Best products to start with?

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Missmcknight93

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Hiya. I'm starting out and currently on a nail course about to start acrylics but also want to buy my own stuff to start off with. What brand do you recommend? Thanks.
 
Hiya. I'm starting out and currently on a nail course about to start acrylics but also want to buy my own stuff to start off with. What brand do you recommend? Thanks.

As you are just starting out, I would suggest that you wait at least until your liquid and powder training has begun, so that you have a chance to get used to the system your course includes.

Once you have gained some experience with the powders and chemicals, then maybe research other systems, but what you don’t want to do is get into bad habits as each system behaves and sets differently.

I would actually encourage and urge you to be as patient as possible in the meantime, even though you may be tempted to follow your own path now.
 
The ‘best’ is totally subjective. Which is ‘best’, a Jaguar or Mercedes? During my career, I’ve used different acrylics at different times.
When pink and white Nails were so popular I found one that had the color I (and clients) wanted. When colored acrylics were popular, I bought another brand. When acrylics needed a primer, I used one brand, when primer was included in the monomer, I bought another brand.
Best was what was needed and was within budget and was easy for me to use.

Be patient, learn the basics well. It will carry you through multiple brands and applications.
 
I agree with Noodle, there are so many different brands and all work slightly different. Every brand has its dedicated followers so there is no wrong or right but what suits you and your technique best. Trying samples is a good way to find your perfect product but I would first work with the kit provided by your trainer and then once you have completed the course and feel confident in the application its worth trying other products. if you start experimenting sooner you wont know if its the product that doesn't fit or your technique x
 
It usually takes around 3 months to become "good" at acrylics, but starting out I recommend buying the cheapest liquid and powder system you can find when practicing.

Discard it after you become proficient. These are not the products you would want to represent your work.

Acrylics usually have the following problems:
  • Yellowing
  • Lifting
  • Breaking
  • Allergies
The CND acrylic system excels in preventing the problems associated with acrylic systems.

That said, even armed with the best products, nail techs can cause problems of their own if they are using bad techniques.
 
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I recommend buying the cheapest liquid and powder system you can find when practicing.

Discard it after you become proficient.

Disagree.

Chose your chosen brand wisely in the beginning. Look for a professional brand, quality (cheap is not great, great is not cheap), excellent training, support and advice going forward.
Train with this product (they all behave differently which you will learn about), become confident in how it works, know how it will behave in various conditions (hot, cold, etc.) become confident in what it can and cannot do, so when your client has issues you know it's their behaviour not your product or application at fault. This is how to become a great nail technician and build your business.

Do not buy cheap and throw it away. This is not financially, practically, or ecologically sound.
 
Well lets put it this way:

Would you start out learning to drive with a new Mercedes Benz or a used old car?
 
Well lets put it this way:

Would you start out learning to drive with a new Mercedes Benz or a used old car?

Entirely different but if you want to use it as an example most people would buy the car they learned in. Because it's familiar, they know how it drives and are confident in it and their capabilities it.
 
Entirely different but if you want to use it as an example most people would buy the car they learned in. Because it's familiar, they know how it drives and are confident in it and their capabilities it.

It has similarities. For example, I would say most people start out driving an older car where their parents got it for them. Most don't have the luxury of buying an entirely new car for themselves when starting out. Or they would learn on their parents car. And some people don't have someone to teach and coach them. When I started to drive I learned on my own.

When I took my nail class, we had to buy a big package of learning equipment. In it was a cheap set of acrylics and that's what we learned on.

Imo, I simply think it is better to buy a cheap set of acrylics and then buy a good one when you become proficient at acrylics.

If this was at a salon, there's no way that the owner would allow you to learn on their products.
 
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We trained everyone who worked for us. After schooling and even after practical experience. If a tech showed promise, I was more than willing to help advance their learning, and thereby my business.

Training helped me and the employee to see strengths and weaknesses. While watching them work, I learned a few things myself.

Yes, I let people practice with my products.
 
When I took my nail class, we had to buy a big package of learning equipment. In it was a cheap set of acrylics and that's what we learned on.

so did I, but mine wasn't cheap. I trained with CND, and used it for 15 years.

I tried other products in those years just to stay ahead of the game and aware of what was around
 
Imo, I simply think it is better to buy a cheap set of acrylics and then buy a good one when you become proficient at acrylics.

and in my opinion all products behave differently so you're better to invest correctly the first time. No point in being proficient in a product that does work well and you need to swap to find better.
 
If this was at a salon, there's no way that the owner would allow you to learn on their products.

That's a sweeping assumption you have no proof of.

Also a pointless move on the part of the salon. Why waste money and time forcing a trainee to learn a product they won't use?! I doubt Decleor (for instance) make their trainees use cheap products in training.
 
I think Noodle and Trinity make good points. Try not to get ahead of yourself by buying and working with products other than the one you are training with (assuming you are training with quality brands). This is especially true if you work with cheap products because you tend to learn what works in the short term. It is a recipe for confusion and maladaptations. Also, it is a good idea to learn the chemistry and principles behind the product before working with it. I know it must be hard to wait, but you can use this time to focus on another aspect of your business - research and develop a business plan, get subscriptions to trade magazine, identify trade conferences (live or virtual), read SalonGeek top to bottom ;)
 
One more thing. I think that we tend to train others the way we were trained. After all, we came out okay, right? We tend to forget the issues we had when training and/or the people who dropped out, or the gaps in our own knowledge or the unnecessary missteps along the way. Just because that's the way we learned, doesn't mean it's the only way or the best way, especially with a new generation of products and nail techs.

jlsdds says it well - learn the basics well. It will carry you through multiple brands.
 
i’ve tried both, cheap years and years ago (non pro) and it was so hard to work with that I gave up entirely. I also used NSI prior to training and used CJP in my training (less than a year ago) and I’ve used ink London acrylic since completing training. I personally prefer ink London out of all of them, I found it the easiest to work with and the slow set monomer slower than the CJP slow set monomer.

I agree you should buy a decent product from the outset and practise with that. I was surprised how different the different brands performed, even different colours of the same Brand perform differently. If you start out with a cheap hard to work with product you may end disheartened and frustrated with your progress.
 
i’ve tried both, cheap years and years ago (non pro) and it was so hard to work with that I gave up entirely. I also used NSI prior to training and used CJP in my training (less than a year ago) and I’ve used ink London acrylic since completing training. I personally prefer ink London out of all of them, I found it the easiest to work with and the slow set monomer slower than the CJP slow set monomer.

I agree you should buy a decent product from the outset and practise with that. I was surprised how different the different brands performed, even different colours of the same Brand perform differently. If you start out with a cheap hard to work with product you may end disheartened and frustrated with your progress.

I'm going to take my final stand here.

People have been working with "low quality" acrylic systems for years now and have had great results with it. It is the same with gel polishes. Which is quite funny, because many of you guys can attest to the great quality of these gel polishes, which I consider an inferior product to CND.

Buying a cheap system, is so that you can get a feel for the product. It is to get your feet in the water without spending a lot up front.

I would not be spending my money on the best tools until I know what I'm doing.

Its as simple as that.
 
I'm going to take my final stand here.

People have been working with "low quality" acrylic systems for years now and have had great results with it. It is the same with gel polishes. Which is quite funny, because many of you guys can attest to the great quality of these gel polishes, which I consider an inferior product to CND.

Buying a cheap system, is so that you can get a feel for the product. It is to get your feet in the water without spending a lot up front.

I would not be spending my money on the best tools until I know what I'm doing.

Its as simple as that.

Yes and I totally understand the logic in what your saying which is why a lot of people do start of with cheap products so they don’t waste money (been there) however since qualifying and understanding how different the products are not to mention the safety element of the chemicals etc it could cost you money in the long run, if a) you struggle to work with the cheap product (which may not be anything like a more expensive product) you may want to not carry on and that’s the cost of training gone (which is the most costly thing, b) having to retrain again in your more expensive chosen system because it doesn’t work the same as the cheap products and c) you could develop an allergy as cheaply made products may not have safety at the forefront of their formulation. The cost per service from just product isn’t that expensive that its worth risking being totally disheartened or developing an allergy making your new business no longer viable or extremely painful.
 
Acrylics have certainly evolved during the years. I started out in 1976, in Austin, Texas, USA. There were two nail salons in Austin at the time and you couldn't get just a manicuring license, it had to be combined with an esthetics licensure.

We used Mona Nails. One step removed from dental products. we didn't have the soft files we now have; we bought sandpaper at the hardware, cut and wrapped around our fingers to buff. We used battery Dremel drills and we even modified an electric eraser.

So, over the last 40+ years, I have used CND, Tammy Taylor, NSI, OPI, and several assorted newbies. Would they be in business next year? Some came and went fast and I've forgotten their names.

After I had the basics firm in practice and knew what to look for in products, felt confident to try other products. Why did I try so many? You never knew what the next best thing could be! And, new companies were more than willing to give samples to maybe gain your business.

When the manicuring industry took off, it did it with a BOOM! How to keep up with technology and fashion? Educate and experiment.

With all the people trying to grab a share of the market, it can quickly be confusing. I think that this all goes back to 'the best' being what is 'best for you, your clientle and budget'.

What a fun profession we chose. Or did it choose us?
 
Yes and I totally understand the logic in what your saying which is why a lot of people do start of with cheap products so they don’t waste money (been there) however since qualifying and understanding how different the products are not to mention the safety element of the chemicals etc it could cost you money in the long run, if a) you struggle to work with the cheap product (which may not be anything like a more expensive product) you may want to not carry on and that’s the cost of training gone (which is the most costly thing, b) having to retrain again in your more expensive chosen system because it doesn’t work the same as the cheap products and c) you could develop an allergy as cheaply made products may not have safety at the forefront of their formulation. The cost per service from just product isn’t that expensive that its worth risking being totally disheartened or developing an allergy making your new business no longer viable or extremely painful.

I have not checked the prices of a cheap acrylic system vs CND acrylic system. If the price difference is more than $100, go cheap. If less than $50, go CND.

The argument that cheap acrylics and CND acrylics will be hard to grasp once you get used to one system is a weak one. It does not take much adjustment once you understand what needs to be done. Again, people have been offering services for well over a decade now with products of varying performances.

Allergies. Yes, they are a problem. However, allergies can take years to develop or they can take a day. If you develop allergies in such a short amount of time, youre simply not cut out for nails, simply because of the environment you are going to be in. And, even when armed with the best products, you can still become allergic if you don't know what youre doing.
 

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