The Tricks of the Trade ...

[geeg]

Ever wonder what to do with the middle bit from your sculpting forms??

Just remove the 'oval middle bit' from your sculpting form, and stick it (sticky side to sticky side) under the part of the form you are going to sculpt on. the benefits are:

• stronger forms that hold an even better C curve
• You wont stick to the form when you place your finger beneath it for support.
• It will give you something to do with that little oval bit!!

 

[River]

What Jac is describing is a method of French Manicure that is first done with several small strokes in a North - South direction (from the smile line to the free edge) that creates her smile line and a thin coverage. I presume she then goes on to her 2nd coat working in a West - East direction and sharpening the smile line and thickening the coverage as she sweeps across.

Ah, thanks for clearing that up.

Not sure how succesful I'll be using this method, only just mastered the sweeping one !


River

 

[angel fingers]

By far the best way to ensure perfect detailing of your polish is to use a Brush (it can be an old acrylic brush or any with a point that you like) dipped in Nail Fresh (Creative Product) and then used to remove any polish from the skin or to make that cuticle line perfection. Always wipe between uses on a lint free paper or wipe.

The most useless article ever invented for doing this job is the ubiquitous Polish Corrector Pen!!! Never waste your money on one. They are entirely unsuited for the job. They get dirty the very first time you use them. They smear and ruin the polish job ... they just don't cut the mustard. And a manicure stick wrapped in cotton fiber is possibly even worse!!

Why use Nail Fresh as opposed to any old polish remover or acetone?? simple ... it evaporates the quickest of anything so therefore, the polish never goes sticky or icky. You can use the others, but they wont do the job as well.

gotta disagree with you on the polish corector pen, i find them fab for the job ! i simply wipe in a little acetone to clean after use. i keep one for dark and one for light polish and find they last indefinately with a little dab of acetone to re moisten them.

what really counts though is finding the method that works for you, as the old saying goes 'theres more than one way of skinning a cat'

 

[Hope]

Ever wonder what to do with the middle bit from your sculpting forms??

Just remove the 'oval middle bit' from your sculpting form, and stick it (sticky side to sticky side) under the part of the form you are going to sculpt on. the benefits are:

• stronger forms that hold an even better C curve
• You wont stick to the form when you place your finger beneath it for support.
• It will give you something to do with that little oval bit!!

I totally agree with this one and recommend that everyone give it a try. Mandini showed me this on a skillbuilding course recently and it has helped me no end.

 

[min11]

I thought thats what the little push out bit was for, in class we are shown to use it exactly for that purpose.

 

[kay welch]

a little lip liner brush is also good for sweeping a smile with polish.I use a corrector pen to clean the skin under the free edge if i am doing a french on someone with short free edge .if your acrylic brush has lost its shape clean it from as much product and you can iron it with a cloth over the top.

 

[jac extreme]

Ohh ohh my turn, I have just remembered a little gem that was passed onto me by a very talanted tech (whos name I forget) but her nail art was brilliant.

When making 3d flowers use 50% monomer to 50% acetone as it speeds up the setting process and your flowers wont droop

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Thought of another!

When removing polish, specially darker colours, start with the little finger. If you get enough remover on your pad and wait the couple of seconds with the pad on the nail before wiping, you could go right accross all fingers of one hand leaving them perfectly clean.

By starting with the little finger, the coloured polish on the pad will be a little patch, getting bigger as you go accross to the thumb. If you go the other way the patch will be big and end up all over the skin of the other fingers.

OMG that is so obvious and so why have I never done it this way?!!! I will now!

Okay my tip is more for when you do your own polish. It's a great tip to give to clients and they love you for it (it was actually a tip given to me by a client) ... This is aimed at right handed people, so reverse if you are left handed. Do the polish on your right hand first using the left hand. We always do the left hand first (the easy one) and then try and apply polish with our left hand (your cack hand if you're anything like me!) with wet polish on them making life doubly difficult! It's a brill tip, try it, it makes life to much easier.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Also do you get fed up with clients who have applied their own polish and you can never get it off because it is jam packed rigid under the nail folds? Well teach them how to apply polish!

What they do is overload the brush with polish and then wham bam apply it right at the base of zone 3, resulting in polish flooding the nail folds and looking very blah! Get them to put less on the brush and then place it in zone 2 and then move the brush down to zone 3 and leave a gap! it looks better for them and makes removing a doddle!

 

[GreekNails]

Thanks Geeg

I often get clients knocking a dent into their newly polished talons before it is dry - I will certainly be trying this trick out.

Many thanks

Eva

 

[mum]

Here's another one. For those of you who use an odor free liquid and Powder.

Did you know that the sticky 'roll off' layer and the dust therefrom is very apt to cause sensitivity and eventually allergic reaction?

To avoid the risk, simply complete each hand and then submerge fingertips into water that is at about body temperature for approximately one minute. This will completely cure the sticky layer so that there is no uncured product left to cause sensitivity to either you or your client!! No roll off layer to remove either so you can sculpt the nail enhancements thinner and use less product.

What happens if you use oil after the application?

This is a genuine question and I'm not sure of the answer (Geeg, you will remember why I'm asking! x)

 

[VickyB]

Hi

My tuppence worth ....

If any of you suffer with bald spots on your top gloss gel - I find that applying a very thin layer on your finished filed enhancement first (similar to a bonding layer, so much so it is nearly 'grainy' looking) and then going straight (before curing) over with a normal amount elimates this problem - I find it works for me every time (and boy did I have problems with this when I was new to gels).

Another good tip for gels (got this from Jacquie ... Naughty Nails/Cesars) - when applying your building layer - place a bead in the middle of the nail and let the gel self level onto the nail - forms the shape beautifuly and saves you hassle of playing around with the gel thus causing unnecessary air bubbles - bearing in mind a self /semi-self levelling gel is required for this.

 

[Debbies Gellies]

When i do my own polish (i'm right handed)
instead of my left hand painting the brush down my right hand nails
I keep my left hand and brush still and move my right finger nail as I have a more precise action using my right hand. HTHs

 

[Boogaloo]

I found that when doing my smile line I try and remember to go Straight to Liverpool and then to newcastle and also remebering to get my brush to angel to my left Boobie to get the ear's on my smile - p.s. this is Mandini's tip passed on to me:hug:

 

[beck]

i have one....

blue tac your dampen dish to the side of your work station (as long as you have a side, adapt this as necessary, LOL) but this ensures....

1. you don't knock it over while working or when draining your brush
2. your mix ratio will be more consistent, as you can apply the same pressure when draining your brush without having to be careful not to knock it over.


Also.....scrub fresh gets the felt pen off the spine of ring binders...so you can relabel them cleanly,.....obviously don't use permanent ink in the first place.....nowt to do with nails....but the office will look tidy. LOL

 

[laneypants]

when i polish my own nails, i dent them everytime coz i cant sit still long enough to wait for them to dry, so as long as the polish is not wet i lick the offending nail. quite literally lick it with my tongue-it works a treat. obviousley i dont lick my clients nails coz they would run away screaming. Its a handy tip for yourself though.
i feel like a weirdo now...

 

[Bagpuss]

when i polish my own nails, i dent them everytime coz i cant sit still long enough to wait for them to dry, so as long as the polish is not wet i lick the offending nail. quite literally lick it with my tongue-it works a treat. obviousley i dont lick my clients nails coz they would run away screaming. Its a handy tip for yourself though.
i feel like a weirdo now...

....lol..i have done this too :lol:

 

[min11]

when i polish my own nails, i dent them everytime coz i cant sit still long enough to wait for them to dry, so as long as the polish is not wet i lick the offending nail. quite literally lick it with my tongue-it works a treat. obviousley i dont lick my clients nails coz they would run away screaming. Its a handy tip for yourself though.
i feel like a weirdo now...

I wanted to post that earlier but didn't want to sound odd, AnneVera looks at me gone out when I do it. Only thing is not so do it to hard or it can crimp the polish rather than smooth it. I'm normal after all :lol:

 

[Carmen]

If any of you suffer with bald spots on your top gloss gel - I find that applying a very thin layer on your finished filed enhancement first (similar to a bonding layer, so much so it is nearly 'grainy' looking) and then going straight (before curing) over with a normal amount elimates this problem - I find it works for me every time (and boy did I have problems with this when I was new to gels).

Don't you find this adds unnecessary time to your service?

A great trick I learned from Lana (Akzentz Educator) is to wipe your gel brushes with a little Scrubfresh or equivalent, paint a thin layer of clear gel on the handle and cure. This way the beautiful color on your brush is preserved and never gets dull looking after time. Thanks Lana!!

 

[Pickle]

when i polish my own nails, i dent them everytime coz i cant sit still long enough to wait for them to dry, so as long as the polish is not wet i lick the offending nail. quite literally lick it with my tongue-it works a treat. obviousley i dont lick my clients nails coz they would run away screaming. Its a handy tip for yourself though.
i feel like a weirdo now...

This is a great tip, I also do this and.....if a client smudges, without her looking I lick my finger and swipe the offending nail followed by top coat, voila!

Another great one. I learnt this in Vegas. To make a perfect smile line on a french. Don't use any base coat then paint some white across the tip (no need to be neat) then get a sable brush dipped in nail varnish remover and swipe below your smile line and any painted skin. Then paint pink or clear on top follwed by top coat. Result: quick easy french.