Do you agree with this?

[sarahpoppy24]

After reading page 92 of this weeks scratch, i felt a bit disheartened, it said that if you wear your hair in a standard pony tail then you look like your work is basic, i do this! Also if you have naked nails it looks like you dont have interest in others and if you dont wear make up you shouldnt even work in beauty, amongst other patranising comments about wearing to much make up etc. Now i dont know about other techs but as long as your hygene is perfect your profesional friendly and provide a great service then i wouldnt care if a drag queen or a natural beauty did my nails. Obviously when working in a salon it is what the dress code is and there are certian clothes that would be inapropriate for any profesional situation but i choose to keep it neat clean and simple when working mobile what do you guys think?xxx
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[Gigit]

In the beauty industry, the look we have tells a client something.

If you are an earthy natural girl... wear some make-up even if you must keep it simple and low-key, do a ponytail with a fancy clip and so a nice pin-up of your bangs (a nice haircolour helps as well,) and yes, nail techs should wear nails even a NNO is ok with a bright colour. I never got that one, that is nail techs who never have nails Gotta showcase your work.

 

[AllThumbs]

omg that mag just decribed me to a tee. No make up, because it melts off over a steamy pedi chair, but i did get my eyeliner tattoo'd on so i look healthy now!, pony tails and natural nails.
Sorry Scratch but my busy life doesn't allow me the one hour a week maintence that my nails need if i wear them acrylic, and one car and 3 stops to make every morning for work get me my ponytail.
IMHO:
i think clean body, clean straight clothes and a smile is all you need. But it also depends on your atmosphere and clients. If your clients can afford Gucci then you need to be dressed to the nines. if your clients are more into walmart then dress from walmart...clients feel more comfortable with someone they can relate to.

 

[honeycure]

I agree with AllThumbs.
It depends on the kind of clients you get... I work in a Japanese shopping district, so appearance certainly does matter. I have to look chic, have make up on, and most of all I MUST have both my hands and toes done in glittery gels.

 

[nailzoo]

Rather than taking offence .... why not think outside the box?

Put some slap on, wear some nails and show that you have faith in all services you offer.

I personally think it's a bit hypocritical to offer a service, when in fact you don't demonstrate your faith in it.

I have an excuse..... I'm a man, but if I was a woman, I would have impeccable natural nails, or stunning acrylics, I would wear a full face of discrete make-up, merely as an example of what I can do for the client, showing them what a little bit of effort can achieve.

It depends on how "lazy" you want to look.

Aren't our services all about teaching others to be less "lazy" to achieve a great look and improve upon what we already have?

 

[tigi]

I think what the article is trying to say is that YOU are your best advertisement. SO, if your nails, hair and make up is nice then that gives a good impression on your client.

I always wear makeup nails etc, but then I always have, long before i became a beauty and nail therapist. BUt i dont agree that it has to be fancy, just go as far as you feel suits you. What is very important is your overall image. A well groomed image .

I agree that our lives can get in the way sometimes. but arent we in an industry where we are encouraging women to make the best of themselves?

I use myself to advertise our new services, and it works. It can be a bind when i have worked a really long day to paint my toes, but I have found ways round thing to make my beauty routine easier. i tint my lashes and brows (saves time when doing make up). I wear mineral foundation (time saving) I wear gel glitter toes (dont need to paint them, i can leave them on for 6 weeks )

I wear clips in my hair on days i am wearing it up. looks nice but isnt too time consuming.

I wear gel nails on my hands, and a gel colour on top. chip proof etc .

I think its about being smart when it comes to beauty and that is very much a message we promote at our salon.

We also have time set aside in the salon to do bits and bobs to our selves. (before and after work) .

I have 4 kids and a hubbie and so I do understand the pressures real life plays out for us, but I want to look great, feel great and why sould I spend 60hours a week making my clients look nice and I dont get too? Well, thats not going to happen! I need to feel pretty too. xxxx

Just a thought, I am lucky to have a business partner and we do treatments on each other. But you are not so lucky then why not find some in your area and get together? do treatments on each other? like a buddy system?

xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Bagpuss]

personally i think there is a difference between looking well groomed and looking like you have slapped it on....some ladies slap the make up on and still look a mess, some ladies look great with no make up on and others (like me) NEED make up...:lol:

I asked about a local make up lady in our village and a friend pointed her out to me, long limp greasy hair, bad skin, no effort at all......did she make me feel i wanted her services...NO WAY.....

If you look clean, well groomed and immaculate then i don't mind about your hair or make up....

 

[shedunlop]

I think we need to be aware of how we seem to our adoring public! lol

It is not how we are but how we seem and it is up to us to decide what we want to look like.

I always have hair and natural looking makeup but my nails are always in a state of 'work in progress' as I am always experimenting with colours shapes and glitters. Now this would not work well for me if I was building a business but is a talking point with my clients and a standing joke with some of them even betting with eachother as to how many nails will be done and what colours I will be displaying that fortnight!

Horses for courses! Be yourself by all means, but do be aware of the image you portray to the general, perfection seeking public!

 

[sarahpoppy24]

Heya guys! Maby its down to the area where i live because its a rural area with lots of famalies farmers etc i do hair also so sweating over a bath all day washing out hair etc i have to be practicle . I am always clean hygenic have clear skin etc. I was not overly ofended by the article at the end of the day i know my clients and that was just a personal opinion just thaught i would share mine x x x
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[tigi]

We live rurally too and I get what you mean! Once, I felt i was so dishevelled at a party I lied about what I did for a living I was so embarassed. I felt i looked terrible, I had done 70 hours at the shop and looked like stig of the dump! my hubbie still teases me over that one!!!

 

[An*Gel]

I didn't get my copy of scratch yet, but I can see where they are coming from.

If a new client doesn't know you or your work, the only thing she can judge you on is how you look.

I get up an hour earlier every day to do my make up and hair and have my uniform pressed with badges on etc..
For one, it makes me feel more confident, but my clients at this stage don't care what I look like as they know me and know my work is good.

I just couldn't imagine working in a salon and not having my hair, make up and nails done. I am my own advertisment as someone else has already mentioned.

When I owned my Beauty salon, I had my tan done all the time, gel toes, gel fingers, etc and the clients would compliment how well the tan and nails looked etc and book in for more treatments.

I do agree though that once someone looks clean and tidy I wouldn't really mind and I would never think they weren't good at their job.... I just want to see my therapist with tan nails eyelashes etc so I can say "ooohhh that looks good, book me in for that too"

 

[MissOwen]

Well i dont pile on a ton of makeup and back comb my hair into an amy winehouse beehive before work, but i do try and make sure i make the best of what i've got every day! I've got 2 small children, so its not easy to find the time!!

As i'm just starting out, i make sure i have eye-catching nails and look presentable when i leave the house.....just incase i come across a potential client!!!

Some people are blessed and dont need much help looking great. i need some assistance!!!

 

[Tiger Jay]

I do believe that we should always showcase our work by either wearing "the new colours" out at that time or what ever treatment that you are trying to promote.

Personally, I tend to wear my nails as eye catching as possible (mad if you like). Now ok not everyone wants to wear their nails like I do , however it does "show off" my ability. Advertise!

Also as long as we take pride in our looks , whether it's power dressing or wacky, as long as we make the effort, is all that matters. Purely my opinion and it works for me!

 

[razmack]

I agree that if your nails, make up or hair is done 'badly' then it doesn't give a good impression to the customer, but i also think that you should be allowed to look simple but smart...so a little natural make up and hair washed and brushed in a pony tail sounds fine to me.

I wouldn't have my nails done by someone who looks like they have picked their nails all day, or their nails look dirty or acrylic lifting badly, or too thick etc it just puts me off. BUT naturally manicured nails that LOOK like they have been taken care off is good, as its not always practical to wear nail extensions in the beauty business!
Dont worry and just be yourself

Rowena x

 

[angeleyes01]

I think it all depends. I wear some makeup to show that I've made an effort and take pride in my appearance.

I think a ponytail is fine but it's easy to put in a pretty clip to make it look more impressive and it doesn't take any time at all.

Plain nails are ok if they are clean and shaped. A lot of manicurists and salon staff can't do much with their own nails because of the nature of the work.

 

[BobSweden]

I've been to quite a few nail events over the last two years, and have often found myself "looking outside in" and wondering if an observer would be able tell that the nail techs were actually part of the beauty industry. In nearly all cases (Russia and Ukraine excluded) the answer would have been a resounding no.

On the other hand, go and look how the beauticians and makeup artists dress and you see the effort they've made to look professional and in a lot of cases glamorous. A terrific advert for the beauty industry.

I don't understand any nail tech that does not wear nails, nor do I understand nail techs who don't wear a uniform at work, fix their hair and wear makeup. How can you possibly convince customers that you are a beauty professional?

Image without substance is nothing. But image and substance is everything!

 

[MichelleG]

I've always been into doing my hair, makeup and nails (I was putting the TACKIEST long fake claws on myself by age 13, lol) so it's not an effort for me, but regardless of how "into" it you are, I agree that it's more about looking professional and showcasing your own nails as an example of your work. You have to be yourself and you won't look right if you try to be something you're not.

And yeah, it's also advertising. I've always got them done differently and in many cases, when people see what I've got on, their reaction is "Ohh, will you do that to me??" We are our own best advertising.

Another reason my nails are always different is that I prefer to "get the feel" of a particular product or technique by trying it on myself first, before I offer it to clients.

 

[VHunter]

This IS the "Beauty" Industry.

We are SELLING Beauty.

Being impecably groomed and stylish is our best form of advertising and is representative of our services.

It's not as if the article is being discriminatory. Far from it.

Think of makeup/nails/styled hair as being the appropriate UNIFORM for our business because that IS what it is.
Just as a nursing smock & nursing shoes on a Nurse is the appropriate uniform.
Would you go to a mechanic that wears a dress to repair cars, or a doctor that works in shorts and t-shirt without his stethoscope?
Or how about a gym-trainer who's wearing a suit and highheels instead of workout clothes and running shoes?

I've said it before: I won't get my hair done by a stylist who's hair I don't like.
I won't get my makeup done by someone who isn't wearing any OR has mascara caked on like Tammy Faye Baker.
And I will NOT get my nails done by someone who isn't wearing any herself.


We are in the Beauty industry which is all about appearances. OF COURSE the consumer will judge your appearance. It's to be expected. That's our area of expertise. If you think otherwise, you're kidding yourself.

As for not wearing nails.......
I wore tip-n-dip until I learned UV Gel. Now I wear L&P. I apply a UV gloss over it and have no problems and do my nails once every 2-3 weeks. And I have TALONS.
For those that say that their nails get messed up..... I don't know what you're doing wrong, but mine are fine.

And as said, there are a gazillion things that can be done with a ponytail to dress it up. Or even wear a bun with fancy chopsticks or a geisha fork in it. etc....
I have more hair doo-dads than I can shake a stick at.

In the beauty industry, 'Beauty" is your uniform and it's your calling card.
Work it like the pro that you are.

:hug:

 

[nickij]

i never go anywhere without my make-up on, sad yes, but i don't feel myself without it. I only go for a natural look but as well as keeping my eyebrows well groomed and my nails manicured i feel i showcase my beauty therapy skills well.

however i do feel my hair is my main let down... it looks lovely when i'm not at work because i wear it down (long and professionally coloured "natural" blonde colour)... but i never know how to put it up nice, always ends up in a ponytail. i know that i would look more the part if i did something more interesting with it, but i dont know how. :sad:

 

[sachi]

We3ll I look at it like this. I want to make money! And I am in the Beauty industry, not the horse industry, or the warehouse industry. Beauty is what we do and what pays us. so we need to Show it when and where we can. We need the client to want to Look like us! Want their nails to look like ours! Want to know who does are hair! It just fuels the diver for them to spend more when they are with us! If we have perfect hands with nice skin, they will buy hand cream and anything else we offer them to make them look just so much more polished! OH! and why you are here? I know you loved my hair?! well that lady over there did it! And my skin looks this good because I get a facial etc.... So you see it will help drive your bis is you look the part you are pushing on your clients! After all where would you be if you clients thought they did not need their nails done? or their brow waxed?
Just some food for thought! Now I am going to put on some make up and do my hair! =P Nails always look 100%!
I love the show Tabatha Coffey, Salon Takeover. She says not to ware anything but black. It lets your clients shine! and you fade in to the back ground. It makes allot of sense to me and you can't beat the fact everything matches!