american nails

[julie.castle3]

i've justed replaced 6 nails on a client who is visiting her friend here, she is from florida, the remaining nails she had left where very flat. She said that over there
they start the apllication from the cuticle in one big lump which is very wet ,it is
then worked down to the free edge. i told her the way we are taught over here
in the 3 zones. She did not like any c curve to the nails she liked the flat nails that they do over there. one thing i would like to know is , if they use a very wet application how do their nails stay on.with no pocket lifting. do they use different l&p, the nails she had left were a different colour.

 

[Vetty]

I had a set of nails put on in Las Vegas and that is exactly the method the tech there used - 1 big bead working from the cuticle to the free edge. She used Creative products (Retention+ and solarnail powder). Also, she only used pink powder and then painted on a French tip because (to quote her) 'backfilling a permanent french sucks'!

Her prep was minimal (pushing my eponychium back with an orange stick covered in cotton wool and dipped in Scrubfresh!), and by the time I had been home a week they were lifting a bit.

Not sure this is much help to your questions(!), but you might find it interesting to know!!

Yvette
x

 

[NoticeableNails]

Not that my opinions count for much! But surely you would think training within a company would be standard no matter where you train?!? UK, America, Europe etc.

It's an eye-opener certainly!

 

[Karin]

(Retention+ and solarnail powder)?

You mentioned Solarnail powder, never heard of it before, what is it?

 

[Rose143]

I can't help you with your l&p question, but I know what you are talking about with flat nails and no c-curve. I don't think this is an American problem, but a problem among nailtechs. I have seen it at people from Norway, America, Denmark, Sweden, Germany and also from the UK and also from different product-ranges. I assume it is the nailtech problem, some doesn't like c-curve, some doesn't know how to make it and some doesn't see the c-curve...:-/

Cec.

I agree with Cec on this because when I was on my creative foundation course my Ambassador had to express how important the c curve is for the strength of the enhancement and still many of them never got the picture. So I suppose it's more about how much of what you've learned that you choose to apply to your daily work.

 

[Ohio Nail Tech]

It's not an "American" thing, it's a piss-poor procedure thing lol.
I've seen the one ball method almost exclusively at the nail bars and you would die to see the size of the brush used! It's literally what's called a large fluff (approx. the size of your thumb nail)! We're all taught the 3 ball method, and although I might skip a ball once and again, that's pretty much what I stick to. As for them liking the flat look, yep, happens all the time. Make wonderful looking sleek nails with a beautiful c-curve and they somehow think the flat hooves look better. Go figure.

 

[Vetty]

(Retention+ and solarnail powder)?

You mentioned Solarnail powder, never heard of it before, what is it?

It is a Creative product - I think it's what came before Perfect Colour Powders.....

Yvette
x

 

[Fab Freak]

FNS (Flat Nail Syndrome) is quite common in my area - some people like to have shapeless, flat, flaired nails

I have no idea why but this is the case I couldn't retain a client recently as my nails were to shapefully

 

[scattyfox]

Solarnails was the powders before Perfect colour, they are lovely powders and very similar to the perfect colour ones and slightly bigger pots. This was the start of the Solar range i think. (Solaroil, solarseal etc..)

 

[*JOANNE*]

i agree with louise on this as i have done a few infills on other peoples work and the enhancements are shapless and flat.
common as mustard here flat nails and white tips painted with enamel at the end.
how people can actually like them like that is beyond me.
again like louise i have done full sets on people who are not actually used to having a nice curve and shape to the nail.

 

[Ms.Matrix]

Well, my fellow geeks here comes yet another gut-wretching confession from Ms. Matrix....(sigh) I have been guilty of using the one ball method :Scared: now, now before you guys ban me from the site and from all things nail related hear me out...I remember being taught this way in school and when I joined this site I tried the zones but can never get the zones right...I know there is no excuse...keep in mind guys that I do plan on going back to a DIFFERENT school after the baby comes, to complete the manicuring course and get my license, because the school I was going to has been shut down...Mmmm, wonder why???

Ohio nail tech, I might have to travel and get some tips from you as you are not that far from me.:wink2: As you can see I need all the help I can get!!!!

 

[Jeni Giles]

i've justed replaced 6 nails on a client who is visiting her friend here, she is from florida, the remaining nails she had left where very flat. She said that over there
they start the apllication from the cuticle in one big lump which is very wet ,it is
then worked down to the free edge. i told her the way we are taught over here
in the 3 zones. She did not like any c curve to the nails she liked the flat nails that they do over there. one thing i would like to know is , if they use a very wet application how do their nails stay on.with no pocket lifting. do they use different l&p, the nails she had left were a different colour.

I'll try to put your mind at ease, that's not how we are taught to do nails here either (I should know that's what I teach) Zone sculpting all the way and a natural looking well balanced enhancement is the result. ( GMG is from over here too, and I know for a fact he's a zone sculptor, before lowering his long distance phone bills and moving to England, he was the regional educator for the School I work in) So, your client was just unlucky in techique, and silly enough to think they looked good. Some client's don't understand the structure or beauty that ensures a well balanced enhancement ( not "fake" nail)

 

[Ms.Matrix]

(This is long, so prepare now)
Okay, upon review of my book from school (Milady's Art and Science of Nail Technology) I see the method you guys speak of mentioned:

"Step #11: Form acrylic Ball. Dip the tip of the same brush into the white acrylic powder and rotate slightly. You will pick up a medium/dry ball of acrylic product that is large enough to shape the entire free edge.

12: Place ball of acrylic on free edge. Place acrylic ball on the free edge of tip or natural nail.

13: Shape free edge. Use the middle protion of you sable brush to dab and press the acrylic to shape the free edge. Keep sidewall lines parallel. Do not "paint" acrylic onto nail. If you are using the two-color acrylic method, make sure you follow the natural free edge line with the white powder to produce a French manicure look

14: Place second ball of acrylic. Pick up a second ball of acrylic of medium consistency and place it on the nail bed next to the free edge line in center of nail.

15: Shape second ball of acrylic. Dab and press product to sidewalls and cuticle, making sure the product is very thin around all edges. If you are using a two-color acrylic product use the pink powder in this step.

16: Apply acrylic beads. Pick up mall wet beads of acrylic powder on your bursh and place at cuticle area. Use the moisture in the brush to smooth these beads over entire nail. Glide brush over nail to smooth out imperfections. Keep acrylic application near cuticle, sidewall and free edge extremly thin for the most naural-looking nail. For the two-color method use pink powder to form acrylic beads."

...Now with all that being said, we still just did the one ball method and nothing was really said to us...although I wish we had been corrected, because maybe I wouldn't still be having such a hard time today doing overlays that come out smooth. Which is why I will be going to another school for six months to relearn and re-train and possible get it right this time. It's frustrating to learn that someone who is supposed to know what they are doing actually doesn't and have been teaching you wrong, when you want to know the right way and don't want to cut corners. Teach me the basics, then if I decide I want to cut corners at least I know the elementary basics, and can decide what corners I want to cut, but if you've already taught me the "cut corners" method and I decide to do something quick my whole method falls apart because you never gave me the essentials.

P.S. I could just kick my nail instructor now!!:irked:

 

[Ohio Nail Tech]

Ms.matrix,
Where in michigan? Would be happy to do some 121 with you! Send me a pm...