L&P

[Kellyc]

hi guys hoping you could help, i completed my l&p course yesterday and really enjoyed it however am a bit concerned about my smile lines. we were taught yesterday to apply the bead of l&p white onto the tip and pat down into place to create the smile line, however i find my smile lines awful anyway so asked my tutor how i could improve them and she said that because i had done the sqaure shape on the nails the smile line doesnt need to be really smiley (not sure if i am making sense) and mine were fine. I dont think they are and wondered how you apply your smile lines with l&p to get them as beautiful as the ones ive seen especially geeg, i know i need practice and was quite impressed with my first ever set yesterday (and the model used has just become my first real client!!!) but is my application correct? sorry if this doesnt make sense !!!lol

 

[Carole Lindsay]

Bless you, i fully understand what you've said!!! Have you looked at Gigi's Fabric# nails in the member gallery? Would you say yours are much squarer than hers? The smile line does depend on the shape so i understand what the teacher is saying. Did you follow the shape of the cuticle? That's the line you're supposed to follow. Also, have a look at the tutorial that the Grand Master Nail Geek has done - maybe that will also help. Sorry i cant be of much more help. Its a shame you didnt take a pic so that we could have a look. Is it possible to take a photo now if she's a friend?

 

[Kellyc]

Hi carole thanks for your help, i am hoping to do another practice set this week and will post that for advice, sometimes im not sure if its an obsession about smile lines lol! im obsessed with trying to get them perfect. I dont think my nails will ever compare to Gigi's and if they do it will be mission accomplished!!!!!! xxx

 

[Carole Lindsay]

Gigi's a good person to aspire to! Post the pics when you do them and perhaps someone will be able to point you in the right direction (doubt it would be me, tho!).

Best wishes,

 

[geeg]

This is my opinion and is certainly not written in stone.

The mega deep or extreme smile lines that one sees in competition nails like Anthony Buckleys and Ketan Patels and others seems to be what many aspire to producing in the salon. NO this is a competition nail.

What you have to remember is that the extreme smiles are produced for comp nails to show off the skill that the competitor has in handling the product and producing 'the look' again and again consistently 10 times. For this 'extreme look' to look beautiful on the hand, the nail beds have to be exceptionally long ... most people's nailbeds are NOT. Doing an extreme smile on a person with average nail beds looks awful and actually forshortens the nails even more.

SO .. my point is that a more natural look is what I would use in the salon 99% of the time UNLESS the client had these wonderful long nail beds, and in that case, I would go for extreme and exaggerate the smile.

In the salon or 'real life' situation, you should try to customise the look to the client and do what is best look for her. It would bore me to tears to churn out 'the same old same old' (Jan Arnold calls them cookie cutter nails) for each individual. Do what you think looks pretty and what enhances the look of the client's nails.

Extreme is dramatic, extreme shows dexterity and skill, but extreme is not real life and is not always pretty.

Thank you all for your nice comments about my work. If you look at my 'ruby red slippers' photo in the gallery, these are more extreme. These are Mrs Geeks nails that I did and she has nice long nail beds. Learn to do all the different looks and use when applicable.

 

[Carole Lindsay]

This is my opinion and is certainly not written in stone.

The mega deep or extreme smile lines that one sees in competition nails like Anthony Buckleys and Ketan Patels and others seems to be what many aspire to producing in the salon. NO this is a competition nail.

What you have to remember is that the extreme smiles are produced for comp nails to show off the skill that the competitor has in handling the product and producing 'the look' again and again consistently 10 times. For this 'extreme look' to look beautiful on the hand, the nail beds have to be exceptionally long ... most people's nailbeds are NOT. Doing an extreme smile on a person with average nail beds looks awful and actually forshortens the nails even more.

SO .. my point is that a more natural look is what I would use in the salon 99% of the time UNLESS the client had these wonderful long nail beds, and in that case, I would go for extreme and exaggerate the smile.

In the salon or 'real life' situation, you should try to customise the look to the client and do what is best look for her. It would bore me to tears to churn out 'the same old same old' (Jan Arnold calls them cookie cutter nails) for each individual. Do what you think looks pretty and what enhances the look of the client's nails.

Extreme is dramatic, extreme shows dexterity and skill, but extreme is not real life and is not always pretty.

Thank you all for your nice comments about my work. If you look at my 'ruby red slippers' photo in the gallery, these are more extreme. These are Mrs Geeks nails that I did and she has nice long nail beds. Learn to do all the different looks and use when applicable.

Am I being dense, Gigi, coz i looked in your member gallery for your ruby red slippers and could only see your recent fibreglass pics. Did i look in the wrong place?

 

[Carole Lindsay]

Oh, i forgot to ask my question about the smile lines!! When i was doing a set of pink & whites on myself this evening i came across a problem that i have with one of my nails having my own natural smile line starting much further down that the rest. How would you go about disguising that? If i start the white further up you'll be able to see my own smile line under the pink, wont you?

 

[Nailsinlondon1]

The pic is in Mrs. Geeks album Carole................under Ruby slippers............
HTH

 

[geeg]

Oh, i forgot to ask my question about the smile lines!! When i was doing a set of pink & whites on myself this evening i came across a problem that i have with one of my nails having my own natural smile line starting much further down that the rest. How would you go about disguising that? If i start the white further up you'll be able to see my own smile line under the pink, wont you?

It is really fun to do 'illusion' work on yourself and others.

I know you are mainly a wrap artist and it is more difficult to do with wraps.
The way I have done it on myself -- for sadly I do not have those beautiful long nail beds we have been talking about -- is to use an opaque tip and apply as normal. Then I paint on 'More than White' where I want the smile line to be (rather than where it really is). I then carry on and finish the enhancment. At this point you can still see your own natural smile line but then I give the nail 2 coats of Neglegée and it disguises the natural nail and makes the nail plate look mega long.

Illusion techniques are MUCH easier to do using liquid/ powder, because you can use an opaque powder to completely cover the regrowth area or natural smile line. Sculpt your white tip where you want it to be, and then just use your qpaque powder to camophlage (oh dear don't know how to spell that one) the rest.

 

[Kellyc]

Thanks gigi for your help i think its becoming a bit of an obsession of mine to create these perfect smile lines but my tutor kept saying that as im only just qualified im getting way ahead of myself which i know i am a very impatient person but just want my smile lines to be great or at least every one look the same!!!! but gigi your advice on my gel smile lines as helped. So am i doing the right technique as i explained in my first thread where you apply the bead of l&p white then pat it into place? only i often here swiping rather than patting but that was how my tutor explained it? thanks again x x

 

[talented talons]

Hey Kells, me again, I've found that i apply my white bead in the centre of the tip then press down firmly but gently in the centre then move to each side so you are distributing the product as evenly as possible. Concentrate on the smile line first then once thats done you then swipe down the nail making sure its thin at the free edge. I know it sounds simple but i feel i'm only just starting to crack it myself.

Finally i feel that my smile lines are virtually the same. Still have a way to go, but just need to practise. You know you can practise on me if you wish Kelly, then i can on you if you like as we both need the practise. We can talk about it when i see you at the meeting.:lol:

 

[Urban Geek]

Kelly, Don't worry - you certainly aren't alone! I would say mine were more of a 'quiver' rather than a smile so I think I'll have to put in more practice than anyone. So chin up honey - I'm sure we'll all have the best of smiles soooooon!

 

[Carole Lindsay]

It is really fun to do 'illusion' work on yourself and others.

I know you are mainly a wrap artist and it is more difficult to do with wraps.
The way I have done it on myself -- for sadly I do not have those beautiful long nail beds we have been talking about -- is to use an opaque tip and apply as normal. Then I paint on 'More than White' where I want the smile line to be (rather than where it really is). I then carry on and finish the enhancment. At this point you can still see your own natural smile line but then I give the nail 2 coats of Neglegée and it disguises the natural nail and makes the nail plate look mega long.

Illusion techniques are MUCH easier to do using liquid/ powder, because you can use an opaque powder to completely cover the regrowth area or natural smile line. Sculpt your white tip where you want it to be, and then just use your qpaque powder to camophlage (oh dear don't know how to spell that one) the rest.

Not using "More than White" would there be a way to cover up the natural low smile line? Its actually only on one fingernail!! Would the best way be to apply the tip, put a thin layer of pink then apply pink & white so that the first layer of pink disguises it?

 

[geeg]

Not using "More than White" would there be a way to cover up the natural low smile line? Its actually only on one fingernail!! Would the best way be to apply the tip, put a thin layer of pink then apply pink & white so that the first layer of pink disguises it?

You can only experiment and try it and see. If the pink is see through then it may not work.

I have also been sucessful by applying the tip using a mixed bead of Flawless (camophlage powder) which extends the nail plate, and then overlaying with a wrap. This works very well to elongate the nail bed.