How deep are your salon smiles??

[EllaX]

Decided to treat myself to a set of nails for my holidays and TBH I wish I hadn't bothered now.

I didn't realise the shortage of salons who can do a deep / deepish smile line.

Everyone seems to be doing them almost straight now - and on my short nail beds they make my nails and hands look fat.

I was talking to another tech in my area last night and she thinks they look really nice and said she always does flat smiles, quite a way down the nails so they last longer before a french rebalance it saves her time and saves the client money, which is how mine have been done. But to me they don't look very nice and they scream fake when they look like this.

I always place the smile as far up as I can to elongate the nail bed, which means I'm doing a french rebalance at each appointment.

So my question is - how deep do you go and how low do u go??

Do you go for the nice look of a balanced nail or do you go for the 'save time at next appointment and save client money' look.

 

[tonilee]

Might just be me Rach but most of my clients now have got bored with the forever french, my clients are asking for natural looking longer nails.....I seem to be doing alot of clear with a touch of glimmer or twighlight in...I have two clients who insist on long white tipped nails, they wont be talked into forever french (yet!!) Is this just me?? I do find it hard to do the deep smiles ( the ones you know I like!!) but they are getting there. I was in a similar position myself a few months back before I went to a ball, there was only one tech in the salon who could actually do smile lines (freehand as they said ) I asked for deep but they werent, and the nails were so thick....I know wedges are in this year but not on your nails!!!:lol:

 

[pure]

I try and make the nail bed as deep as possible to lengthen the whole nail. And I also do a full reballance at every appointment.

And even though I'm relatively new to nails, I've already had a few clients who have had a moan about the way another local salon does their whites really low down.

 

[Bagpuss]

i prefer a nice curve than a deep smile...i sometimes think a deep smile can look more fake than a natural curve...natural smile lines are rarely a deep smile.

i never do anyones nails with a straight line as that too is unnatural.

i always place it just over there natural smile so it tends to last till there next appointment....(depending on nail growth) i wouldn't do then any further than this though as then clients can tend to push them over there limit.

 

[hayls]

Ditto Bagpuss, my smiles are a curve. I have one client that wants the smile to mimc her natural one so they are straightish! And then I have a few that like a really dramatic smile!
For the line to be straight across generally looks unnatural and fake imo!

I like to see a nice curved smile, and do so on my nails. xxx

 

[ValencianNails]

I tend to follow the natural smile line but place it just above it so they don't grow out too fast...
I prefer a more natural curve than a deep smile, I do deeper smiles when using glitter french etc... never ever a straight smile :green:
Pic 1, Pic 2

 

[EllaX]

Thanx geeks!! Maybe its me going too deep then! xx

 

[Urban Geek]

I prefer a natural smile line too and tend to mirror the cuticle shape.

I do deep smiles for comp nails but don't think they are the most flattering at all.

 

[CurlyQs]

This is an interesting thread because I have wondered about this myself - how this is different in different locales. I am just getting going, but my aim is a curve - not straight but not too deep. I never really saw deep smiles until I came to this sight. My Calgel training was with a straight white and my Bio training was a natural curve. Straight lines seem to be quite common where I live - very common. I see straight across more than anything. In fact when I used to get my nails done, that was what I had! It now looks ridiculous to me. I think some people around here like the fake look. Almost like advertising that they have enhancements. It seems the nail industry is ahead in the UK, as fashion is in general, compared to North America. Having said that, being more educated now, I am aware of places in Ontario that do a deep smile line. (no offense to anyone, just an observation...)

 

[Urban Geek]

The deeper the smile doesn't mean the higher the education. In fact, I would say that giving a very deep unnatural smile to someone's nails shows more ignorance to those that give a smile line to flatter the clients nails/hands.

It may take more skill but it doesn't mean it is best for the client.

 

[*JOANNE*]

smiles all depend on the length of nail bed etc...smaller suits slightly smilier whilst longer could get away with straighter.....but each client is different..i like a nice natural smile...not a big cheesey grin lol. straight works in the same way as stiped clothes...it can make the nails look wider......and not so sleak

 

[CurlyQs]

The deeper the smile doesn't mean the higher the education. In fact, I would say that giving a very deep unnatural smile to someone's nails shows more ignorance to those that give a smile line to flatter the clients nails/hands.

It may take more skill but it doesn't mean it is best for the client.

Sorry, I didn't mean that the tech is less educated, only that my views were quite limited and I didn't even know any sort of smile line was even practiced by techs in my area. I think straight whites are more acceptable where I live and many people request them.

 

[talented talons]

It does seem to vary from area to area. Where i am, a lot of people seem to like the more fake look. Thankfully i am re-educating my clients to have a more natural smile line, which i do depending on the nail bed and natural smile that the client has. Most people have varying smiles anyway, so i think it is nice to give them even but natural smiles that compliment the look of their hands and nails.

I do quite smiley nails on myself, but rarely do deep smiles on anyone. Most of my clients wouldn't look right with deep smiles.

As you said Chris, it can sometimes make them look more false if you do them too deep.

 

[blossom]

This is an interesting thread. I too have noticed a lot of dead straight lines which are not necessarily the most flattering

BUT

we are in the service industry to give clients what they want. When I client requests a French, if they specifically request a straight line then that's what I'll give them (although if they have a short nailbed I will point out that a deeper curve will visually elongate, but the choice is still theirs). If they request a deep smile that's fine too. If they say (as so many do) "oh just do what you think," then I will do a natural curve, placed below their own smile line to enable a bit of growth (unless on a short nailbed, where I will, left to my own devices, do a much deeper smile)

 

[loubylou]

Most of my clients prefer a curve rather than a smile but i do have a couple that like the deep smile and if i get someone that doesnt care what i do and if their nails are suitable then they get a deep smile.
I need all the practise i can get doing the deep smile lol.

 

[lotus blossom]

my clients dont get the choice!!
i do what i think will look best!
normally just curvy, but on the ones who wear them dead long with good beds, ill do them deeeper
but normally curvy,
never straight
i never ever ask my clients what they want regarding this
omg!! am i a bad person?

 

[clara doon]

I too do more of a natural curve rather than a mega deep smile, a couple of clients who have longer nail plates have there's a little deeper because they suit the nail.

rach your not doing your smiles wrong at all they are nice and naturally curvy..... please don't think they nails you've had done for holidays are what to aim for, these I regard as lazy tech's work (sorry if that sounds harsh, but they are) stick with how you work xx

 

[clara doon]

my clients dont get the choice!!
i do what i think will look best!
normally just curvy, but on the ones who wear them dead long with good beds, ill do them deeeper
but normally curvy,
never straight
i never ever ask my clients what they want regarding this
omg!! am i a bad person?

same here .. only once have I been asked for a line straight across and I didn't do it.

 

[Classy Claws]

I mirror the cuticle line, my clients dont get a choice either.. i'm the one trained to know how an enhancement should look on a particular nail. mirroring the cuticle line is the only way to make them look natural and flattering IMO.

 

[nailartist]

I shape the smile line to compliment the client's nails and fingers, but they're usually medium-deep to deep. Here's my webpage gallery:
Gallery You can see all the different shapes of nails and the different smile lines that go with them