French overlay on short nails

[Jabez]

Hi there, I had posted a similar question a while ago, I appreciate all the answers I got - but I'm still battling terribly with application of L&P on short nails (secretary / PA type of clientelle).
I do far better at learning by seeing, is it possible for some like Carl (Nailzoo),who can perhaps add a video to his video library of this technique. Either I:

1. work to thick and the white is bulky and moves to close to zone 2;
2. I struggle to get the white on each free edge indentical (especially in the corners of each smile line / corner-to-corner);
3. My rebalances are also taking veeery long.
I am getting very disheartened, I am in a salon for 3 months and have till December to get a strong client base and only then will the salon owner charge me for rental for space. She has realy been a sweetie. But I'm running out a time (3 months) - the harder I persevere and continually reasearch, read up & ask lota questions, I dont seem to ace it....but I have an overwhelming desire to hang in there, persevere and succeed. Any extra advice by way of of pics or directing me to a video-website will be appreciated. I have surfed the web long and hard and find lota techniques using sculpts, tips, but no-one doing it on natural shorter nails with a free edge of ±3-4mm. Pleaaaase heeeelp, I'm realy despondent but want to seriously persevere.

 

[loubylou]

What training have you had,
can you get in touch with your trainer and ask for a class to cover the problems that you are having,
a class sounds like the best option for you, as you have said yourself you learn by seeing hth :hug:

 

[angel fingers]

something that may not have been suggested is.... use a smaller brush when applying the whites. then file the whites so that they are roughly correct before applying the pink.

using the smaller brush for the white will help you pick up less product and the file will make sure the whites arent bulky so that when you do the pink you wont bring that up too high and end up with a lot of finish filing to do trying to reduce the levels.

this really helped me when i was struggling and it wasnt long before i could judge the quantities much better when working with a larger brush.

 

[Gilly T]

something that may not have been suggested is.... use a smaller brush when applying the whites. then file the whites so that they are roughly correct before applying the pink.

using the smaller brush for the white will help you pick up less product and the file will make sure the whites arent bulky so that when you do the pink you wont bring that up too high and end up with a lot of finish filing to do trying to reduce the levels.

this really helped me when i was struggling and it wasnt long before i could judge the quantities much better when working with a larger brush.

What an excellent idea... never thought of doing this when doing a short french. So glad you asked the question Jabez

 

[Doorie]

I think I read it wrong, but 3-4 mm of free edge isn't short for me,,, (well, from a professionnal point of view)

we had to do a 1mm free edge, this is short, but it's easy as well. you take your bead, and you work with the thread doing half circles (your smile line and continuing until you cover the whole zone)
you don't care about the corners as of yet, just your gel should be consitent, and then when it is, you do the corners, and you cure.

 

[Gilly T]

I think doing short free edges with gel is much easier than with l&p. I think Jabez was referring to l&P

 

[Jabez]

Hi Doorie, tnx for thh reply - I use l&p though, not gel. I was sure that I misjudged the length of the free edge when typing the thread yesterday, yes it is about 1mm in width. I initially try placing the white by taking a small bead, starting at the middle of the free edge and "pulling" towards the one corner of the free edge (almost a flat sausage kind of shape - Gosh , hope is makes sense....); then placing another small bead in the middle again (next to the spot where I started the previous one) and then "pulling" the white towards the other corner, I then "drop" my brush and pat out the white with the flatter side of my brush - i find this also give some more length over the free edge. I then tidy up the smile line. It kinda seems to work, but when I get to the filing and buffing part, I find that here and there, there are transparent patches in the white. Obviously I used to much liquid, but if I use less, I cant seem to "pull & string" the white because its too thick....Or maybe I'm the thick one...... It's driving me potty. Thanks for all the handy tips, will practice, practice and practice. I just dont want to be practising on my paying clients. I hope and pray I'll ace this soon. I have searched far and wide here in South Africa for the Nailclass book by Gigi Rouse, absolutely no luck. I will have to order it abroad. (Hope to do so once my finances pick up!) Thanks to you all. Will keep you updated on my progress.

 

[ValencianNails]

http://www.salongeek.com/nail-application/8671-brush-control-part-1-getting-grip.html

http://www.salongeek.com/nail-application/8748-brush-control-part-2-getting-angles.html

http://www.salongeek.com/nail-application/8885-brush-control-part-3-smile-line.html

Hope the above tutorials help you :hug:

 

[Doorie]

my bad, i don't know why i thought you were using gel..

so well.

whenever i work on a nail, i work on reverse. i build all the pink zone, the apex, etc, and then place the white against it, and you are never afected by the length of the natural nail. if you have built your nail whole except the free edge, you just fill it in, and file, and it's done.