hi everyone i have just finished my creative foundation coure and have completed 2 full sets and a rebalance. I am struggling to keep the product thin around the cuticle and working the smile line - i think this is poor product control due to too wet a mix ratio - does anyone have any tips on how to perfect the mix ratio - i can't get that lovely round bead formation i have seen in the tutorial photos on the site - all advice gratefully accepted - thanks
new tech needs help
- Thread starter vlehndorf
- Start date
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Sassy Hassy
Well-Known Member
Can't help with your ratio as I'm a gel girl (it's premixed for you!), but I did start with l&p. Those blasted beads, I thought I'd never get the hang of them! It's early days and so it's practice practice. But if you really think that you'll never get it right then why not try a one to one training session.
Vlinder
Well-Known Member
Hi there,
I was taught, to get the right ratio the best way was once you have the liquid on your brush, & you've picked up the powder, if you say going, going, gone then it should be the right mix, not to wet not to dry.
If there is still powder visable its too dry, if it mixes before the end of saying the above its too wet. This seems to work for me. HTH
I was taught, to get the right ratio the best way was once you have the liquid on your brush, & you've picked up the powder, if you say going, going, gone then it should be the right mix, not to wet not to dry.
If there is still powder visable its too dry, if it mixes before the end of saying the above its too wet. This seems to work for me. HTH
vlehndorf said:
Hi, I finish my foundation next week. I have the same problem as you. When I pick up a bead and say going, going, gone, I still have product that is dry at the top of the bead. My tutor watched me and said that I was putting my brush into the powder too deep, that I should just skim the top. It improved a little bit. Also we were told that the hot weather was making it difficult to get the correct mix.
As for the smile lines, after I read the tutorial and found out to use gentle presses back and forth and to avoid trying to perfect one side of the nail at a time. I had been 'doing' one side first and then the product was setting before I got to the other. And as everybody says....practice practice practice!!
Jeni Giles
Well-Known Member
jee-nails said:
Take a few minutes to really look at your brush, infact stare at it closely and introduce your self to its parts. You have a nice handle, well balanced, shiney and clean, next there is a ferule, that metal thing that holds your bristles onto the handle. Look closely at this, there is a dip where it connects to the brush handle, your bristles reach clear up to here this is where they are glued and crimped to your handle. Next your have your hairs, they have 2 parts, the belly or the biggest part of your bristles and the flag. The flag begins where the hairs start to taper and it is usually darker in color.
OK, now that you have made friends with your brush and are familiar with all it's parts, it's ready to make aquaintance with the liquid and powder.
1. submerge your brush all the way into the monomer, upto but not over the ferule. Rock it back and forth at the bottom of your dish (look closely and you will see tiny air bubbles being released) bring your brush out by gently wiping the belly across the edge of the dish 2 or 3 times so that your brush is kind of flattened at the tip. (looks kind of like a sandwich that you put too much filling in and squished) thin at the flag and thicker in the belly
2. Draw a slow straight line across your powder being carefull not to go deeper than your flag. (if your past the dark part of your bristles you are too deep and your mix ratio will be crazy)
3. Take your brush out of the powder and watch your bead closely. Say to your self, going, going, gone and if your powder did indeed do that PERFECT! you nailed it (pun intended) If you only got to going going, you are still too wet, drop the bead on your table towel, wipe your brush and try again. If you are going going going still going, you're too dry, drop the bead on your table towel, wipe your brush and try again.
4. Invest in an inexpensive box of tips and spend a few minutes glueing them to your nail trainer or to dowels, then try your new technique on them (they can't get overexposed while working on mix ratio) Drop your bead off on the tip and watch it. If your bead slowly settles and forms a nice dome with out a ring of liquid around it or sitting there like an unmoveable rock, you have just made a perfect bead. If you have a ring, too wet. Unmoveable rock=too dry.
5. Use this technique, try it for the whole nail (still not on a person) and watch the L &P cure. Did it cure free of bubbles? If you have bubbles, you are still too wet, try again and instead of three or four times across the dappen dish, you may need 5!
Proper mix ratio is important not only for client safety, but if your mix ratio is off, your brush begins to "clog" and you end up with an unwanted friend lingering in your bristles that is difficult to get rid of. Make sure to clean your brush with monomer before you use it and flush thouroughly when done before putting your brush to bed.
Sorry I was long...this is something I teach almost every day and I seem to be a little.....zealous? about proper mix ratio, brush care, and brush storage. (it may have something to do with our wacky state laws and our on going arguement about disinfecting said brush...goofy government guys!!!!)
wow - thank you sooo much this is more information than i received in training - far more clear and well explained - i will try it out tonight. i have never used a nail trainer or even dowls - love this site, love the friendly helpful users - thanks again
Jeni Giles said:
Christine G
Well-Known Member
Ditto, a very enthralling read, I don't think you can ever read too much about mix ratio and product control,,,,thank you Jenni.
Christine
Christine
NailStyle said:
Prosperity
Well-Known Member
This was great, thanks you so much. I am currently working on my NVQ (the bit where we have to do three system full sets an three rebalances plus the questionnaire thing!) and this will help loads.
I ge loads out of this site - thank you all
Michelle
I ge loads out of this site - thank you all
Michelle
twinkletoes910
Well-Known Member
wonderful answer jeni! i want a class with you!
Jeni Giles
Well-Known Member
dowels are a wooden stick they come in all sizes you want one about the size of a pencil. Usually found at craft stores, but in a pinch a tooth pick or popcicle stick(for large tips dont try attaching a size 10 to a popcicle stick, it won't work!!) will work.
I'd be happy to have a class...plan a Geek Meet in Idaho, I'll even find you a place to stay, kind of like a Geek exchange program!! Start saving your pennies?? quid, pounds what ever, I'd be happy to host. (the school I teach in is 15,000 square feet so we have lots of room for learning! ) I'm saving for HairWorld in Chicago 2008, so it may take me awhile to save enough to get to Europe especially since my hubby thinks he and the kids would have to come with me.
I'd be happy to have a class...plan a Geek Meet in Idaho, I'll even find you a place to stay, kind of like a Geek exchange program!! Start saving your pennies?? quid, pounds what ever, I'd be happy to host. (the school I teach in is 15,000 square feet so we have lots of room for learning! ) I'm saving for HairWorld in Chicago 2008, so it may take me awhile to save enough to get to Europe especially since my hubby thinks he and the kids would have to come with me.
mum
Well-Known Member
If doing gorgeous nails was easy, there would be lots and lots of amazing technicians and even more very happy clients. (well, actually, the clients would be doing it for themselves!)
Don't panic if the application does not 'happen' as soon as you start! It takes practice. Practice with the product, practice with shape, practice with curves, and, most importantly, practice with many. many different clients.
This is a practical skill. Practice with descriptions, practice with plastic hands. The most important: practice on real people; learn from experienced teachers showing you how to do it, in real life.
Don't panic if the application does not 'happen' as soon as you start! It takes practice. Practice with the product, practice with shape, practice with curves, and, most importantly, practice with many. many different clients.
This is a practical skill. Practice with descriptions, practice with plastic hands. The most important: practice on real people; learn from experienced teachers showing you how to do it, in real life.
Warwick Wendy
Well-Known Member
Excellent post thanks!! Just confirmed everything from my skill rebalance class i had with Marco on Tuesday. I was absolutely enthrawled!! The man is a genius, but an extremely funny genius at that....had me in stitches all day long x what a fab tutor
