Please help!!!! Any tips on how to get quicker at applying liquid & powder acrylic

[Lady Gayna]

Hiya

I'm at college training to be a nail technician I've done 3 sets of acrylic nails and 3 rebalances so far the nails do look nice and have lasted 2/3 weeks until the rebalance however I'm taking 4 hours to do a set and 3 hours to do a rebalance which I know is wayyyyyy to long. My teacher says I'm a perfectionist and should move on to the next nail quicker. I think I'm applying to much acrylic I apply more than one layer in the 3 zones cause there's sometimes gaps where i've missed or the apex isnt curved enough so at the end I have alot of filing to do. Any tips on perfecting smile line would be appreciated I'm finding that the curve is good but to high up so you can still see the curve on the natural nail or its wobbly cause the acrylic has dried when I'm perfecting the line.

Yesterday in class the teacher opened the window next to me and it was really cold my acrylic went strange and I couldnt get the right mixture then when i filed at the end i manage to file off the white acrylic on the free edge which I never done before? Not sure if my file is to harsh for finishing I'm using NSI 150 grit which my personal nail tech recommended I also use the same file for blending then use a white block. In college we use THE EDGE which I find good to work with my nail tech said I should change to nsi as its easier to work with.

I did train and qualify in CND (Creative) about 10 years ago but I just didnt click onto it at all so decided to retrain and finding it alot easier this time round.

Wondered if anyone had any tips on applying acrylic or how to become faster???

Thank youuuuuu!!!

 

[Susie H]

The only way to become faster is to do more of them. As Gigi says Perfect practice makes perfect.
I some times use two beads for zone 1, but never for 2 and 3. That's just one bead each. I think you need to pin your tutor down and get her to watch what you do for one complete nail. But really hun Three sets and you're takeing 4 hours? I wouldn't worry, if you'd said 50 sets that would be another matter, are you practicing on mates? nail tips stuck on orange sticks? yourself? Got to be done hun xx

 

[Lady Gayna]

Thanks for your reply!! Yeah I'm practicing on friends at the moment but I'm thinking of getting a practice hand but the one I had years ago from cnd the tips use to fly off when in use so was a little reluctant to get one. I think your right though practice is the key everytime I tell my teacher how long I take she looks horrified lol but I will make her watch what I'm doing because I'm more experienced in nails than the other girls she doesn't actually watch me cause she thinks I'm fine just slow.

 

[Lily]

Practice makes perfect, it doesnt matter how long it takes you as long as they are perfect every time. I remember years ago when i held a Marian Newman workshop i think we all took 4 hours to prep 5 nails

Practice, practice and more practice, dont stress about teh time.

Sometimes when your L&P is too cold it can crysatalise (some products more than others) never store too cold or on the flip side too warm.

HTH

 

[wendy malley]

I'm afraid it is practice that brings your time down. When you get a gap do your bead as usual but set it down on a lint free pad and using your brush just pick up enough to fill in the gap that way you dont have to file it all off again.There is a tutorial on here for smile lines and i think there is one on the nsi website , good luck

 

[Lily]

Another tip, shape with your brush and not your file

 

[Yurionfire]

Another tip, shape with your brush and not your file

Absolutely agree with this idea...

I had this problem when I was newbie too. I filed my nails til bleeding... Gosh Horrible...

 

[Lady Gayna]

Thanks for the advice. You've both been helpful I'm gonna look up the video on smile lines and practice as much as possible. Yeah im finding sculpting with my brush a little hard I think i use the tip of the brush too much instead of the belly of the brush.

 

[Lily]

Thanks for the advice. You've both been helpful I'm gonna look up the video on smile lines and practice as much as possible. Yeah im finding sculpting with my brush a little hard I think i use the tip of the brush too much instead of the belly of the brush.

Get practising with the belly of the brush, try not to pat too much or you get a whipping effect (like whipping up cream) if that makes sense lol this then puts lots of air bubbles in your product.

You should hardly need to use your file when the product has cured, just really to tidy the nail up.

Remember

Good Prep
Correct product placement
Shape with your brush, not your file
Dont over work your product

Practice as much as you can, do as many different courses and with different professionals, eg; The Geek (amazing), Anthony Buckley (again amazing), never ever stop learning.

:idea:

 

[geeg]

I never use the belly of my brush ... and I never teach anyone else to use it either for several sound reasons.

1. You get greater control and accuracy using the tip/flags of the brush only

2. You get consistency of mix ratio using the flags of the brush whereas you tend to change the ratio when using the belly (which of course holds more liquid)

3. You get much more accurate placement and less chance of getting uncured monomer onto the clients skin which can lead to overexposure and allergy.

Finally I would guess that had you retrained with CND you would have also found it much easier the 2nd time around.

CND still leads the industry and has come a long long way from 10 years ago in product innovation etc. Such a soft, smooth and easy product to work with you only need to use the flags of your brush to press and smooth it into shape and a light touch with the brush. Surface smoothness is so fine at the finish using your brush, that even excess filing is completely unnecessary. All this leads to faster application and finishing which is what your original post asked about.

You can still purchase a small Try Me Kit form CND by calling 08452106060 and see for yourself ... I think you would be more than impressed with the results.

 

[Lily]

CND still leads the industry and has come a long long way from 10 years ago in product innovation etc. Such a soft, smooth and easy product to work with you only need to use the flags of your brush to press and smooth it into shape and a light touch with the brush. Surface smoothness is so fine at the finish using your brush, that even excess filing is completely unnecessary. All this leads to faster application and finishing which is what your original post asked about.

You can still purchase a small Try Me Kit form CND by calling 08452106060 and see for yourself ... I think you would be more than impressed with the results.

I agree with Geeg, purchase the kit to try the products, also training........you can never stop learning.

 

[Lady Gayna]

Thanks Everyone!! I spent so much money with CND in the past I did the original 5 day course and didnt pick it up then I did refresher courses in london and 1 2 1 sessions and still couldnt get my mixtures right or blending. I do find THE EDGE easier to work with than I did with CND as I can now blend and I seem to get my mixtures right however the product is self levelling and spreads out on the nail bed more than I expect it to, so have alot of problems stopping it from touching the cuticle and I definaltely over work the product as my teacher says I play with it to much and I get air bubbles as Lilly said.

I have been getting lots of advice from my personal nail technician who trained using CND and NSI products but my teacher wasn't happy because she was telling me to do a different filing technique to blend and too use different products which was confusing me as I only started course in January 2010, my teacher said some of the info she gave me was too advanced for a beginner. My nail tech actually told me to hold the brush flat when sculpting making sure the height is at the apex not sure if she meant the flag or the belly she said im using the tip of the brush and poking the product which is incorrect and I'm a little heavy handed so thanks for advice on light touch lol!

I will order the 'Try me kit' from CND to see if I now find it easier to work with I can imagine that the products have changed so much in 10 years. I do like to get different advice and training though as you do pick up some good tips. How do I find out about the training you mentioned Lilly do I just google it or is info on this site? I'm determined to get it right this time cause I wasted thousands of pounds in the past on training and buying all the kit then just gave up!!

 

[geeg]

Thanks Everyone!! I spent so much money with CND in the past I did the original 5 day course and didnt pick it up then I did refresher courses in london and 1 2 1 sessions and still couldnt get my mixtures right or blending. I do find THE EDGE easier to work with than I did with CND as I can now blend and I seem to get my mixtures right however the product is self levelling and spreads out on the nail bed more than I expect it to, so have alot of problems stopping it from touching the cuticle and I definaltely over work the product as my teacher says I play with it to much and I get air bubbles as Lilly said.

I have been getting lots of advice from my personal nail technician who trained using CND and NSI products but my teacher wasn't happy because she was telling me to do a different filing technique to blend and too use different products which was confusing me as I only started course in January 2010, my teacher said some of the info she gave me was too advanced for a beginner. My nail tech actually told me to hold the brush flat when sculpting making sure the height is at the apex not sure if she meant the flag or the belly she said im using the tip of the brush and poking the product which is incorrect and I'm a little heavy handed so thanks for advice on light touch lol!

I will order the 'Try me kit' from CND to see if I now find it easier to work with I can imagine that the products have changed so much in 10 years. I do like to get different advice and training though as you do pick up some good tips. How do I find out about the training you mentioned Lilly do I just google it or is info on this site? I'm determined to get it right this time cause I wasted thousands of pounds in the past on training and buying all the kit then just gave up!!

No training EVER is wasted or a waste of money and it is because of that former training that you have found it easier this time 'round, not really the products you are using. CND Mix ratio really is not hard to achieve ... you just need a good teacher who is sensitive to your experience.

Your tutor is right that you shouldn't poke or stab the end of your brush at the product to move it (this is causing the holes that you have to fill in and possibly also the bubbles that you see too) but rather use just the flags (the dark portion of the hairs of the brush) nice and flat on the surface to press gently and smooth. OOOOOooooo I'd love to have you for an hour with CND .. it's all it would take to sort you out lol.

 

[Lady Gayna]

Haha!! You are right Geeg I did feel the training in the past has helped me to click onto it better this time around but I am very cautious of buying products now as I had everything you could possibly have and I just threw majority of them away which I know is silly should have sold them at least!! Wish I could train with you but looks like your in Spain I think you could definately sort me out !! My course is doing acrylic, gel and fibreglass. It started in january with acrylic and were on gel already and changing to fibreglass next week. I haven't mastered acrylic yet but this was the only course I could find in my area that included acrylic all the other colleges just did gel and I didnt want to do another quick 5 day course.

 

[Lady Gayna]

Awww! I just rang CND to get a try me they were lovely!! I couldnt believe they still had all my details stored after 10 years and there sending me a try me kit free of charge as a welcome back. Also I can get another copy of my certificate as im not sure where it is for £10!! Very impressed with there service!!!

 

[Lily]

As Geeg says no training is ever wasted, there is loads of info regarding training on here, yoou cant go wrong with the advice from Geeg and otehr pros on here but as far as training goes, do a search on here and you will find what you are looking for.

Good luck with teh try me kit, not taht you will need it and let us all know how you get on with it

Amanda

 

[Lady Gayna]

Thanks Amanda!! I must admit im loving salon geek so much helpful info!! I will let u know how i get on!!