Bubba82
Well-Known Member
Thanks a Windmillion? Lovely colour, my fav is Strawberry Magherita oh and Russian Navy
OPI GelColor problems-already read the stickeys!
- Thread starter CaraB
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Rinn
CND Shellac EA
OMG.....Russian Navy is my favourite...fabulous
cmorcom
Well-Known Member
Yep! That's the one!! I ve got the other two to!! Xx
I've been using OPI gel colour since it first came out.
Firstly if you read through salon geek you will find hundreds of threads about every gel polish and hybrid on the market that they are having problems with. my gel shrinks, my gel chips, my gel runs up the street with me chasing it and doesn't come back
The thing is practise makes perfect for a start, secondly clients LIE, and whilst they may be little white ones they make a hell of a lot of difference to us as nail techs and the outcome of the service we perform, not every gel/hybrid/power polish suits everyone and sometimes you really have to throw in the towel and try something else like acrylic or a hard gel.
Now ask yourself whilst you are in the throws of work do you really check yourself all of the time, just recently I started to get lifting again with my acrylics, well I would have sworn black is white that I was doing everything right. Yet whilst doing a set I checked myself and suddenly realised I was not scrubbing the nail plate for a good 30 seconds I was infect giving it a quick swipe. Hmm flipping lot of good that did :Scared:
So gel colour here goes this is what Ive found out to work in quite a few cases. check your clients nails plates, Ive found that the nail needs to look really white and dehydrated before applying the base coat. If after removing the cuticle the nail plate looks really smooth and shiny using NAS 99 or scrub fresh and really scrub the nail plate until it looks properly dehydrated. apply the base coat making sure you get right down the sides and along the free edge. before applying the colour shake the bottle or better still I have a little metal stirrer that I stir the gel with. Look some gels don't need a lot of shaking, simple fact gel colour does. if you don't like shaking don't get gel colour. however if you shake properly it really does help with coverage. so first colour really thin almost see through, second coat should cover properly however in a couple of the colours you need three thin coats. lastly top coat all over and check down the sides of the nail and round the free edge. look at the nail from all angles to make sure you have completely top coated the whole nail plate, otherwise the colour will come off and the gel will go dull.
hope this advice helps peeps xx
Firstly if you read through salon geek you will find hundreds of threads about every gel polish and hybrid on the market that they are having problems with. my gel shrinks, my gel chips, my gel runs up the street with me chasing it and doesn't come back
The thing is practise makes perfect for a start, secondly clients LIE, and whilst they may be little white ones they make a hell of a lot of difference to us as nail techs and the outcome of the service we perform, not every gel/hybrid/power polish suits everyone and sometimes you really have to throw in the towel and try something else like acrylic or a hard gel.
Now ask yourself whilst you are in the throws of work do you really check yourself all of the time, just recently I started to get lifting again with my acrylics, well I would have sworn black is white that I was doing everything right. Yet whilst doing a set I checked myself and suddenly realised I was not scrubbing the nail plate for a good 30 seconds I was infect giving it a quick swipe. Hmm flipping lot of good that did :Scared:
So gel colour here goes this is what Ive found out to work in quite a few cases. check your clients nails plates, Ive found that the nail needs to look really white and dehydrated before applying the base coat. If after removing the cuticle the nail plate looks really smooth and shiny using NAS 99 or scrub fresh and really scrub the nail plate until it looks properly dehydrated. apply the base coat making sure you get right down the sides and along the free edge. before applying the colour shake the bottle or better still I have a little metal stirrer that I stir the gel with. Look some gels don't need a lot of shaking, simple fact gel colour does. if you don't like shaking don't get gel colour. however if you shake properly it really does help with coverage. so first colour really thin almost see through, second coat should cover properly however in a couple of the colours you need three thin coats. lastly top coat all over and check down the sides of the nail and round the free edge. look at the nail from all angles to make sure you have completely top coated the whole nail plate, otherwise the colour will come off and the gel will go dull.
hope this advice helps peeps xx
JuicyLucy
Well-Known Member
I am thinking of buying into GelColor. I think I will sell my Gelicure and my huge OPI stock of polish and just stock OPI polish matching the GelColor I buy.
I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had problems on the GelColor course with shrinkage. Has anyone tried dry wiping the basecoat like you do with Gelish to eliminate this?
I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had problems on the GelColor course with shrinkage. Has anyone tried dry wiping the basecoat like you do with Gelish to eliminate this?
NancySyd
Well-Known Member
OPI Gelcolor is different from many other gel polishes, more like Shellac, in that the base coat is not 100% gel, but contains solvents. I find that properly applied (thin), there is very little of a sticky layer to dry wipe, in fact, if there's enough to wipe, you've applied it too thick.
MaisyMouse
Well-Known Member
I love gelcolor, I am doing far more than shellac now, in fact I am thinking of getting rid of shellac. I find it lasts longer on some clients that can not keep shellac on, and it is the easiest to remove :lol:
Shake very well!!
Apply thin coats, but the top coat slightly thicker, if too thin it looses its shine.
I cure after two nails particularly for darker colours
Darker colours require 3 thin coats
I use cuticle away and scrubfresh and have had no problems
Make sure clients wash hands well with the opi blue wash, can't remember the name
:lol:
Shake very well!!
Apply thin coats, but the top coat slightly thicker, if too thin it looses its shine.
I cure after two nails particularly for darker colours
Darker colours require 3 thin coats
I use cuticle away and scrubfresh and have had no problems
Make sure clients wash hands well with the opi blue wash, can't remember the name
:lol:
JuicyLucy
Well-Known Member
Thanks Nancy and Maisy for your help. I was going to wait until I sold my other stuff, but Lena White (UK OPI Distributor) are offering 15% discount this weekend I can resist everything except temptation!
I can resist everything except temptation!BeautyNina
Well-Known Member
Does anybody find that the top coat starts curing on the brush as your painting? Also I'd say I've only done about 20 sets and the base coat is already going thick? Also I've found that by bubble bath changes colour from a pink to a yellowy nude after a few hours wear?!
You must keep away from natural light while working.Are you sitting by a window.Also keep your bottles stored in a case.Are you keeping your bottles and brushes away from your lamp when you cure.Are you using the opi lamp.You could be over curing your bubble bath.
MaisyMouse
Well-Known Member
Thanks Nancy and Maisy for your help. I was going to wait until I sold my other stuff, but Lena White (UK OPI Distributor) are offering 15% discount this weekend
Argh I know got the email a day after I placed an order :Scared:.
Some colours are harder to apply I do not use my black or lourve me lourve me not as I find them hard to apply. But have no problems with the others
MaisyMouse
Well-Known Member
I am nearly finished my base coat and its still like when I first got as is my top coat, unlike shellac which has gone really thick by the time I'm half way down the bottle. I am in a room with no windows and store them in box away from sunlight. Is your lid off when you are curing? Is it being exposed to the lamp?
There was a problem with one of the initial French colours going yellow I can't remember which one it was, as far as I know they have solved this, not sure if it was bubble bath
Rinn
CND Shellac EA
The only clients I've had who've chipped with GelColor are those with very hard/strong nails. IME shellac suits them better .
I must admit I hate louvre me and don't use it anymore, but the black is absolutely fine if you stir it rather that shake it. I bought a little metal stirring spoon and it does a fantastic job of mixing the gel. if you don't mix properly then all the colour drops to the bottom of the bottle. so your first application goes on nice and even then the second seems watery. xxxx
MaisyMouse
Well-Known Member
I gave up on both I found the black went spotty, I hated it and have black shellac so never use the opi. My clients never have black anyway, Lincoln park is dark enough. Thanks for advice though x
my pleasure babes, all these things are a learning curve, one thing I know is that all of these products needs to go on thin. I was ill the other day and did a ladies OPI and to be fair I wasnt really concentrating properly. slowly one by one they all peeled off from the side. I went back to sort them out and was horrified how thick I had done them. Teach me to go out and work ill lol. I redone them much thinner and they are absolutely fine now. we learn from our mistakes as they say xxxxx
JuicyLucy
Well-Known Member
Oh dear, I just placed a massive order. I blame the new Matte Top Coat, it really tipped me over the edge.
MaisyMouse
Well-Known Member
I have got my matte top coat going to have a play today :lol:
x-ashleigh-x
New Member
I have 6 years experience in gel nails. I have never done the shellac or opi training. I recently purchased the OPI gelcolour kit, and at first I was really weary. But I must say I had a few troubles to start with. Mainly the free edge shrinking and chipping. But now I have spoke to Lena White, who where so helpful, ive over come my problems with it. Its very different to shellac and yes a bottle is dearer but you get more product with OPI so in fact cheaper! It doesnt dry out like shellac so you can use the entire bottle! All bottles need a really good shake, and you need to be quick with your base as it starts drying. Only go over the nail plate 3 times-more like a polish application. With the OPI you really need a clean dry nail plate. Scrun the nail and free egde with the NAS99 and use the bond it. Really cap your nail with every product. I have been getting fab results with it and will not look back. It's amazing colour and strength is fab. And such a high gloss finish! I will be looking in to doing the training as I believe there's always something new to learn. Dont give up with it. It really is a fantastic brand and product! Hope this helps xx
Jessreichenbach
New Member
I'm a newbie Nail tech, trying out Gel polishes to find the brand I want to use. I Just bought a few bottles of the opi gelcolor and on the 3rd day i found Cracks on all my nails, almost like shattered glass, you have to look closely to see it but it's there none the less. What is Causing that? I have been curing each coat for 2 minutes in a uv light, applying thin coats, and capping the free edge. Thanks!
