Lower Arch problems! Please help xxx

[Bev Rose]

I have been trying to shape my newly applied L&P's into a perfect almond shape and I'm stressing myself out soooooo much!
I am losing my lower arches when I try to perfect the 'design' outine looking at the nail from above and then filing the shape. I'm also trying the 45 degree angle with the file and rocking it.
It's hard doing it to yourself & I've already made my cuticles sore trying to to achieve the perfect line of light, then to find I've sliced out my lower arch too!!!!!:irked::grr::grr:
I'm so used to doing soft squares, I've lost the knack of shaping!!!
I've tried so hard to get my side wall totally parallel & perfect I've filed the blooming whites down to the clear tip !!!!!
I had to improvise a bit then! :lol:
I've got Nailclass, The Complete Nail Tech (Marian N) & The Encyclopedia of nails....what else can I do other than stick to soft squares?
Everyone at the Event had gorgeous almond nails & I want some too!!!:lol:

 

[Urban Geek]

Oh dear. I am not as good as Gigi at explaining things but say you want a soft squoval, you would hold your vile at almost parallel to the free-edge. Now, the more you tilt your file, ie tuck it under the free-edge, the more almond you would go. I hope that makes sense. So tuck your file under and sea-saw the free edge and the more you do so the more almond you will go.

I hope that is not all gobbledeygook. It gives me a good starting point and you can then perfect it from there. Hopefully x:hug:

 

[Bev Rose]

These are my left hand - my offenssive lacking in lower arch nails :cry:

 

[Urban Geek]

That is one of the reasons they like the square nails in competitions. Anything else is harder to judge. IYKWIM x

 

[DEBI-DEE]

Hi Bev, cant remember if you were in the sunday filing class but Jan said she achieved the almond shape better by first filing off the corners of the free edge and perfecting the almond shape that way. i was struggling with the 45 degree angle method, but have found this way much easier, give it a go :hug:

 

[Bev Rose]

That is one of the reasons they like the square nails in competitions. Anything else is harder to judge. IYKWIM x

I can understand that!
Thanks for your help chuck xxxxx

 

[Bev Rose]

Hi Bev, cant remember if you were in the sunday filing class but Jan said she achieved the almond shape better by first filing off the corners of the free edge and perfecting the almond shape that way. i was struggling with the 45 degree angle method, but have found this way much easier, give it a go :hug:

yes, I was at the Sunday sesh, I was sat right next to Jan & I do remember her mentioning she had problems too.
So, if I remove the corners, do I put my file in at a 45 degree angle to the sidewall .... I've tried the 45 degree angle from the front, putting it under the free edge and rocking from side to side?
It's driving me blooming nuts!!!!!
Tbh, my nails look very nice, from an inexperienced eye's point of view! and any client would be more than happy with them, as they 'don't look at them as a pro'. It annoying the hell outta me!!!:lol:

 

[Gilly T]

Hi Bev, cant remember if you were in the sunday filing class but Jan said she achieved the almond shape better by first filing off the corners of the free edge and perfecting the almond shape that way. i was struggling with the 45 degree angle method, but have found this way much easier, give it a go :hug:

I have tried the 45 degree angle thingy and didn't have any luck at all. That's if I was doing it right in the first place :lol: The ones in my album I did by taking each corner of as Debi says and then sweeping down each side to the centre of the free edge.

 

[DEBI-DEE]

Once the corners are off youre left with a tiny straight line in the middle and the two edges (IYKWM) just soften the shape from there holding your file the way you normally would when you shape (this is the way i`ve been doing it) I hope this makes sense to you i dont think ive explained it very well Bev.
By the way the nails do look good and your smiles are gorgeous:hug:

 

[DEBI-DEE]

I have tried the 45 degree angle thingy and didn't have any luck at all. That's if I was doing it right in the first place :lol: The ones in my album I did by taking each corner of as Debi says and then sweeping down each side to the centre of the free edge.

You explained that much better Gilly, thats wot i was tring to say (Need some sleep) LOL

 

[Bev Rose]

Once the corners are off youre left with a tiny straight line in the middle and the two edges (IYKWM) just soften the shape from there holding your file the way you normally would when you shape (this is the way i`ve been doing it) I hope this makes sense to you i dont think ive explained it very well Bev.
By the way the nails do look good and your smiles are gorgeous:hug:

Thank you soooo much for your comments about my smiles hunnybun! xxx
I'm quite happy myself with the smiles too! Is that enough to get away with!!!!!!
I'm thinking of going in for my masters with L&P, so I'm feeling stressed I cannot produce a perfect almond at the mo!
Maybe they will teach me that on the pre-masters ???? Not!:lol:

I did the remove the corners bit, and did swipe with a blizzard board to shape....is there an arch still to be seen??? Maybe in some nails, but when do you think the arch should stop to produce the shape? Do ykwim?
Am I just being a stressy plonker, I need my own nails to look the dog's D's - then my clients know I can do nails!:lol: Sometimes lol!

 

[sian1979]

i dont kow if this helps....but i was told that to achieve an almond shape start with a stiletto then round the top of it off. I know that sounds really simple....believe me i know it isnt but i tried on my self for the first time a few weeks ago and cut my tip into a stiletto then once i had applied the product rounded it off. I will try and attach a pic.......i know they are not great but it was my first try and i didnt think they would look as good as what they did....they actually look a bit too round i think in the pic....but there you go...must keep practicing eh!!!
Fan photos from EzFlow Nail Systems | Facebook

 

[Bev Rose]

Hey Sian, they are really pretty!

I know where you are coming from re the round thing, but thing can look soooo different when you take the pic. Beleive me I know! They look picture perfect until you do the macro thing & see all the imperfections! Not on your though!

I was after the look Amanda 'Fontanorastic', Jan Arnold and a few other were wearing at the Event.

Such pretty nails my precious, pretty nails...my precious - OMG I'm turning into Golum, my precious!
Will someone please come to me and do my nails before I turn stark raving bonkers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ooooh....I saw a pretty sparkly light......i'll go and look for it.....

Look, bonkers is setting in!!!!!!!! Help me!!!!!!!:lol:

 

[Gilly T]

Hey Sian, they are really pretty!

I know where you are coming from re the round thing, but thing can look soooo different when you take the pic. Beleive me I know! They look picture perfect until you do the macro thing & see all the imperfections! Not on your though!

I was after the look Amanda 'Fontanorastic', Jan Arnold and a few other were wearing at the Event.

Such pretty nails my precious, pretty nails...my precious - OMG I'm turning into Golam, my precious!
Will someone please come to me and do my nails before I turn stark raving bonkers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ooooh....I saw a pretty sparkly light......i'll go and look for it.....

Look, bonkers is setting in!!!!!!!! Help me!!!!!!!:lol:

LMFAO.. you mad woman :lol:

 

[DEBI-DEE]

Can you also remember Rox saying that if you filed too deep into your sidewalls you would lose the strength of the nail. I was quite guilty of trying to shape from the nearly the èars of the smile to the middle of the free edge when i was trying to get my almond and kept losing my lower arch in the process, From your pictures your having the same problems as me ,although as you say, a client would be more than happy with them. Its us thats striving for perfection:hug::hug::hug:

 

[Bev Rose]

Yes, I'm a saddo, I hate not being perfect, what can I say.........
perfection is a hard road to travel:irked::lol:

 

[DEBI-DEE]

Hey Sian, they are really pretty!

I know where you are coming from re the round thing, but thing can look soooo different when you take the pic. Beleive me I know! They look picture perfect until you do the macro thing & see all the imperfections! Not on your though!

I was after the look Amanda 'Fontanorastic', Jan Arnold and a few other were wearing at the Event.

Such pretty nails my precious, pretty nails...my precious - OMG I'm turning into Golum, my precious!
Will someone please come to me and do my nails before I turn stark raving bonkers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ooooh....I saw a pretty sparkly light......i'll go and look for it.....

Look, bonkers is setting in!!!!!!!! Help me!!!!!!!:lol:

Bev, You`re not sane LOL

 

[sian1979]

Hey Sian, they are really pretty!

I know where you are coming from re the round thing, but thing can look soooo different when you take the pic. Beleive me I know! They look picture perfect until you do the macro thing & see all the imperfections! Not on your though!

I was after the look Amanda 'Fontanorastic', Jan Arnold and a few other were wearing at the Event.

Such pretty nails my precious, pretty nails...my precious - OMG I'm turning into Golum, my precious!
Will someone please come to me and do my nails before I turn stark raving bonkers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ooooh....I saw a pretty sparkly light......i'll go and look for it.....

Look, bonkers is setting in!!!!!!!! Help me!!!!!!!:lol:

LOL!! only wish i was there so see what you are talking about:cry:...im sure you will get there......

 

[Nataliya]

I wonder if this is going to be helpful as I am not very good in explaining at all, lol

the side walls have to be straight coming from the ears along the free edge ( imagine the side view of a square nail - lower arch is straight all the way through)

when you file the almond shape aim your 45 degree angle aproximately half way down of the free edge not all the way underneath.

from you pics it looks like a 90 degree angle (as if you were filing with your file right underneath the free edge, if that the case you will loose you lower arch and file too much of a side wall.

all above IMO, hope it helps:hug:

 

[Bev Rose]

I wonder if this is going to be helpful as I am not very good in explaining at all, lol

the side walls have to be straight coming from the ears along the free edge ( imagine the side view of a square nail - lower arch is straight all the way through)

when you file the almond shape aim your 45 degree angle aproximately half way down of the free edge not all the way underneath.

from you pics it looks like a 90 degree angle (as if you were filing with your file right underneath the free edge, if that the case you will loose you lower arch and file too much of a side wall.

all above IMO, hope it helps:hug:

Yes, I understand what you are saying nataliya.
I did do it like that and then got a bit file happy as the side walls seemed too wide so I have swiped my middle fingers lower arches away.

I'll be getting my nail trainer out and dusting it off and having a practise on it today.