Best way to practice?

[waxcetera]

I'm ordering my NSI Attractions kit tomorrow night, woo hoo

I'm looking at ways to practice applying the powder etc and then practicing nail art.

I know there are practice wheels but I've seen a 'practice finger' with slide in tips, anyone ever used one of those? do they stand up or keep falling over? Also, there a full hand I've seen.

Obviously positioning and glueing the actual tips will have to be on my own fingers, but want to practice, practice, practice applying the acrylic on tips first.

thanks x

 

[cerries]

Hi hunni

Obviously it goes without saying that the best practice would be on willing hands - real life ones lol. I found as many people as I could to practice on - I personally don't feel there is a substitution for real hands.

However when real hands were not readily available, I used, and still do use, my Nail Trainer. I bought some of those cheapie hands off eBay to practice on but found that they were rubbish. It's a little more costly, but a Nail Trainer is ideal for practising. I wouldn't be without mine - I use it to practice L&P, nail art - everything.

Hths x

 

[waxcetera]

thanks, will have a look for one. I've got a friend who wants to guinea pig for me, but I need to practice first, I've never done any nails before, only watched my tech and the dvd. Wouldn't feel right doing it on her hands until I've done lots of practice first.

Will depend on the price I can find one for, though, the initial list I wrote for what I required, followed by the list of what I wanted, has snowballed upto £220, eek

 

[Mandita8601]

could try sticking nails to a piece of cardboard.. Best thing is friends/family or your own. Those fake hand things are expensive and IMO not necessary. The ones i've seen have very large nail plates, so not ideal

 

[waxcetera]

Just had a look, will have to go on my 'if i win the lottery list' lol.

tbh, I'm thinking of trying to make one out of fimo, now I've seen that, I could use a rubber glove as the mold, put a bit of dowling in, then mount it to a c clip. (well the ideas there in my head lol, not sure if I'll be able to do it)

 

[Mandita8601]

I've never done any nails before, only watched my tech and the dvd.

Think you should do a course starting from the basics

 

[Mandita8601]

I could use a rubber glove as the mold, put a bit of dowling in, then mount it to a c clip.

No, no, no that will not work. Go on a course. I'm not saying anything else :smack: use your head

 

[waxcetera]

I'd love to go on a course, got details of a few, but I'm on a low income and just can't afford it. I'm trying to find funding for it as a carer.

I've no intention of doing anyones nails but my own, unless I went on a course, for now, I'm doing this just for me.

 

[VHunter]

Hun, PLEASE take this advice on board. Im not trying to be mean or anything.
Truly, this is for YOUR benefit.

Scrimp, save, use coupons, go without your regular 'treats'... whatever it takes to get the money.

Because, quite frankly..... without a PROPER course, I can personally guarantee that you'll waste TONNES of money practicing and getting absolutely nowhere. In fact, in the end, your 'practicing' will have cost more than a course.

Those of us that HAVE taken courses even found that it took 100 sets AFTER the course to create a decent set of nails. And a course will teach FAR MORE than a piddly CD/DVD ever could.
Without a proper course, you're doomed from the start.
Go through the forums.. you'll see.
Those that took cd/dvd courses wound up needing MUCH more training to follow (on average) before producing a decent set.

I'm not trying to be negative, I'm being HONEST.
Save your money. Use a jar you can't open or whatever.....
In the long run, taking a course will cost you LESS than NOT taking the course.

Best of luck.

 

[Vetty]

I've got a friend who wants to guinea pig for me, but I need to practice first, I've never done any nails before, only watched my tech and the dvd. Wouldn't feel right doing it on her hands until I've done lots of practice first.

I've no intention of doing anyones nails but my own, unless I went on a course, for now, I'm doing this just for me.

You obviously do have the intention of doing people's nails other than your own, so all I will say is if you can't do a course don't do anyone's nails. If you stop having your nails done and put away the money that each appointment would cost you will get the money for a course together.

If you work on your own or someone elses nails without training you will cause damage and I'm not prepared to advise you. Also, without wishing to seem unfriendly I've paid a lot of money and spent many hours training to be good at what I do, why should I share that with you when you aren't prepared to invest time and money of your own?

 

[cerries]

Hi hunni

I have to agree with the others - I assumed before that you had been on a course and just wanted a way to practise what you have been taught. I bought my trainer from eBay, and only after I had done 3 courses...

I understand about not being able to afford the education, as it can be costly. I have just opened my salon a fortnight ago, and looking back over the set-up costs taking everything into account training has by far been the biggest expenditure, and continues to be so as I'm doing new courses quite frequently.

My husband and I aren't particularly well off, and we really have scrimped and saved for me to be able to do these courses over the last year.

I went to CND for my training, and still do, and I firmly believe that you get what you pay for. But if you wanted to try a course in the industry to see what you think I don't know whether a generic beauty school would be cheaper...

Hth x

 

[katiebbaby]

How can you expect to go onto a professional site and ask for advise from professionals whom have invested in there education and expect us to reply, when you have basically no idea what so ever how L&P works, or powder as you put it, there is so much more to doing enhancments than what you think, you need to know how the powder (polymer) works when mixed with liquid (monomer) mix ratio, anatomy , contraindications, these are just a few issues which you will have no understanding of.

I was amazed and still am at how much time effort and sheer determination it takes to become a good nail tech, and have known a few people try there hand and when it's harder than they think they give up. Seriously hun if you think you are going to make money then I would think again as unless you invest in your education you will get zero return. I have invested thousands not to mention equipment and only now after a yr can I say I am making a good wage for myself with a good client base, but I know hand on heart if it was not for me investing in my education with such a good company cnd, then I would not be where I am today.

xx

 

[gillian w]

Just out of interest did nsi ask you if you were qualified before they supplied you with your kit.I know you can get sample kits quite readily but i thought most companies especially one as large and with their own training academy as NSI would have been quite stringent on only supplying to professionals.

 

[katiebbaby]

Gillian you would be surprised, I know alot of places you can go online set an account up and hey presto they send you stuff. I am qualified and insured but as far as they know I could of made it up. And im talking most of the big named suppliers, CND s2 being the only one I know of whom you need to send your certs or do a conversion before being able to purchase their L&P or gel products.

 

[gillian w]

Really,thats not good. I have only dealt with Ezflow,Calgel they all have a policy and i know bio do.Ive had sample sets from young and Nsi but just thought that because i wasnt ordering enough to do that many sets they didnt ask

 

[waxcetera]

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, that wasn't my intention.

This only started because I was having trouble getting to my nail tech, she does it part time and with childcare issues, I just couldn't get there often enough.

I know it wouldn't be easy, but with my birthday money, I wanted to buy the kit and at least have a go. It was something for me. If it doesn't work out, then my nail tech has said she will buy it off me.

I thought until I find out if I can do the course, I could ask for advice, sorry.

 

[cerries]

Hi hun

Don't apologise - I just think that you need to know what becoming a nail technician requires a huge amount of commitment, dedication, money and time...I didn't realise how much there was to it before I started my journey just over a year ago, and I know I have only just scraped the tip of the iceberg even now....It really is so much more than a case of just buying the kit and giving it a go...like another poster said, I am still finding it challenging after doing many courses and doing 100s sets of nails of practice...

If it really is something you would like to look into, get yourself booked onto a course to see how you get on, and then take it from there x