Sculpting French acrylics, help!

[leazh1307]

Hi everyone
I am a qualified nail tech but have little experience in sculpting. It was barely covered on the course I did and we always used tips. I have been qualified for two years but haven't worked anywhere that does nails so they aren't my strong point.
I'm now working in a salon which not only do acrylics, but they don't use tips and only sculpt so I'm finding it tricky to adapt. I'm ok at building a nail in one colour but when it comes to French I'm struggling to create the white tip with a perfect smile line. I'm finding the acrylic is setting before I've done my side walls and smile line so one of them suffers.
I really need to get up to scratch and am practising on nail trainer fingers and on models but I'm wondering if anyone has any useful tips and tricks for me?
Thank you x

 

[corn_pops]

Hello.

I will suggest you to practice:

* reverse application technique - Crisp smile lines every time.

I will suggest the following also:
You can buy a nail french cutter, but a tip will also do the same thing as the french cutter, just use the c curve end of the tip to push in and scrape away product leaving a perfect smile, but you need to know when to do it, since the acrylic could be set and already hard or too soon and you can get a full mess.

But this last suggestion will only work with tips not sculpted.

:o

 

[NawtyNails]

Hello.

You can buy a nail french cutter, but a tip will also do the same thing as the french cutter, just use the c curve end of the tip to push in and scrape away product leaving a perfect smile, but you need to know when to do it, since the acrylic could be set and already hard or too soon and you can get a full mess.
:o

*facepalm*

Of course! Of course that's a way to do it! I've been fighting with smile lines for weeks now.. I've been trying to figure out a way to do them while I practice the proper way and I've seen those cutters on eBay, I just never know what they were for.. Now I know! It pays to lurk

 

[izzidoll]

Hi everyone
I am a qualified nail tech but have little experience in sculpting. It was barely covered on the course I did and we always used tips. I have been qualified for two years but haven't worked anywhere that does nails so they aren't my strong point.
I'm now working in a salon which not only do acrylics, but they don't use tips and only sculpt so I'm finding it tricky to adapt. I'm ok at building a nail in one colour but when it comes to French I'm struggling to create the white tip with a perfect smile line. I'm finding the acrylic is setting before I've done my side walls and smile line so one of them suffers.
I really need to get up to scratch and am practising on nail trainer fingers and on models but I'm wondering if anyone has any useful tips and tricks for me?
Thank you x

There are many ways to perfect your sculpting, and smile lines whilst sculpting.
Check out the Tutorials here on site especially supersonic sculpting.

I don't know what system you use, but if I were you I would consider booking a 1-2-1 with an Educator to perfect your sculpting skills. One session and you will be amazed at how much you will learn and how much your sculpting and confidence will improve.