Nail art course!

[Miss Pink23]

Im due to start a nail art course in a few weeks and just wanted to get a heads up before I go.
- Are striper pens better to use than acrylic pots and brushes, and if so what brands are the best for the pens and the paint-nubar, opi hollywood, flexbrush, spangles??? also
- Also i will be purchasing some swarovski gems, but is there a difference between them when they are called either 'rhinestones' or crystals'???

 

[Pink Pink Pink]

It's personal choice really. Whatever you feel more comfortrable working with for the job you want doing. Try them all! Lol. Hope course goes well.

Debs x

 

[talented talons]

I personally prefer the small pots of acrylic paint to do nail art with and use my many different striper brushes. Reason is, the paint will wipe off with water if you do it wrong, but the nubar ones, (and most of the striper pens,) are polish, so you would have to remove it all and start again if you make a mistake.

Its good to get crystals or rhinestones really, but don't go for mega cheap or they tend to be rough and look cheap. You do get what you pay for.

 

[angel fingers]

stripers have their uses, but they are limited. of all the ones you mentioned i think the flexbrush are the best in terms of brush/paint/lasting in the bottle.
the life of them is limited , they go thick in the bottle long before you will have a problem with acrylic paint doing the same and even then you can just add a drop of water to acrylics.

if you want to get seriously arty you really do need acrylic paints and a selection of brushes. they are far more versatile in their effects.
i do a lot of nailart and the only stripers i have are a silver glitter and a gold glitter one.

there is a big difference between swarovsky stones and cheaper ones. swarovsky glass has a higher lead content than others makinging it more reflective. also the way swarovsky is cut means that they have more fascets than others which reults in more reflective surfaces , giving the stones superior shine. dont go for any rhinestone made from acrylic, they are made in a mould and have more rounded sufaces because they are not hard enough to cut fascets into, this results in a far less reflective finish.

 

[redbeauty]

I personally prefer the small pots of acrylic paint to do nail art with and use my many different striper brushes. Reason is, the paint will wipe off with water if you do it wrong, but the nubar ones, (and most of the striper pens,) are polish, so you would have to remove it all and start again if you make a mistake.

Its good to get crystals or rhinestones really, but don't go for mega cheap or they tend to be rough and look cheap. You do get what you pay for.

Hi, just nosing through this post as I am also interested in nail art.....can you advise where is best place to get the little pots of paint from and also the best place for the swarovsky crystals....I have looked at some of those gems from hong kong etc and they do look pretty cheap!....:green:..thanks

Sue