Going to try white tips. Bit of advice needed.

[laurab71]

Just after a bit of advice really.
At the min i only do natural tips with white powder. Well, I am thinking of having a go at applying the white tips, as i dont really do them, so i thought a bit of practice is needed. I have been reading that you need to be able to do everything. Well, white tips is all i need to get more practice at. But i am not sure how to apply the acrylic over them. I have done one full set of white tips & they broke off. Thats why i stick to natural & white powder. I am a bit scared really to take the plunge. Feel like i am ripping someone off.
So how do i apply the acrylic ontop? Do i still build up my zone one in the shape of a smile, or do i apply a zone 1 without a smileline, you know, straight across the tip from edge to edge ( if you can imagine what i am on about).
I tried a set last week. I applied clear on the tip first ( zone 1) without a smile, you know, straight across, then finished with pink on zones 2 & 3 then onto zone 1. But i felt i had put that much clear in zone1 so the tip did not come off. With the pink over the entire nail, they looked just the same as my white powder tips. Very natural. I was really,realy surprised actually.
So has someone got some advice as i am gonna take the plunge but don`t want to be over doing things if i really dont need too.
All advice welcome,
Laura.x.

 

[Lellipop]

I would actually advise that if you can do p&w then stick with them, White tips are only any good on long nailbeds anyway ,but even then can look tacky imo

 

[mrs o]

I like white tips,You can only use them if the client has a bit of a free edge as they dont blend. Be sure to place the tip low down on the nail plate as a white tip placed halfway up the nail looks awful. Performance tips are really easy to use as they have no shine so your product will stick to them and they have no well-you just apply them and then move on to the product application.In zone one the smile line ,apply a small amount of white powder in a smile shape ,follow the curve of the tip,and then zones 2 and 3 use pink powder but try not to drag too much pink over the white,as this dulls the french look.
There are lots of different ways to use white tips,this is just another option.

 

[Enhanced-Barbie]

Hi there

Im still training, and about to start working in the industry, but so far I've found that white tips aren't a favorite of mine, even though thats what ill be using at work.
If my client has enough of a free edge to use a white tip, its better to use a form as then the end result is thinner at the tip and easier to wear.
And if they have little free edge, then a white tip looks silly anyway so its better to use a clear tip and place the smile line in a more appropriate position.

I think white tips are more useful if you are nervous about doing powder smile lines, but it sounds like youve got that down already so I think tips would be a move backwards for you.

Correct me if im wrong

 

[laurab71]

Thanks peeps. I am a bit clearer now. Thanks.

 

[luv2getnailed]

Laura how about taking a friend and simply practice on her hands for free? On each finger apply the tip different ways that way you can decide which way looks the best as well as most durable.

I have used white tips a lot, but now have switched tho the clear. I trick I found that will make any white tip look good on any finger is, filing the top of the tip with your file completely flat. Parallel to the table. What that does, it brings the well up and makes it a deeper well and it makes the shortest of nail beds look longer. It does add a few minutes on your time but if you want beautiful nails, file them wells. ANother thing I like about it, there isnt a lot of nail tip on the finger, so it allows more room for the acrylic. Then you won't have a lot of them tip issues, like glue breaking down, etc, etc. Well, hopefully I have explained that well enough. It's hard when yo cant show someone what your talking about but you have to write it! If you dont understand, lemme know, and I give it a go again. Good Luck!

 

[geeg]

Thanks peeps. I am a bit clearer now. Thanks.

It is not an 'all or nothing' option.
White tips have their place in the salon. Using them is not a step back wards but just another option.
Some use them because they find them quicker and easier and some DON'T find them quicker or easier (depending on what you are most comfortable doing).

There is an awful lot of snobbery where sculpting, tipping, which tips to use etc. and it sure comes out in the answers to questions like yours.

Some who sculpt think they are the ultimate nail techs because they don't use tips at all .... as if using tips was a second class option for those who are not 'good enough' to sculpt ... what a load of rubbish.

I sculpt, tip, use white tips, use PopIts, blend tips, sometimes I use well-less tips .... I do it all and I decide to do what is quickest and easiest for me for each individual client. So it is great that you are learning all the different techniques.

 

['chelle]

I have white tips available, and use them depending on what the clients want. I charge £30 for natural or white tips, and £35 for forever french, and its up to the client what they want. Some prefer white tips, some perfer p&w acrylic. I use natural tips when I do p&w.
Like Geeg has said I dont think its a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket. I use natural tips, white tips, I use performance, formation, and eclipse, I also sculpt on forms, it all depends on how the clients nails are to start with. I did one client today with a square c curve, and I had no Eclipse left so I thought I would put performance on, and they were popping off. The usual 5 second set time for speedbond was extended to 30 seconds because the tip shape didnt fit the clients nails, and I had to change to gelbond so that I could get a better fit with the tips on her nails. Just goes to show that you cant use the same all the time, it just doesnt work.

 

[laurab71]

Thanks for all the advice peeps. My head is spinning now. All these tips and techniques. I have done some sculpting and i like it. I also like the blending of the natural. But, i was always led to believe by the snobs on here in the past, that it was definately a no no with white tips, and it was only lazy nail bar people that used them. So, i am gonna get myself some of these tips and give them a go. What tips i wonder, once i have read through the millions that there is ( scratching my head):irked:, i will decide.
Oh, by the way, i fancy trying CND tips. What ones fit all nail beds? Is there one that fits all, im sure there is, or do i need a few different types.
Laura.x.

 

[margot]

Hi honey

I know it is confusing, I have found out after learning all the basics and having a few years experience of sticking to what I know, that once brave enough to try all the other options available you can truly create perfect nails for every individual.

Gigi speaks with the wisdom she has earned. I have embraced white tips as they can truly flatter someones nail beds in a great way - so try them and keep trying until you can see the possibilities. Placement is everything! getting them in the right place on the nail bed to compliment the nail is something you have to see visually - sometimes I use a custom blended opaque pink if I have to place the tip near to the free edge and this works well in extending the nail bed on on short nails.

They are not for everyone as some people do not like such an obvious look, but it is good to know about every option if only to broaden your own horizons.

 

['chelle]

Thanks for all the advice peeps. My head is spinning now. All these tips and techniques. I have done some sculpting and i like it. I also like the blending of the natural. But, i was always led to believe by the snobs on here in the past, that it was definately a no no with white tips, and it was only lazy nail bar people that used them. So, i am gonna get myself some of these tips and give them a go. What tips i wonder, once i have read through the millions that there is ( scratching my head):irked:, i will decide.
Oh, by the way, i fancy trying CND tips. What ones fit all nail beds? Is there one that fits all, im sure there is, or do i need a few different types.
Laura.x.

Personally I can recommend CND tips, they are the only ones I have ever worked with and I have no desire to shop around as they are fab. The performance tips come in white, those are the ones I use and they dont need to be blended in. They dont fit all nail shapes so they are not suitable for everyone. There's also the radical French but these need to be blended so you lose the precise look and need to apply p&w with these ones.
I would recommend that you keep using the p&w (after all you can charge more for it than white tips) and offer white tips to your clients as an alternative, providing they suit the clients natural nails. I find that lots of young girls prefer the white tips purely because they are £5 cheaper than p&w and they dont have lots of cash. (ps geeks when I say young girls I mean 18/19 year olds, dont shoot me just yet!!!)

 

[laurab71]

Thanks for the advice.
Laura.x.