Help- SOOOOO many questions!!

[SarahRose]

ok, so I thought I knew a lot about nail technology, as i have been doing my own acrylics for 10 years now. I just got my license, and have now joined these forum websites and I have to say, I am sooooo confused.

I can't do nail art to save my life and now I find out that there is colored acrylic and gel and you can make acrylic roses ( which i think is soo cool) but I don't understand. I have so many questions I don't know where to start. so here goes and thanks in advance to anyone who is actually still reading this! lol. :lol:

1. what are pop-its?

2. when making acrylic roses, do you actually put them on someones nail? if so how in the world don't they get in the way? I would break them off in 2 seconds.

3. when you use colored acrylic and say for instance you use red for the free edge and pink for the rest, and then next month I decide, oh well i don't like having red and pink nails, you have to soak them off and start all over? sounds like a lot of work.

I will probably have a million more questions, but I'll be happy if i get answers to those. lol. sorry if they are stupid questions, but I guess we're behind in the nail tech world where i live. ( or maybe it's just me!)

 

[Scratchers]

ok, so I thought I knew a lot about nail technology, as i have been doing my own acrylics for 10 years now. I just got my license, and have now joined these forum websites and I have to say, I am sooooo confused. I can't do nail art to save my life and now I find out that there is colored acrylic and gel and you can make acrylic roses ( which i think is soo cool) but I don't understand. I have so many questions I don't know where to start. so here goes and thanks in advance to anyone who is actually still reading this! lol. :lol: 1. what are pop-its?
Popits are a new method of aplly the product hun search the forums on popits there is also a step by step on how to do them.
2. when making acrylic roses, do you actually put them on someones nail? if so how in the world don't they get in the way? I would break them off in 2 seconds.
No 3d nail art is ok but the roses like you have seen which stand up on the nail is more fantasy nail art for competitions but is a great way to practise with your products
3. when you use colored acrylic and say for instance you use red for the free edge and pink for the rest, and then next month I decide, oh well i don't like having red and pink nails, you have to soak them off and start all over? sounds like a lot of work.
No you don't need to soak them off, just blend them down like you would when you do a white powder overlay and redo with a colour of your choice

I will probably have a million more questions, but I'll be happy if i get answers to those. lol. sorry if they are stupid questions, but I guess we're behind in the nail tech world where i live. ( or maybe it's just me!)

hope this helps for the time being :green:

 

[Scratchers]

PopIts Step by easy Step

heres the step by step for popits

also check out the galleries as there are alot of cool ideas for salon nail 3d work

 

[loubylou]

1 What are popits = type this question in the search facility at the top of this page and it will take you to a thread that tells you all about them.

2 no this is more for fun and competition work.

3 if you put clear acrylic on the tip before your colour when you get bored of the colour just file it away until you get to the clear and then apply the colour you would like.
hope that helps you

 

[SarahRose]

wow that was fast thanks alot everyone! I like the idea of clear first, then color. and phew i don't want to do competitions so i will stay away from acrylic roses. lol.

 

[loubylou]

Ignore my answer to your first question hun, kirsty has kindly put the link in for you, :hug:

 

[priory]

wow that was fast thanks alot everyone! I like the idea of clear first, then color. and phew i don't want to do competitions so i will stay away from acrylic roses. lol.

I do not agree, 3-D nail art is not only for fantasy nail art, many of my clients love when I do 3-D flowers or rozes, hearts - as they look very beautiful over any design and make french nails look posh and not so boring. Ofcourse I do not do them on every single nail unless client wants it, but just on one nail or 2 - it looks great, people love it. It's also great to learn 3-D nail art so that you can create inlay designs (covering the 3-D nail art with clear powder)- it also looks great, but you have to learn to make it thin. It's definetly an advantage to know this, in this years exhibition at Kinetics stand, professional did these acrylic nails with 3-D nail art, people qued to get just one nail done, they all wanted to see the technique.

 

[geeg]

People always queue up at stands for a free demo.

I'm sorry, but I do not agree with you at all re 3D nail art ... Unless I have been living on a different planet for 25 years. Not one client ever has asked me or expressed more than curiosity for 3D nail Art on her nails .. and when they find out the price of having even one nail done, no one wants to wear it as an everyday thing.

Technicians are Creative people and they love to see new techniques but the fact is that nail art of this type makes up way less than one percent of the total work one does in the salon. Fun to look at but dose not make the technician any money ... the only people making the money are the companies who sell pots and pots of stuff to technicians who never use it up and there it stays sitting on the shelf ... money wasted and not earning a cent for the technician.

 

[angel fingers]

i do quite a bit of 3 d work too.
many clients like it on 1 or 2 fingers to accent their nails and set theirs apart from other peoples.
i think doing it brings valuable trade to me because it gets my clients nails noticed and generates interest andlots more new trade for me even if the new clients dont want that particular style themselves.

 

[geeg]

i do quite a bit of 3 d work too.
many clients like it on 1 or 2 fingers to accent their nails and set theirs apart from other peoples.
i think doing it brings valuable trade to me because it gets my clients nails noticed and generates interest andlots more new trade for me even if the new clients dont want that particular style themselves.

I think it is very easy to spout off words like 'valuable trade to me' and 'lots more new trade' which are pretty meaningless unless you qualify those phrases with answers. So here is your chance.

Perhaps you would give figures for what percentage of your total nail business is comprised of 3D nail art?

I would like to know what your definition of 'valuable trade to you' is? As in, how many new clients per week do you get because they have seen your 3D nail art?

I would like to know what 'lots more new trade' actually means in terms of money and numbers of new clients per week?

It's very easy to say all these things but I'd love to know exactly who is wearing it. I travel all over and have never once seen anyone wearing 3D nail art on their nails ... funny that isn't it? I see lots of women wearing enhanced nails but never ... not once .. have I seen one woman wearing 3D nail art out and about in the high street or anywhere else.
I believe on this forum we should be HONEST and be REAL and not mislead others into believing that something is true which is not. You might have a small percentage of your business which is comprised of simple nail art ... you might even be one of those rare ones whose business attracts a larger percentage of women who love nail art BUT is your business servicing hundreds of clients or just a few? It makes a difference!! Pretty easy to say, All my clients love nail art when all you have is half a dozen clients! But it bears no reality to what is happening in the world of nails out therein the really busy salons. (by the way, I am speaking for the UK market)

 

[1999judy]

I love all types of art as you well may know. It's a bit of a selfish thing at times because not that many clients love it as much as I do.
I have had lots of requests for new clients because they have seen my design work. BUT....they don't always want that design/art work themselves.
Maybe they just like to know that I can actually do it even though they want bog standard P&W etc.
I dunno really. It does get noticed and does attract new clients like I say, paying for your shopping in Tesco.."OMG who did your nails?" yes this week it was mine not Ants that got the attention because I was playing with stilettos and colours. They were totally mad btw. (Not always the case I must admit.)
To me I.... just like it. (You would have loved me at art college:lol
It will never be my bread and butter but it does get attention I guess.

 

[geeg]

I love all types of art as you well may know. It's a bit of a selfish thing at times because not that many clients love it as much as I do.
I have had lots of requests for new clients because they have seen my design work. BUT....they don't always want that design/art work themselves.
Maybe they just like to know that I can actually do it even though they want bog standard P&W etc.
I dunno really. It does get noticed and does attract new clients like I say, paying for your shopping in Tesco.."OMG who did your nails?" yes this week it was mine not Ants that got the attention because I was playing with stilettos and colours. They were totally mad btw. (Not always the case I must admit.)
To me I.... just like it. (You would have loved me at art college:lol
It will never be my bread and butter but it does get attention I guess.

I agree it may attract attention but sometimes is is not the variety of attention you even want for your business. There are plenty of women who will say, " Oh Wow!!" publicly to your face and think, "my God I'd never want to wear my nails like that" in private.

I have known nail art to put women off going into a salon thinking, "I'd never wear anything like that; I'm not interested in having my nails done if that is how they are going to do them"!

The vast majority of women who will pay for their nails doing on a regular- on-going basis want their nails to look natural or French. Many nail techs may get bored with doing this look, but it is what pays the bills.

I have to say I never ever was bored doing nails of any kind even after years and years. I suppose it depends if you have a passion for your business or if you're one of those who are ... Just Doing nails.

 

[pips]

I dunno really. It does get noticed and does attract new clients like I say, paying for your shopping in Tesco.."OMG who did your nails?" yes this week it was mine not Ants that got the attention because I was playing with stilettos and colours. They were totally mad btw. (Not always the case I must admit.)

Good on you mate, you do some fab nails & designs and I think you should show us more of your work :hug:

 

[Ruby]

I have to agree with what Geeg said .
I have been a Nailspecialist for 14 years and the majority of clients just love the Pink and Whites or Natural occaisionally I am asked for nail art but only basic nail art .
I invested in a lot of coloured acrylic for art designs but there is rarely a call for for it .
But then thats in my area of Birmingham it could of course be different in other areas.
That doesen't mean I am dismissing elaborate nail art because I think that some people do fantastic nail art desighns they are very talented .
Its just that when you first start up in the Nail world it's easy to think that you need to do all of these things and buy all of the products that will only be sitting on your shelf gathering dust





Ruby x

 

[angel fingers]

I think it is very easy to spout off words like 'valuable trade to me' and 'lots more new trade' which are pretty meaningless unless you qualify those phrases with answers. So here is your chance.

Perhaps you would give figures for what percentage of your total nail business is comprised of 3D nail art?

I would like to know what your definition of 'valuable trade to you' is? As in, how many new clients per week do you get because they have seen your 3D nail art?

I would like to know what 'lots more new trade' actually means in terms of money and numbers of new clients per week?

It's very easy to say all these things but I'd love to know exactly who is wearing it. I travel all over and have never once seen anyone wearing 3D nail art on their nails ... funny that isn't it? I see lots of women wearing enhanced nails but never ... not once .. have I seen one woman wearing 3D nail art out and about in the high street or anywhere else.
I believe on this forum we should be HONEST and be REAL and not mislead others into believing that something is true which is not. You might have a small percentage of your business which is comprised of simple nail art ... you might even be one of those rare ones whose business attracts a larger percentage of women who love nail art BUT is your business servicing hundreds of clients or just a few? It makes a difference!! Pretty easy to say, All my clients love nail art when all you have is half a dozen clients! But it bears no reality to what is happening in the world of nails out therein the really busy salons. (by the way, I am speaking for the UK market)

i see clients aprox 30 hrs a week,majority of which come every 3 weeks. i cannot accomodate hundreds of people as i have a limited time available and work on my own.
i had a quick look at the last 28 days of appointments and have a brieif summary.

total 69 sets of nails.

30 white or soft white french
17 glitter french
15 hand painted design
7 3d design

i think competition is very strong in my area and i try to offer something that others dont. the only other decent 3d art available is by corrie the ezflow educator.

 

[1999judy]

I agree it may attract attention but sometimes is is not the variety of attention you even want for your business. There are plenty of women who will say, " Oh Wow!!" publicly to your face and think, "my God I'd never want to wear my nails like that" in private.

I have known nail art to put women off going into a salon thinking, "I'd never wear anything like that; I'm not interested in having my nails done if that is how they are going to do them"!

The vast majority of women who will pay for their nails doing on a regular- on-going basis want their nails to look natural or French. Many nail techs may get bored with doing this look, but it is what pays the bills.

I have to say I never ever was bored doing nails of any kind even after years and years. I suppose it depends if you have a passion for your business or if you're one of those who are ... Just Doing nails.

I guess what I was trying to say is that if a potential client sees beautiful smile lines and nails that have a nice apex and are not too thick, regardless of the colours or anything that is added to them, they will see that your standards are high and that your P&W or natural nail overlays will also be of a good standard.
I like to explain to these people that I like to wear my nails slightly different although my clients usually prefer much more simple french or natural looking nails.
Am I making sense here?:lol:

 

[angel fingers]

I guess what I was trying to say is that if a potential client sees beautiful smile lines and nails that have a nice apex and are not too thick, regardless of the colours or anything that is added to them, they will see that your standards are high and that your P&W or natural nail overlays will also be of a good standard.
I like to explain to these people that I like to wear my nails slightly different although my clients usually prefer much more simple french or natural looking nails.
Am I making sense here?:lol:

you are to me judy

 

[geeg]

So according to your figures, angel fingers, less than 10% of your clients in the last month had 3d nail art. Not a very large percent, especially as you most likely only did one nail per person. A minute amount of money if you add up the total cost of the nail art itself. Is this what you consider "valuable trade" and "lots more new trade"??

Now as to your other claims? I repost the 2 questions below which you didn't answer.

I'm sorry if you think I am bullying you, but I think people should know the truth and not just hear the rhetoric! Because you have yet to convince me that your 3D nail art is a significant part of your business or that it is what draws your clients through the door.

I would like to know what your definition of 'valuable trade to you' is? As in, how many new clients per week do you get because they have seen your 3D nail art?

I would like to know what 'lots more new trade' actually means in terms of money and numbers of new clients per week?

 

[smiler13334]

Any percentage of a service is making money. 7 clients or 7% is still money in the bank. You seem to have a dislike for 3d nail art Geeg, that is your choice, do you offer 3d? if not that could be why you dont get asked for it does not mean others see it the way you do. 3d can be extremley delicate and beautiful or loud, big, beautiful and in your face, it is a question of choice. When a person has a passion for something and it good at it, and a client who wishes to be a little different come together then hey... its all business x

 

[Scratchers]

most of my new clients are through word of mouth and i find that when they come in they say they would like natural or pink and white....

BUT.....

I have a digital photo frame at the side of my desk with alot of my 3d or encapulated work on it and i am now finding that people are starting to notice what else they can have on their nails....i think that this sort of technique is now getting more popular in my area and i am grateful that i think i am one of very few in this area that do these sort of things.

I have a wide range of clients from 18 yrs up and they all want different things i have my clients that want manicures, pink & white and natural enhancements, then i have my clients that like to try new glitters, embedding, encapsulations and 3d nail art, i must say i love it this way as i am always doing new and different things as well as natural looking enhancements.

:green: