Back after a break

[Charlie D]

Hi all,

I started my full Nail Tech course last year but had to take some time off due to illness (I have Crohns Disease) but just getting back in to things now and back on my course.

I've got so much running through my mind with set-up costs and thinking about being self employed etc. Because I've had a change in career due to my illness originally, I've managed to get help with costs but I need to give them a list of everything I need & where I'll be purchasing from. I'm having trouble narrowing it down as there are so many things I've tried and I'm confused! I was just wondering how you decided which brands you were going to use?

Any advice would be gratefully received ☺

 

[Hannah O'neill]

Hey I do gel nails and have literally just passed on friday to do acrylics. I've been doing gel nails from home for past 1 and a half nearly 2 years and I use Gelish by nail harmony for that and when it comes to acrylics i think i may go for what we used on my course which was nsi attraction. I'm still looking up where to buy things from and slightly struggling with the acrylics but with the gelish i buy products off ebay from america you need to make sure there genuine but i never have any problems from america its when its from china or believe it or not the uk when it comes to fakes.

I'm blabbering on now ha but I'm struggling for the best places to buy my acrylic stuff from

 

[Sara-Jane]

Hey I do gel nails and have literally just passed on friday to do acrylics. I've been doing gel nails from home for past 1 and a half nearly 2 years and I use Gelish by nail harmony for that and when it comes to acrylics i think i may go for what we used on my course which was nsi attraction. I'm still looking up where to buy things from and slightly struggling with the acrylics but with the gelish i buy products off ebay from america you need to make sure there genuine but i never have any problems from america its when its from china or believe it or not the uk when it comes to fakes.

I'm blabbering on now ha but I'm struggling for the best places to buy my acrylic stuff from

You can't guarantee that when buying branded products such as Gelish, CND Shellac etc are 100% genuine products when from buying off eBay, I think it's best to buy from legitimate distributors

 

[Hannah O'neill]

You can't guarantee that when buying branded products such as Gelish, CND Shellac etc are 100% genuine products when from buying off eBay, I think it's best to buy from legitimate distributors

I can when I know what to look for in a genuine gelish product Ive been using the make for over 3 years and ive been through quite a few fakes don't get me wrong when I buy from certain people on ebay but I know a company in America that do sell genuine products never had any problems and they're exactly the same as my ones we use at work the labels unravel the same along with all the wording on the inside
There are some genuine products on there you just need to know the companies and your products well
X

 

[cheekychick]

I can when I know what to look for in a genuine gelish product Ive been using the make for over 3 years and ive been through quite a few fakes don't get me wrong when I buy from certain people on ebay but I know a company in America that do sell genuine products never had any problems and they're exactly the same as my ones we use at work the labels unravel the same along with all the wording on the inside
There are some genuine products on there you just need to know the companies and your products well
X

Your Insurance would be invalid when it comes to buying from unauthorised distributors if something were to happen and you needed to make a claim

 

[cheekychick]

Hi all,

I started my full Nail Tech course last year but had to take some time off due to illness (I have Crohns Disease) but just getting back in to things now and back on my course.

I've got so much running through my mind with set-up costs and thinking about being self employed etc. Because I've had a change in career due to my illness originally, I've managed to get help with costs but I need to give them a list of everything I need & where I'll be purchasing from. I'm having trouble narrowing it down as there are so many things I've tried and I'm confused! I was just wondering how you decided which brands you were going to use?

Any advice would be gratefully received [emoji5]

Stick to authorised distributors.
If you want to go with Nsi then purchase directly from them, same with Nail harmony, CND (sweet squared) etc.

I started with Nsi when I first trained then converted to nail harmony prohesion for acrylic and I much prefer it.
It's a dream to work with & file.
x

 

[Hannah O'neill]

I do know that, I've been doing it from home for nearly 3 years but officially for a year and a half nearly 2 I have over 200 gelish colours and products about 25/40 of them are brought from America due to them either being discontinued or ingredients being changed within them- that meaning a colour change. The clients who have these colours are aware they're not from the official nail harmony company however if they want that certain colour and it's discontinued they know I'm going to have to buy it else where
X

 

[Bcoo]

I struggled with NSI acrylic. I switched to CND and never looked back x

 

[Cindy2021]

Your clients might be aware of that but it won't change the fact your insurance won't cover you if they have a reaction and make a claim
I use Nsi attraction and secrets and buy it from Nsi Scotland. I've also recently tried and love ink London Acrylink but there's not enough colours to tempt me to change.

 

[Hannah O'neill]

Your clients might be aware of that but it won't change the fact your insurance won't cover you if they have a reaction and make a claim
I use Nsi attraction and secrets and buy it from Nsi Scotland. I've also recently tried and love ink London Acrylink but there's not enough colours to tempt me to change.

I understand that I don't use them on all my clients my older ones well not older but the ones I've started off with mainly close friends are the only people I use them on any new clients ive gained since advertising ive not even shown them the colours. I understand what you all mean but its only the people I've done them on since I started out not everyone lol

When you buy acrylic tips do you all buy white, natural or clear or all of them? Been using cheap stuff to practise with on these plastic finger things but not 100%sure on whats best to buy
X

 

[Cindy2021]

I use pro impression tips and I buy the clear and natural in stiletto and square although I rarely use the square ones. Most of my clients prefer sculpted nails

 

[attitude]

You are absolutely fooling yourself about having the knowledge to spot fakes. Being fake may have nothing whatsoever to do with the bottle or label. It's what's inside.

 

[Hannah O'neill]

You are absolutely fooling yourself about having the knowledge to spot fakes. Being fake may have nothing whatsoever to do with the bottle or label. It's what's inside.

Not being funny but if the labels matching my ones at work and they're going on exactly the same as the ones from work and my ones from gelish.. I have no problems with them shrinking, going off or going wrong.... then they must be pretty good fakes because one or 2 of them I find better than the ones I buy from nail harmony themselves. Obviously ive been through one or two that are just shocking.
Along with that like I have already said I use them one my clients ive had since I've started out and they're colours that have been discontinued my clients are the actual people who asked if there was a way of getting the colour if my Client was that colour and harmony dont sell it anymore and they don't like the new ones brought out for that specific colour im going to show them the ones offline and it's up to them whether they want me to get it or not they know it may not last as long they know it may not be the original but I tell them all that and leave it up to them if they want it or not obviously I'm the one buying them ive used them on my nails and they're not affected my nails any different my nails are still healthy when I remove them
I know what comes with buying what could be fake products I don't use them on all of my clients just the ones who have requested the colour I can't get hold of

 

[CocoAllure]

Not being funny but if the labels matching my ones at work and they're going on exactly the same as the ones from work and my ones from gelish.. I have no problems with them shrinking, going off or going wrong.... then they must be pretty good fakes because one or 2 of them I find better than the ones I buy from nail harmony themselves. Obviously ive been through one or two that are just shocking.
Along with that like I have already said I use them one my clients ive had since I've started out and they're colours that have been discontinued my clients are the actual people who asked if there was a way of getting the colour if my Client was that colour and harmony dont sell it anymore and they don't like the new ones brought out for that specific colour im going to show them the ones offline and it's up to them whether they want me to get it or not they know it may not last as long they know it may not be the original but I tell them all that and leave it up to them if they want it or not obviously I'm the one buying them ive used them on my nails and they're not affected my nails any different my nails are still healthy when I remove them
I know what comes with buying what could be fake products I don't use them on all of my clients just the ones who have requested the colour I can't get hold of

Why don't you just buy from the authorised uk distributor? What is the real reason you go to eBay for your products? Is it cheaper?

 

[Hannah O'neill]

Why don't you just buy from the authorised uk distributor? What is the real reason you go to eBay for your products? Is it cheaper?

Like I said further up I go to eBay when the colours have been discontinued from gelish themselves I have over 200 colours and about maybe 25/30 of them are fakes what would be the point in me having insurance if all the product I have is fake? I have 2 people who work in insurance so I know for those colours it invalidates my insurance like I've already said I use those colours on clients who have been coming to me since I've started out which is about 3/4 years at work and then came to me out of work when I went elsewhere
Yes it is cheaper to buy from America however again I know already it invalidates my insurance so it wouldn't be worth buying them all the time

 

[Sara-Jane]

I think you miss the point that these still might be fake items and contain God knows what, and could cause your clients damage - and your willing to risk it? Just because the label says one thing doesn't mean it's 100% correct

My niece was actually fooled by this with make up, she purchased a Urban Decay Naked palette from eBay and it looked very legitimate, ingredients were the same, packaging the same, eye shadows had that creamy texture that urban decay shadows seem to have until she woke up the next morning, and her face and throat all swollen terribly

When you consider this is her normally

 

[CocoAllure]

Like I said further up I go to eBay when the colours have been discontinued from gelish themselves I have over 200 colours and about maybe 25/30 of them are fakes what would be the point in me having insurance if all the product I have is fake? I have 2 people who work in insurance so I know for those colours it invalidates my insurance like I've already said I use those colours on clients who have been coming to me since I've started out which is about 3/4 years at work and then came to me out of work when I went elsewhere
Yes it is cheaper to buy from America however again I know already it invalidates my insurance so it wouldn't be worth buying them all the time

Ok so basically you buy from eBay because they do colours that gelish have discontinued? Doesn't that in itself ring alarm bells? That gelish no longer make a product you can easily get hold of on eBay? I think your brave openly admitting that you buy your 'professional' products from eBay. But you do realise we all can? I can buy a big bottle of retention + from eBay for a lot cheaper and pretend it's real, and tell everyone ele's it's real just because I think it's real. If you've had proper training, they do advise not to cut corners, the fact you do shows your willing to risk a customers health for cost purposes which leads us to believe you may not stop there. The whole thing is dishonest and the fact it jeopardise's your insurance hasn't stopped you from doing it.
Sorry if I'm being abrupt but you can understand why this would rattle our cage.

 

[AcidPerm]

Like I said further up I go to eBay when the colours have been discontinued from gelish themselves
Yes it is cheaper to buy from America however again I know already it invalidates my insurance so it wouldn't be worth buying them all the time

I hate to point out the obvious flaw here but....

You buy from eBay when the COLOURS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINED by Nail Harmony.

So if Nail Harmony don't actually manufacture them anymore, who do you think is making them and selling them online? Could it be the factories in Asia producing all the other fake gel brands perhaps?

I know you've convinced yourself it's no big deal and worth the risk, but if a client develops an allergic reaction, are you prepared to pay out ££££ in compensation from your own pocket?

 

[CocoAllure]

Hey I do gel nails and have literally just passed on friday to do acrylics. I've been doing gel nails from home for past 1 and a half nearly 2 years and I use Gelish by nail harmony for that and when it comes to acrylics i think i may go for what we used on my course which was nsi attraction. I'm still looking up where to buy things from and slightly struggling with the acrylics but with the gelish i buy products off ebay from america you need to make sure there genuine but i never have any problems from america its when its from china or believe it or not the uk when it comes to fakes.

I'm blabbering on now ha but I'm struggling for the best places to buy my acrylic stuff from

Why would you be struggling to find places to buy acrylic from? It seems to me that you have resorted to buying from eBay as you can't open accounts with authorised distributors!!!
Which is odd if you hold the right qualifications it's not hard

 

[HannahJane90]

Like I said further up I go to eBay when the colours have been discontinued from gelish themselves I have over 200 colours and about maybe 25/30 of them are fakes what would be the point in me having insurance if all the product I have is fake? I have 2 people who work in insurance so I know for those colours it invalidates my insurance like I've already said I use those colours on clients who have been coming to me since I've started out which is about 3/4 years at work and then came to me out of work when I went elsewhere
Yes it is cheaper to buy from America however again I know already it invalidates my insurance so it wouldn't be worth buying them all the time

I honestly can't believe what I am reading!!!! [emoji15] if I was using a product that I'm not covered with insurance I would absolutely shit myself! You say you are a professional for 3 years bla bla bla but buying products from ebay is a joke! I have NEVER bought even a body lotion, hairspray, nail polish or anything that would touch my skin from ebay. The thought of harming a member of the public and losing my business absolutely terrifies me!! Use the proper distributors, they can provide help, peace of mind and don't buy what you can't afford. If a product is discontinued... There is a bloody good reason for it!