Do I expect too much?

[DaniG]

I did my L&P training a little over 5 years ago and since then I have done my own nails each time I've fancied having them on. Every now and again I can't be bothered though, so go somewhere else to have them done (I'm the only nail tech in my salon) but every time I do I still end up doing something to them after. It got me wondering whether I expect too much when I go to a salon as I know am borderline obsessive when it comes to the shapes, thickness and lengths of my nails.

Today is one of the days when I fancied treating myself so I went into a CND salon in town to book an appointment. To my pleasant surprise they were able to fit me in this afternoon so I jumped at the chance. Needless to say I came away and am already looking forward to my lunch-break tomorrow so I can try to fix them.

When I made the booking I asked about sculpted nails, but apparently they didn't have any forms, so I settled for white tips instead. Not the end of the world really, I can live with that. The first real issue for me was when I asked for almond-shaped nails and she just rounded the corners off. They were far from almond shape and I said so, so she rounded them off some more but I still had to ask her to take a bit more off around the edges after that and I got the impression she wasn't happy about it (and I still feel that the side walls need taking in more on some!). After she'd shaped them all she checked the lengths but didn't really give me chance to have a look for myself before moving on, so I just let her get on with it.

The next issue came when I started talking to her about CND products. I mentioned that I did nails though I wasn't qualified with CND but I did hope to go on their conversion course and Shellac course in the next couple of months. She then proceeded to tell me that she uses CND in the salon but her products of choice are NSI and she uses them for mobile. This seemed a little off to me and it's my opinion that she should have been far more positive about the products she was using at the time instead of totally disregarding them and talking about something else. Maybe just me finding that wrong though?

After she'd finished buffing my nails (not up to a gloss) she then applied a UV top-coat to add shine to them. I didn't expect this so was curious as to what the product was but the label on the bottle was horribly scratched and stained so I couldn't see a name. It looked suspiciously like a Salon Services product (this) through the scratches though. I've had a look on the S2 website and can't see anything that looks like it either. Am I right in thinking it's not standard with CND L&P or am I just missing the product on the S2 site?

Now my nails are done and I've had a good look at them I'm not sure how to proceed with making them into a set I'm happy with. She used white tips and pink acrylic so when I look at the tips I can see the colour change as the acrylic gets thinner. I also suspect that as they are so thin and a couple have dips in them that there's not actually any acrylic over the ends of some, just the UV top coat. There is also far too much white for my liking, which is why I wanted them sculpted in the first place, but I did expect that when she offered me white tips as the alternative. The lengths and shapes I can even up myself as well as painting them to hide the white, but how is the top coat going to affect me filing them as I have never used UV top coats?

I've included a picture of one hand but unfortunately I can't take a picture of both hands together for comparison so you'll just have to trust me when I say that the shapes and lengths don't all match. Am I being unreasonable?

 

[ellewopter]

They do look a touch "fat" but other than that I cant really see what I personally would complain about and I am hyper fussy!

With regards to the tips you know yourself they will not be the same as sculpting, could she not have used p&w over natural tips to achieve the look you wanted?

Cnd do a brisa UV top coat which I personally don't use as I prefer not to have to remove a despersion layer. I use a different brand for my top coat and makes no difference whatsoever to my nails. Although you won't catch me not singing the praises of all my other CND products.

If you are that unhappy with them then go back and ask her to rectify the situation, but also look at it from a techs point of view, would you think a client would complain to you about them? If so then deff go back.


I'm not say you should expect a low standard but I know as techs we can be overly fussy.

 

[DaniG]

I'm no more unhappy with them than I have been with other nails in the past, in fact they're by far the best set I've had done, but I suppose that's my point really. If they're by far the best set I've had done and I still find issues am I being too fussy? P&W would have been much better, but it wasn't offered and I'm not sure she actually had a pink acrylic that would have covered well enough as I could only see one pot of powder when she opened her drawer.

Also, there was no dispersion layer on the top coat.

 

[eskimonailtech]

I think as tech's, we're used to perfection. I'll be the first to admit that whenever I get my hair done at the salon, I go home and fix it. It's not that they didn't do a great job, it's that it wasn't EXACTLY what I wanted. I'm always astonished at how bad of a job some hairstylists do at flat ironing my hair. I'm sure it's not exactly their favorite thing to do, but my hair needs to be cut dry. so if it's not perfectly straight, my hair ends up being uneven.

Okay, that was off topic hahaha anyways, they obviously would've looked better with natural tips and white powder. I can see a few dips and the lengths are off. I'm not trying to defend her, or take sides, but I do think it's possible that when you told her you're a nail tech, she got all nervous and didn't do her best work. I never tell people I have a massage therapy degree when I get massages, or else it would be terrible.

i could NEVER let anyone touch my own nails. I'm a control freak extraordinairre. But I agree that you should go back. Give her the chance to fix it. If it's still not making you happy, then obviously you should just do your own nails hun.

 

[Lucy-Jayne]

Since being a nail tech, I've never let anyone touch my nails apart from a fellow Geek and Gigi. I'd rather do them myself, or if I'm too lazy, not have them on at all!

You can see by the light shining on the thumb, there's something wrong - is there a big dip in it? Again as others have said, the shape and length etc would be an issue, but easily rectified. But why should you have to do it when you made a point of what you wanted? If you're that bothered, perhaps take a picture of before and one of after you've changed them?

Natural tip with white powder would have been a better choice. UV top coat on a non buffed service is perfectly fine. And can be filed off just as you would do an infill / rebalance.

 

[kirsty]

The UV top coat could have been NSI glaze 'n' go, young nails finish gel or the one you have the link for. There may be others too that I don't know of.

I personally use glaze 'n' go which I love, it gives a super shiny finish that lasts as long as the enhancements and it's great for me because it's acetone resistant so I don't have to worry about ruining my nails while working.

 

[ellewopter]

Sorry, the point I was trying to make was that it wouldn't be Brisa but that wouldn't be a problem

 

[LadyGray]

It wasn't terribly professional of her to tell you she prefers NSI but I suspect that once she knew you were in the industry she was talking to you professional to professional rather than tech to client?

 

[Emily S]

Apart from using the white tips and needing to take the shape in a little bit on them, yes, I think you're being fussy and would be best doing your own nails

I'm exactly the same as you though and agree with 'eskimonailtech', it's not that what she's done is wrong it's just not exactly how YOU wanted it - I just do my own nails now and surprisingly NEVER pick at them, they're not perfect but they're perfect to me and don't cost me so I'd much rather that than come home and fuss about them.

PS, I use CND but don't buff to a shine at the end, I use Shellac Top Coat if doing art or NSI Glaze and Go for all other sets.