' about blending the tip till it's invisible and there's a real fine line between doing that and filing the whole thing away. I've had to reapply tips before now cos I've filed right through it. So annoying!

 

[pmason]

I've never actually tried thinning the tip before applying it, only minimising the contact area etc. I'll have to give that a go, I bet it's easier to see what you're doing that way. Thank you!!

 

[DONZIE]

That is how I was taught to do it. Thinning it out before you put the tip on the nail plate means you have less filing to do when it's attached to the client!! The other day I put a new set on a colleague that I'd done before and because I'd filled out a client record sheet, I knew what size tips she needed so I had them all laid out and thinned a bit before she arrived. That saved an awful lot of time!!

I've never actually tried thinning the tip before applying it, only minimising the contact area etc. I'll have to give that a go, I bet it's easier to see what you're doing that way. Thank you!!

 

[jacqui]

I know we are taught to blend so the tip line is invisible but how many of you actually do this? I do this because that's the way I was taught and I used to do a lot of silk/fibreglass so had to. I'm asking because I seem to spend a long time blending and can't reduce my times anymore.
I have been told many times that I am a perfectionist but I don't see that as a bad trait, but am I being to much of a perfectionsist blending down to make sure the tip is invisible?

i was also taught this way, and yes it is time consuming, but, i started to thin the tip down before putting it on the nail, i found it did reduce my time slightly.

i am one of the ones that has said marie is a perfectionist, but i didnt mean it in a bad way, i think its good to be a perfectionist where nails are concerned, cause then you are always striving to produce better nails

so no marie i wouldnt say it was a trait to be a perfectionist.

 

[Rose143]

Hi Marie,

I was taught to file the well out, pre blend tips to just thin enough to apply properly (as much as you can without bending the tip when you apply with adhesive), then blend with a 180 grit file work across the tip (left to right) in long strokes applying quite a bit of pressure and then go back a second time doing exactly the same and the tip line should dissapear. The long strokes and pressure is where I cut my time down immensley.

It used to take me 45 minutes to do tipping and bleding, now takes me 15 minutes.

Hope this helps!! :hug: