Well first up....Der! on my behalf
Silly me books myself in not even thinking about my NNO of gel on my nails and I did not have time to remove them, so I just had to go as is.
It went ok and I can now say I have been Shellaced:biggrin: but I now know why she is offering it so cheap.
I didn't want to ask her outright why it was so cheap, so I asked a pile of 'beat around the bush' questions and discovered she did exactly what I thought and bought the entire kit and has had no interest in it, so she's doing it this cheap to try and drum up business.
She said that even with this really cheap offer she is still struggling to get clients in to try it.
She did a decent job, 3 nails she had to re-do cause they shrunk really bad and wrinkled badly and I knew they would, I could see when she was applying, she was doing it too thick but I couldn't say anything.
I have never used Shellac but from what I have learned off her, I knew it was too thick.
She struggled with my toes and they are not as neat as I would have liked but hey, what can you expect for $15.
She commented on my NNO and said how good it was and she would never has guessed just looking at my nails that I had gel on them and asked me how long I have had them on for and when my last infill was, I told her and she seemed really shocked that I have got not chipping or lifting.
I confessed in the end that I was a fellow nail tech and she said she could tell by the way I was talking and she opened up then and we talked for a while.
She's only been qualified since last July and she said she is struggling, but she didn't really say why. I couldn't pick up if it was her products or her clientele she is struggling with but I would guess a bit of both and her yuck looking nail area, it just was not inviting at all.
And she only offers Shellac and gel enhancements, she said she doesn't do mani's and pedi's and she said most the people she talks to ask for acrylic, not gel.
So I think it's a big combo as to why she is not doing so well.
She's been doing Shellac since just before X-mas, she said.
She didn't say if she is CND qualified but I don't think she could be, cause I would think if she was, she would not be presenting herself the way she did.
She was wearing jeans and a plain pale pink shirt that was 4 sizes to big for her and made her look shabby, she just didn't look pro at all.
I told her I would let her know how my nails hold up cause she said she has only done 4 other clients with Shellac and none came back, so she doesn't know how they hold up.
I talked to her about marketing herself better/more and how when she offers cheap services that is the type of client she will attract and she needs to not offer this so cheap and get clients that don't worry about a cheapo deal and that are loyal.
I could have said so many things to try and help her but I didn't, I felt bad in a way, cause I wanted to help her but I also know she will be my competition one day soon (I don't think she will be big competition that's for sure but still any other tech in my area is going to be competition in the end).
I am a big believer in making sure (if you're a nail tech) that we have our own nails as our advertising, if we have great looking nails at all times, even bright, whacky, something different nails, then this brings attention to them and then people ask and Wham! potential client right there.
Well her nails looked horrible, she has them just natural, no Shellac, no enhancements, nothing, they were dull, a few were chipped and they were all different lengths her cuticles needs some oil badly and they were not a good advert for her business at all.
There was no advertising up (apart from the sign I saw) for Shellac, she didn't have her colours out on display or even a colour chart/wheel done up, so if that sign wasn't there and you just walked in, you would never know she offered it. Her entire nail area was very drab and while I was sitting there, I was thinking of so many things I would do to liven it up if it was my space.
She is young and just seemed not confident to be honest.
She thanked me heaps of times for our chat and I told her I will let her know how they hold up.
So there you go, it was for real, $15AUD for both. I felt sad for her, the poor thing but she is clearly doing a few things wrong and that is why she is having to offer it so cheap.
Oh btw, I am wearing Fedora and it is really nice.
If I had my camera I would take a shot but it's broken (thanks to my darling 8 yr old daughter).