Fitting nail forms?

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Ongen

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I’d be super happy for your best tips on how to get nail forms real snug ☺️ I have problems at the sides where the form tends to get more curved than the nail, release cuts seem to make it worse. Gel seeps into the “ditch” between the form and nail and creates a ridge between the natural nail and gel, regardless to viscosity.
I’m currently using Peggy Sage forms but have just gotten the Icon.IQ forms and Akzentz protab forms. Probably watched every single video on YouTube but nothing that has addressed this particular issue... Would be very thankful for some advice! ☺️
 
You shouldn’t have any ditch and the cuts, if placed accurately, should make the fit snug.
Re YouTube....Young Nails and Kirsty Meakin are my favourites that spring to mind but if if you’re still having difficulty then perhaps a 1:1 or a sculpting course would benefit you.
 
You shouldn’t have any ditch and the cuts, if placed accurately, should make the fit snug.
Re YouTube....Young Nails and Kirsty Meakin are my favourites that spring to mind but if if you’re still having difficulty then perhaps a 1:1 or a sculpting course would benefit you.
Thank you! A 1:1 would probably not be a bad idea. Tbh, I think all the different YouTube educators only make me more confused as they all teach differently... ☺️
 
There's lots of ways to customise forms when and where needed to get a snug fit under different shaped nails, fingers. This video has a few common ways that may help :)
 
There's lots of ways to customise forms when and where needed to get a snug fit under different shaped nails, fingers. This video has a few common ways that may help :)

Thanks a lot! Love the accent too ☺️ ahhh I said I would try to stay away from the YT videos as they confuse me, but they are addictive! ☺️
 
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So this is as tight as I got them but still get a small lip :/ didn’t do release cuts, only at the thumbs, which seems to have helped keeping them in place.
 
Hello,
I am also finding this difficult. Getting the cuts in the right spot, getting the forms on straight, getting them to sit flush under the free edge...

I had no idea forms came in so many shapes and sizes. Now I have a few different brands to select from, as my fingers definitely aren't all the same! Last time I did my nails, I tried the forms by INK London (and I also watched Liz Morris on The Nail Hub on repeat). Although my building and shaping technique definitely needs practice, I did much better. I used a thick builder by Light Elegance to sculpt the tip, which helped enormously. It barely moved and so even if there was a teeny gap, it didn't leak. I have discovered that my nails form better when there is just a little bit of free edge for the form to tuck under (short - just beyond the tip of my finger) and also no corners. Just wondering, how are you getting on? Have you learnt any tips?
 
View attachment 209112
So this is as tight as I got them but still get a small lip :/ didn’t do release cuts, only at the thumbs, which seems to have helped keeping them in place.

They are fitted well, I suspect you are pressing too hard with your brush when applying the product so you're getting 'seepage'. Try being a little more gentle over the join.
 
Hello,
I am also finding this difficult. Getting the cuts in the right spot, getting the forms on straight, getting them to sit flush under the free edge...

I had no idea forms came in so many shapes and sizes. Now I have a few different brands to select from, as my fingers definitely aren't all the same! Last time I did my nails, I tried the forms by INK London (and I also watched Liz Morris on The Nail Hub on repeat). Although my building and shaping technique definitely needs practice, I did much better. I used a thick builder by Light Elegance to sculpt the tip, which helped enormously. It barely moved and so even if there was a teeny gap, it didn't leak. I have discovered that my nails form better when there is just a little bit of free edge for the form to tuck under (short - just beyond the tip of my finger) and also no corners. Just wondering, how are you getting on? Have you learnt any tips?
Thanks for your reply! Omg, I’m doing all of the above as you, including the forms from INK and obsessing with Liz! :D
I really wanted to like the pro tab forms from akzentz as the opening on my lamp is rather small but jeeeez they are flimsy... Hopefully I’ll learn to master them in the future! ☺️

Definitely find having a very short free edge helps a lot - the form doesn’t get as forced out of place from a nail with a weird c-curve (I have a couple of those where it’s almost as a corner at the edges, sooo difficult to make the form tight...).
Also using a thick builder - I’m not in love with it as I’m not super skilled with my application and most of them looks like chestnuts o_O which requires a lot of filing...
When you get a little “step” if there’s a distance btw the form and nail, do you file it down or leave it?

I guess this didn’t provide you with any new tips as much as new complaints, haha! But at least we know we’re not alone with these struggles ☺️
My best tips for practice is to not redo both hands at the same time but a finger here and there. I do remove everything every now and then to practice sculpting.
Also, I cure between every finger to make sure to keep everything in place.
Let’s keep this thread alive for new revelations! :D:cool:
 
They are fitted well, I suspect you are pressing too hard with your brush when applying the product so you're getting 'seepage'. Try being a little more gentle over the join.
Thank you trinity! I’ll try to be a bit more gentle. I use a very high viscosity gel to avoid seepage, but I think this also makes me a bit more forceful as I’m not super skilled with it and it’s slow movements ☺️
 
I recently spent a few days pretty much bootcamping nail forms with Iryna Giblett of Ikon.iQ Nails which was pretty awesome.

I would wholly recommend seeing if there is any Ikon.iQ training near you that would help, it's a brand that leans heavily toward sculpting rather than using tips, owing to Iryna's competition background.

I assure you, there will be no Ikon.iQ educator that doesn't know how to wrap a tight c curve![emoji16]
 
I recently spent a few days pretty much bootcamping nail forms with Iryna Giblett of Ikon.iQ Nails which was pretty awesome.

I would wholly recommend seeing if there is any Ikon.iQ training near you that would help, it's a brand that leans heavily toward sculpting rather than using tips, owing to Iryna's competition background.

I assure you, there will be no Ikon.iQ educator that doesn't know how to wrap a tight c curve![emoji16]
Thanks for your reply! I’d love to do that as I’m working with ikoniq, however I live in Sweden where I’m unsure if there are any educators? I’ve found a sculpting class that I can afford (it’s expensive here, most classes are around 300£) so I’ll probably try that one out! I hate working with tips so I really want to get the sculpting on point ☺️
 
I don't have many clients yet as I'm working from home and just starting out. I decided I agreed with Liz Morris and her comment about training wheels. I think building the tip on a form will look so much more natural, but it's so hard!!! Yesterday, my sister had forms on for the first time ever, and she was moving her fingers as I was trying to put the forms on, which made it even harder!!! I kept telling her to relax, but she just couldn't do it! She has ski-jump nails. My nemesis.
 
I don't have many clients yet as I'm working from home and just starting out. I decided I agreed with Liz Morris and her comment about training wheels. I think building the tip on a form will look so much more natural, but it's so hard!!! Yesterday, my sister had forms on for the first time ever, and she was moving her fingers as I was trying to put the forms on, which made it even harder!!! I kept telling her to relax, but she just couldn't do it! She has ski-jump nails. My nemesis.
I can see how challenging that must be! :D But what a great opportunity to practice on difficult nails ☺️

The tip trinity shared above was really helpful; not to press too hard with the brush over the joint. I’ve also noticed the importance of working with an appropriate amount of gel when doing the extension with high viscosity gel in particular.

Agree with you regarding regular tips. Trained with tips for the larger part of my education and was so relieved when we finally moved on to forms. I don’t want to work with the glue and find fitting tips take forever :eek:
 

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