Completley fed up maybe I should just paint them.

[Natural Beauty]

Heys guys

I apoliges in advance if im moaning or if im posting in the wrong place just really deflated and fed up.
Ive just come back from doing my 3rd set of nails (4th if you count the set on myself) and they are awful. Im getting worse not better. They look lovely when i have just put the tips on but as soon as i put the acrylic on they look awful. I cant do the white im wondering if i should just use polish instead. they are uneven and am spending loads of time filing and it still ends up lumpy.

Luckly im only doing them on my mum and sister at the moment but its still costing me money to do it. I cant expect anyone to pay for the rubbish im putting out at the min therefore losing out and not improving.

sorry for going on i know its prob not what you wanted to hear.:sad:

 

[carlyfaye24]

stick with it and keep practisng, it will get easier! and if you are still finding it difficult go back to the company you trained with and ask if you can attend the course again, free of charge, ive heard a few places do this!

when i did my lash training one lady was practising for 9 months before she assed her assessment but she got there in the end!
good luck

 

[Claudia]

Aw please don't despair, I see you are using creative products so you must have had the great training they provide, I know you might have heard this before but its all practice, practice and then some more practice... I have been the same and I am only just coming out of the other side now I look at all the gorgeous nails on this site and can't wait to be at that level and one day i will be (but only if I keep plugging away at it).

Good luck, and don't give up

C

 

[Natural Beauty]

thanks guys. I went to do my set today really confident and ready to start charging a small amount to help me cover cost but now i feel im back to square one. My training was excellent i have lots of cut off nails left over so will be practising again tomorrow. Its just dishearting. Ive had a pretty pooey day so that prob hasnt helped. Just need to stay positive. Im to much of a perfectionist and cant aask people to pay for something i wouldnt want to pay for even if they do no im still training!!

 

[NoLimitNails]

But you should make them pay hun, you are in training, but still uses time and money, so at least you should have your costs covered. I know if its mum and sister might be difficult, but beware of not offering for free to anybody else!

You just need to let them know that your in training, and therefore reduced prices.
There are loads of threads regarding price when training.

And don't worry about your nails, they will be better, maybe have a look on the smileline video on the CND-website?

 

[xAnnaBannAx]

Heys guys

I apoliges in advance if im moaning or if im posting in the wrong place just really deflated and fed up.
Ive just come back from doing my 3rd set of nails (4th if you count the set on myself) and they are awful. Im getting worse not better. They look lovely when i have just put the tips on but as soon as i put the acrylic on they look awful. I cant do the white im wondering if i should just use polish instead. they are uneven and am spending loads of time filing and it still ends up lumpy.

Luckly im only doing them on my mum and sister at the moment but its still costing me money to do it. I cant expect anyone to pay for the rubbish im putting out at the min therefore losing out and not improving.

sorry for going on i know its prob not what you wanted to hear.:sad:

Actually Im gonna disagree with the others....no I dont think you can expect people to pay you at the minute....sometimes when people start training the nails they do are pretty good and maybe they could ask for payment....but unfortunately some peoples nails are really not good at all when they first start!...and you cant expect them to be either...BUT I think what you could do is....get a pot...put a large and clearly written label on it saying ' NAIL TRAINING FUND.... SMALL DONATIONS APPRECIATED ' (or something like that) and have it on show at all times....next time you do practice on someone make sure that pots nearby :lol:.....I think after youve done a few sets and your nails are looking better then you should just say to people you would appreciate it if they could stick a tenner in the pot to help towards your costs.

What I think you really need to do before you go practising on someone else is buy a big bag of really cheap clear nail tips for a few quid off ebay....then practice on these....start off by practising picking up beads of various sizes....when you think you have got the hang of the beads move on to the next thing....placing the bead...let it settle...press it out....dont worry about covering all the tip...and making the tip look nice....just practice getting a feel for the product, the way the brush works...the way the product feels etc..then move on to the next thing.

Hth a bit I feel for you..its horrible when you first start and you realise its not as easy as you thought it was going to be :cry: very frustrating and disappointing...and you just want to get on and do it good but like with most things you cant always run before you walk!...but dont give in youll get there x

 

[Nail Delights]

Fantastic advice above
keep at it you will get there X

 

[Natural Beauty]

thanks for that, i am going to be practicing on the tips i have. I like the donation pot idea but its not very practical for me as im a mobile therapist. they might get abit offended if i wack out a donation pot in front of them!!

Im not planning on doing anyone else free as it will then make it difficult when i do start charging. They prob arent as awful as i think they are but you know what its like when you know how u want them to look!!!

I will get there in the end!one day i might be brave enough to show you some pics!!

thanks for your comments

 

[carlyfaye24]

when i trained with bio-sculpture they told us to get a rubber glove, fill it with rice and tie the end with an elastic band, then stick false tips on the ends of the fingers so its similar to working on a real hand and its real cheap!
hope that helps!

 

[chantell simone]

nail enhancements take alot of practice and you have to be patient

i find a nail trainer is wonderful to practice on and the encyclopedia of nails book helped me loads

just takes things one step at a time and it will all be fine in the end

 

[bellabeautie]

Hi, I am kind of like you at the minute, but I am getting more and more confident. A while ago, was exactly like you, but the more I have practised, the better I feel. It would be no harm in charging people for the sets you do. Yes, you are training but you cant be doing free sets and putting yourself out of pocket. I charge people for the sets, but obviously not full price, they are extremely happy as they are getting it cheap. They also know the price will be going up once I qualify fully. Also, the college Im at, they get clients in for everything, and for a full set of nails they charge £12. So if they can do it, so can you! Hope you start feeling more confident soon :hug: x

 

[min11]

Actually Im gonna disagree with the others....no I dont think you can expect people to pay you at the minute....sometimes when people start training the nails they do are pretty good and maybe they could ask for payment....but unfortunately some peoples nails are really not good at all when they first start!...and you cant expect them to be either...BUT I think what you could do is....get a pot...put a large and clearly written label on it saying ' NAIL TRAINING FUND.... SMALL DONATIONS APPRECIATED ' (or something like that) and have it on show at all times....next time you do practice on someone make sure that pots nearby :lol:.....I think after youve done a few sets and your nails are looking better then you should just say to people you would appreciate it if they could stick a tenner in the pot to help towards your costs.

What I think you really need to do before you go practising on someone else is buy a big bag of really cheap clear nail tips for a few quid off ebay....then practice on these....start off by practising picking up beads of various sizes....when you think you have got the hang of the beads move on to the next thing....placing the bead...let it settle...press it out....dont worry about covering all the tip...and making the tip look nice....just practice getting a feel for the product, the way the brush works...the way the product feels etc..then move on to the next thing.

Hth a bit I feel for you..its horrible when you first start and you realise its not as easy as you thought it was going to be :cry: very frustrating and disappointing...and you just want to get on and do it good but like with most things you cant always run before you walk!...but dont give in youll get there x

I cant speak for every one but I am rarely happy with the nails I put on myself or the few friends I have done nails for but to every one else they seem to look fine. We haven't seen the sets she has done to know if she is just being very hard on herself. As long as the people she works on know she is new and training and come expecting to pay then why not. I know if I had a pot allowing donations on a voluntary basis my confidence could take a real knock if some people didn't donate. :hug:


Keep at the practice, even on tops and trainer hands/fingers. I've used blutac fingers, stuck forms to polish bottle lids, the works. If it can take a tip or a form I've used it :lol: You have't done too many sets yet so stick at it :hug::hug:

 

[kirstys beauty]

when i trained with bio-sculpture they told us to get a rubber glove, fill it with rice and tie the end with an elastic band, then stick false tips on the ends of the fingers so its similar to working on a real hand and its real cheap!
hope that helps!

Hi Carly

Really intreasted in your idea with the rubber glove just one question and maybe I am being blonde, but how do you get the nails to stay on the rubber glove? Do you glue them on or blu tac them? Please advice as i think this is a fantasic idea.

Kirsty

"We put the treat in your treatment"

 

[Barbiekc84]

I agree with the nail trainer, its a great investment, imo. I have been qualified for 4 years and have a small client base as I am part time mobile, sometimes I feel I don't have enough clients to keep my practice up, so to speak, so from time to time I still dig out my trusty nail trainer and have a play with smile lines, tipping etc.

What you wrote in your original message sounds so familiar, as if I wrote it myself when I first began, but lots of practice will make things easier. Also its a fantastic way of keeping track of how you are progressing when you keep the practice tips. It will encourage you to continue.

Kelly x

 

[RedAdmiral]

I am just wondering if you a getting ahead of yourself by advertising your mobile service if the nails are not a ok standard. I understand you have to practice but if you are putting unecessary pressure on yourself as you are entering your clients home and giving them sub-standard work and most importantly are incurring cost you dont need to.
I suggest go back to the drawing board with your practicing, sit with a book, watch dvd's, take another class then advertise your services.
Round up people who know you are starting and charge them £5/10 for products when your more confident then go on out as its hard to build a reputation and if the work you do isnt good you may shoot yourself in the foot before you start.

 

[Deena]

I can really empathise with you and especially agree with Anna and RedAdmiral. Unless you were extremely fortunate, early sets are not going to be anything to get remotely excited about. I know all about the frustration and disappointment of turning out consistently ghastly and unwearable sets that occupied virtually a whole day shift to do! :cry: :hug:

For ages, I had very few people to practise on and had to make do with tips and my trusty trainer hand. Nobody, apart from my mum, was willing to sit there for hours on end only to end up sporting these things on the ends of her fingers that vaguely resembled miniature and badly iced Christmas cakes! :cry: Why on earth would anyone want/be expected to actually pay for these little monstrosities, plus getting a sore posterior from being sat on it for so long?

I did more training, which helped a bit, but I still didn't have enough pairs of 'Real' hands sat at my table on which to practise. Eventually, I got lucky when my younger daughter started at college. I was still improving by inches, kept her nails as good as I could and told her to go out and get me some models amongst her fellow students. It worked!!

So, there I was with enough models. I was improving, but reached a certain point and couldn't pass it. The point wasn't good enough, though, and I was still way too slow. I then decided to invest in a lengthy 121 with a great educator and it was to be my best spent money to date. I was shown where I was wasting time faffing around unnecessarily, better application methods and my sets improved dramatically quite literally overnight. I finally seemed ready to be truly receptive to what I was being taught. Yay!!

I, too, know that a lot wouldn't agree with this, but I don't charge my models. I get their time and they get the nails. It's an exchange I'm happy to make until I'm ready to do otherwise. Although far from perfect, I am now pretty confident that they are acceptable and done within a reasonable time frame. It takes the pressure off me, when I want to try new things and the girls I work on know the score.

Practising costs you in products, whether you do it on a nail trainer, tips or the real thing, so I certainly don't regard it as money wasted and I especially wouldn't have had the cheek or the nerve to attempt to charge earlier on. In fact, I'd go further and say that in the really bad days anyone I could get hold of was doing 'Me' a favour and not the other way around, by donating the time only to end up wearing my terrible talons! :lol:

Practise, read, watch dvds, ask questions and invest in good education, especially 121, if you can possibly afford it. If you are determined enough, the penny will eventually start to drop. Good luck and don't be disheartened. :hug:

 

[NoLimitNails]

I don't understand this not charging thing... If I go the the beautytherapist school, or the hairdresser school, I'm treated by students some better than other but I always pay!
When I went to beautyschool on of my fellow students accidently colored a clients eyebrows blue... guess what she had to pay, she was recolored but the bluish tinge was still there, she knew she was treated by a student and thats the risk and thats why they get discount, BUT she paid and still came back for treatments, she knew we hadd to learn. And that the result wouldn't always be the best...
If not to pay for your work, then at least for the products!:hug:

 

[Deena]

I don't understand this not charging thing... If I go the the beautytherapist school, or the hairdresser school, I'm treated by students some better than other but I always pay!
When I went to beautyschool on of my fellow students accidently colored a clients eyebrows blue... guess what she had to pay, she was recolored but the bluish tinge was still there, she knew she was treated by a student and thats the risk and thats why they get discount, BUT she paid and still came back for treatments, she knew we hadd to learn. And that the result wouldn't always be the best...
If not to pay for your work, then at least for the products!:hug:

Well, for starters, I'm not a 'Nail school' or anything like it :green: and you didn't see my early sets! :lol: :lol: :hug:

In truth, now, I 'Do' think I'm good enough to charge something and I'm sure I will when I consider the time is right to think about doing nails commercially. At present, my little band of trusty models are in school themselves and most are unable to get any employment to supplement their 'Pocket money' in the current economic climate here. We are all getting something out of this arrangement. They get decent <I now think> sets they couldn't otherwise have and I get the regular practise that will <hopefully> set me up for the future. I am learning from every set I do and what I see coming back a fortnight later. I do 'Gain' from it.

I appreciate that this is a somewhat contentious subject for some, but when you're a real novice and only able to produce seriously awful sets <as I was>, I really wouldn't have had a hope of charging anything. Nobody even wanted the damn things for free! :lol::lol::lol: :hug:

 

[NoLimitNails]

LOL
Thats another story yes, but are you sure you are not to hard on yourself?
Just be careful that the number of nonepayers don't exceed the payers and make no rome in your book to the payers, when you come to that.

I fully understand a few not paying and I don't mind it:hug:
But I have been there myself and actually lost a few friends because they didn't get it for free, (even when I started working full-time in a salon with a set starting at £65 and that was a month after passing my cndfoundation!). I do my mum for free, but no more. The rest is paying...(not that I do that many now)
But ofcourse you should do what you feel is right:green: I just know I used to be to soft....

 

[Deena]

LOL
Thats another story yes, but are you sure you are not to hard on yourself?
Just be careful that the number of nonepayers don't exceed the payers and make no rome in your book to the payers, when you come to that.

I fully understand a few not paying and I don't mind it:hug:
But I have been there myself and actually lost a few friends because they didn't get it for free, (even when I started working full-time in a salon with a set starting at £65 and that was a month after passing my cndfoundation!). I do my mum for free, but no more. The rest is paying...(not that I do that many now)
But ofcourse you should do what you feel is right:green: I just know I used to be to soft....

Yes, this is something I do think about for the future and I see what you're saying, but it's suiting us for now. They can't afford to get their nails done and I wanted a regular little flow of models. I'm in no hurry, but I was getting pretty impatient to practise my <improved> skills. :hug: