Cuccio dipping powder - not glossy!

[carlieann]

Please help! I’ve started using the Cuccio Dipping System and so far I’m really pleased with it other than I can’t for the life of me get it shiny!! I bought the additional quick dry top coat and I apply two layers after I have buffed the nail but they are still nowhere near as shiny as my gels. can anyone help please?
I did think about maybe doing a gel top coat but I wanted to stop carrying my lamp around with me plus I fear it would make the soak off process a lot longer!

 

[Ceiy]

Hi, I don’t use Cuccio but I do use SNS. Do you remove debris after buffing with a lint-free wipe and isopropyl alcohol?

 

[Beautiful-you]

With the Cuccio Powder Dip, even though they state you can use normal nail polish top coat I was recommended to use a hard gel UV/LED top coat. It can't be a gel polish top coat though, they aren't compatible. I have a feeling Cuccio do their own now? Although I use a Salon Services one and it gives a really glossy, hardwearing finish. Unfortunately you will need to use your lamp to cure it though x

 

[carlieann]

Hi, I don’t use Cuccio but I do use SNS. Do you remove debris after buffing with a lint-free wipe and isopropyl alcohol?

Hi Ceiy, thank you for your reply, i have both cleaned the nail with alcohol and with a dry wipe (as advised by someone on line) and neither made much difference. I mean, its shiny, but nowhere near as glossy as the gels. Also, in a lot of videos on you tube, people just apply the topcoat after they've finished whereas I prefer to file the surface to make it smoother and thinner. I know that's probable where i'm going wrong but i don't feel the nails look good enough if i don't file them before applying the 7 second second top coat. I buff it well before applying the top coat but it doesn't look brilliant. I'll upload a pic...

 

[carlieann]

With the Cuccio Powder Dip, even though they state you can use normal nail polish top coat I was recommended to use a hard gel UV/LED top coat. It can't be a gel polish top coat though, they aren't compatible. I have a feeling Cuccio do their own now? Although I use a Salon Services one and it gives a really glossy, hardwearing finish. Unfortunately you will need to use your lamp to cure it though x

Thanks Beautiful you. I wanted to avoid carrying my lamp around with me really! If i don't have any joy I may well resort to that. It such a shame because I love the product, I just cant get the finish right and its so frustrating!

 

[carlieann]

With the Cuccio Powder Dip, even though they state you can use normal nail polish top coat I was recommended to use a hard gel UV/LED top coat. It can't be a gel polish top coat though, they aren't compatible. I have a feeling Cuccio do their own now? Although I use a Salon Services one and it gives a really glossy, hardwearing finish. Unfortunately you will need to use your lamp to cure it though x

Also, I have bought the 7 second cuccio top coat. i was told to apply it quickly and then do a second coat slowly and thicker. its still nowhere near as gloosy and smooth as the gel polishes.
I usually use Gelish and have a UV lamp, can you recommend a LED top coat? I assume it will be ok in my lamp?

 

[Beautiful-you]

Also, I have bought the 7 second cuccio top coat. i was told to apply it quickly and then do a second coat slowly and thicker. its still nowhere near as gloosy and smooth as the gel polishes.
I usually use Gelish and have a UV lamp, can you recommend a LED top coat? I assume it will be ok in my lamp?

That's a shame about the 7 Second top coat.

Ill try and attach a pic of what I use. I'm not sure if it'll cure in the Gelish lamp though as I don't have that one.

 

[carlieann]

That's a shame about the 7 Second top coat.

Ill try and attach a pic of what I use. I'm not sure if it'll cure in the Gelish lamp though as I don't have that one.

great thanks. i might give that a go then. I'll ask the girls in the shop. it says UV so i would imagine it should be fine. There's been lots of speculation over the internet about LED and UV lamps but i think they both cure its just that LED is quicker.

 

[carlieann]

That's a shame about the 7 Second top coat.

Ill try and attach a pic of what I use. I'm not sure if it'll cure in the Gelish lamp though as I don't have that one.

Can i ask you another thing? when I do the dipping powder I usually find they are quite thick so i file them down but in the videos on the internet they don't seem to bother? If i wasn't to file them i know is get a better finish but i feel they need to be evened out. What do you do?

 

[Beautiful-you]

Can i ask you another thing? when I do the dipping powder I usually find they are quite thick so i file them down but in the videos on the internet they don't seem to bother? If i wasn't to file them i know is get a better finish but i feel they need to be evened out. What do you do?

I agree, I refine them afterwards too, especially around the cuticle area and sidewalls, but you can make this less bulky with your placement of the 2nd layer (bottle 3, the building gel) by not applying it so close to the cuticle and sidewalls.

It's an interesting question about which lamp to cure the uv gel with because i don't think it specifies on the bottle and it's Salon Services own product and I don't think they have a specific lamp? I cure it in my INK lamp (48w, not that the wattage guarantees a complete cure though!) for 60 seconds as it's quite thick.
I do agree with using the recommended lamp when specified though to ensure proper curing x

 

[carlieann]

I agree, I refine them afterwards too, especially around the cuticle area and sidewalls, but you can make this less bulky with your placement of the 2nd layer (bottle 3, the building gel) by not applying it so close to the cuticle and sidewalls.

It's an interesting question about which lamp to cure the uv gel with because i don't think it specifies on the bottle and it's Salon Services own product and I don't think they have a specific lamp? I cure it in my INK lamp (48w, not that the wattage guarantees a complete cure though!) for 60 seconds as it's quite thick.
I do agree with using the recommended lamp when specified though to ensure proper curing x

Thanks for your help on this. I will defo try that with the 2nd layer x

 

[Beautiful-you]

Thanks for your help on this. I will defo try that with the 2nd layer x

I'd be interested to hear how you get on with the system as I must admit I don't use it much now, which is a shame as I paid for the training when it first came out and spent quite a lot of money buying the products. Although the powders last a long time, I got through quite a lot of the bottles (in the end I bought ASP's version from Sally's as they're made by Cuccio and are identical and I could just pop in the shop and buy one rather than order from Cuccio). Some clients loved it but others found it chipped easier and was more brittle. Even after applying as I mentioned above and with careful buffing to reduce bulk around the cuticle area, I still personally found when there was just a bit of Re-growth, it would catch more easily if I ran my hands through my hair than with hard gel overlays or gel polish. On myself I could just run my file over it, buff off the top coat and re-apply which would solve the problem, but clients can't do this, so I don't really push it. X