Customers buying nail kits for Xmas gifts!

[vonnibabes]

Had a few customers in telling me they have bought their daughters, sisters whoever "shellac kits" for Xmas....

Is this meant to impress me?! Lol, very annoying! Anyone else got customers doing similar?!

 

[LittleTinker]

We all know they won't be genuine Shellac kits - very frustrating tho x

 

[vonnibabes]

My cousin actually text me about one on eBay for half the price of authentic lamp! I was like, no way, fake, ur nails will fall off. Raging.com! xxxxxx

 

[pocketdragon]

Yep ive had this too with a regular client who other half is buying her a Shellac kit...pretty sure its from bb. Most annoyed because I emailed bb asking if they were authorised distributors and they said they were...in black and white on email! Ludicrous! Xx

 

[LaurenSparkles]

If I had a client that said that I'd baffle them with science so they think oh god maybe you do need know what your doing. 'Yes make sure your don't get in round your eponicyium or break the seal to your matrix it can cause permanent damage to your nails and have plenty of isopropyl alcohol to hand' they will soon go running for the hills sending them back lol xxx

 

[paulaxxx]

I think Boots might be doing a kit. I know Selfridges sell the Red Carpet kit. Xxx

 

[BeautyNerds]

I saw one in Debenhams yesterday.
It's not good, this is how things end up with a bad reputation. They then tar everything with the same brush not understanding that we professionals do actually know what we are doing.

 

[squidgernetball]

I wouldn't worry! They'll use some rubbish gel stuff, their nails will look tatty, they'll have a limited choice of colours and they'll come back to have it done properly.

My client got given one last year. She has used it on occasion, but still comes to me regularly to have it done properly!

I have regular clients who come in for a file and paint. How cheap is nail varnish, and how easy is it to do, and yet they will still pay to have it done properly!

But don't you just love it when they say "Shellac ruined my nails"
IT ISN'T SHELLAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SillyBilly]

Don't worry too much.

We see the same old story every year, folks buy these kits and don't have a clue how to use them properly and make a mess so they will soon be back to you.

If they do buy one and really love it then maybe it is the start of their career as a nail tech - if this is the case then maybe we will see them on here in early 2014 and can educate and point them in the right direction to becoming an ethical professional.

Either way there's nothing you can do to change it so stop worrying and enjoy your Christmas xxx :hug:

 

[salj]

I've been doing gelicure on a friend of a friend's toes but her husband has just bought her a shellac kit for her birthday! He apparently got it off amazon and the lamp is from ebay! She was going on to my friend about how pricey it was and my friend says she saw the bottles and it's 'definitely shellac'. I said it's either fake or it's illegally imported/sold if it's on amazon.

So I guess I'll see in the summer if she's getting on with it or not! (She only has her toes done in the summer!)

 

[Beauty4all]

I had a lady ask if her daughter could watch me do her nails as she bought a gel kit in bhs for her!!!!

Me thinks nooooo!

 

[Ashley Blakemore]

Let's not forget how time consuming and frustrating it is doing our own nails- and we know what we're doing! Now think of these girls who don't know what they are doing, these kits will last 5 mins and they will be back in the salon by January!

 

[Dream Nails]

I used to have a lady that came to me every 2 weeks for shellac. She would inspect every nail intently after I had done each one and then at the end put both hands out and say " now let's see". When starting out it was so nerve wracking but she kept coming and never once asked me to tweak or complain. I assumed all ok then she stopped coming to me.

Fast forward a few months and I had a missed call from her so called her back. Turns out her grandson was playing with the phone but we got talking and her family had bought her a "shellac" kit and she had been doing them herself but was finding it hard as "it's not as easy as you make it look" all I could say is yes you are right

Vicki x

 

[CeeCee]

Just this morning I had someone ring to ask me if I could sell her a bottle of Shellac for her friend as an Xmas present as she does them herself. Er, no sorry it's a professional only product....

 

[Smuff]

Well one of my clients has had her Rio gel kit for a year. Yes (Rio)! Top quality! 👿 she has used it a few times since she had it for Xmas last year but she's now fed up with her nails looking really bad like she's had a monkey with no eye sight doing them.

She did ask me if I could get some hard gel for her and some tips, so I pointed out that if she isn't liking the results why continue on the quest of home nail enhancement?

She has now booked in for some gel polish with me to get her nails in good shape, after she saw my work on one of my colleagues.

Don't worry about people trying it at home because they soon get fed up with the hassle of it all, especially when they realise the amount of products you need and how expensive they are. It's when they do it on their friends and think that they are a nail technician. When I was doing makeup we had a saying, " one mac eye shadow doesn't make you a make up artist". Xx

 

[NancySyd]

Don't fret about this at all. Remember that this is how we all started. Of the people that buy these kits, a tiny percentage will become professionals, another small percentage will become serious DIYers and the vast majority will try it for a while and then give up and come back to you. Personally, I love doing my own nails, it's a lovely quiet "me" time. But even I go to the salon, especially for pedis. The market is big enough for DIYers and professionals.

My only concern about this is the damage they do to themselves, as well as the impact it has on the perception of gel polishes generally - "Shellac ruined my nails!" No, YOU ruined your nails!

 

[NancySyd]

If I had a client that said that I'd baffle them with science so they think oh god maybe you do need know what your doing. 'Yes make sure your don't get in round your eponicyium or break the seal to your matrix it can cause permanent damage to your nails and have plenty of isopropyl alcohol to hand' they will soon go running for the hills sending them back lol xxx

I love this! It is "helpful," but makes it very clear that this is serious business.

 

[LilCheekyMonkey]

Two of my friends have bought Kiss gel kits. It won't be long until they ruin their nails and come to me for a Gelish manicure!

Currently enjoy showing them the horror pics of all the people who have done their nails themselves and ruined them. Is that mean?! Lol

 

[Kiva]

I had a girl in last week having her gels done, she mentioned her mum had bought her a gel nail kit kit for Xmas, I wanted to scream. By the end of the treatment she said she was going to sell the kit, lol think I did well explaining the cons of doing DIY gels

 

[Sparklepink]

Lets be honest, the consumer can purchase most things nowadays on the net etc. We can't stop it but offer a solution and advise our clients by educating them.
I always use the example about regular polish... Painting your own nails isnt like a professional and getting a manicure.... The same will be for gel polish... Pro products and treatments are just that pro.... I won't even use high street shampoo on my hair as it's not the same as pro salon products... This is the same with all high street v pro products.... I could go out and buy a home hair dye ... But it will not have the results my hairdresser does........

Xxx