Things you wish you had bought when practicing after training?

[nicole333]

I'm getting so excited now and can't wait for my manicure course! My aim is to practice, practice, practice so right now I'm looking at what kind of things to start buying. I'm likely to go overboard and spend loads, so my question is...What did you find most useful when you were practicing? What didn't you end up using? etc etc.

So far, my thoughts are, a nail trainer hand, those colour pop things (are they tricky to hold whilst painting? or am I better off getting a wheel?) aswell as real life victims, aka my work colleagues and my husband!

My bank account would like to thank you in advance.

:green:

 

[ChickOnTheRocks]

I've only gotten my license about 6 months ago, I was lucky to find a job while I was finishing school. However, I'm only doing regular mani/pedi and shellac, I just bought that hand trainer so I can practice my acrylics/gels and of course painting. (that can ALWAYS improve) and of course nail art. I just received it and mind you my teenager children think it's funny now that it's clipped to the table and flipping the bird, but I think it's going to be an awesome practice tool.

 

[Claire83]

I'm getting so excited now and can't wait for my manicure course! My aim is to practice, practice, practice so right now I'm looking at what kind of things to start buying. I'm likely to go overboard and spend loads, so my question is...What did you find most useful when you were practicing? What didn't you end up using? etc etc.

So far, my thoughts are, a nail trainer hand, those colour pop things (are they tricky to hold whilst painting? or am I better off getting a wheel?) aswell as real life victims, aka my work colleagues and my husband!

My bank account would like to thank you in advance.

:green:

The colour pops are good, and no I don't think they are hard to hold whilst painting. I tend to hold the stick part in my hand and point the "nail" towards me as if it was a clients finger balancing it on my little finger, and using fingertip to fingertip to get my balance. Always good to pratice that and get a good positioning with the nail trainer, it will pay off when panting.

Get cheap tips to place on the nail trainer and practice french tips, and nail art.

 

[nicole333]

Thanks, I'll definitely get the trainer and the pops then. I think the pops will be good to practice layering further down the line and to show what the colours look like. So a longer investment to justify buying them!

I'll also keep up to date with the fingernailfixer thanks to my other thread. What other things will I need to buy just for practicing? Or is it not worth trying to split everything into before and after? Obviously I will have a mountain of a list when I start to charge and gather proper clients. Or will I?

Arrgh! Getting confusing now!

 

[Sam81]

I would start as you mean to go on, I bought a lot of cheapish products for practice clients and they're now sat around half empty doing nothing! Buying decent quality products now will make your practice easier and you can always charge your practice clients a few pounds to cover the cost, they should get used to paying you anyway otherwise they'll always expect treatments for free

 

[nicole333]

That's a really good point Sam, thanks. If I start as I mean to go on and think like a professional from the start, then it can only be a good thing. From your experience it seems like I would be investing in a false economy which I don't want to do.

I guess I'd better start my proper list then! It feels scarey though. :hug:

 

[MissOwen]

I would start as you mean to go on, I bought a lot of cheapish products for practice clients and they're now sat around half empty doing nothing! Buying decent quality products now will make your practice easier and you can always charge your practice clients a few pounds to cover the cost, they should get used to paying you anyway otherwise they'll always expect treatments for free

I agree with this. I bought loads of cheap rubbish when i first qualified and its now sitting in boxes taking up space, never to be used again!!

The best thing i found, was writing out a list of thing i thought i needed, then going back through and deciding how that thing would help you improve or make you money.... if i didnt come up with good reasons for it, i took it off the list..... although i probably ended up buying and not using it at some point later on anyway :lol:

Just try and keep a business head on, us girls love shopping so much we get a bit carried away sometimes. Have fun!!! xxx

 

[sophiegees]

The nail trainer is the best £100 I have ever spent. If you need to practise polishing it is fabulous. The best way I have found is to sit with acetone, polish and pads. Paint each nail on the hand, and then immediately take it off with acetone. Then paint again, remove with acetone etc. You can do so so much painting without having to change nails that way. Eventually the acetone eats holes through the nails but not until you have painted them probably 20 to 30 times. And then you just put new nails on. I bought mine in May and use it as much as possible and have certainly improved. Not there yet but hopefully will.

Also like already suggested, use professional polish. Maybe get a few from each brand and find the one that suits you. I have settled on OPI because I find it easier to paint.

And of course when you want to learn extensions the nail trainer can be used for that.

Also I spoke to the CND trainer when I did my shellac course and she said it is fine to use Shellac on the nail trainer and put it in the UV lamp.

Good luck
xx

 

[Sam81]

Just try and keep a business head on, us girls love shopping so much we get a bit carried away sometimes. Have fun!!! xxx

And nails are very easy to get carried away with! My must haves for mani/pedi though :-

Good top & base coat (I use Lumos)
Scrub
Mask (plus bootees and liners)
Moisturiser
Good quality polishes (I use OPI for all my mani pedi products except base and top coat)
A rapid dry spray/speed dry drops to dry polish quicker (although you don't need this with Lumos)
A double ended cuticle knife/pusher
240 grit washable files
Foot files
Disinfectant spray to sanitise tools between clients and clients and your hands (I use OPI NAS but there's loads of different ones about)
Cuticle oil

I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, my mind's gone blank! Hope that helps you with your shopping list though

 

[nicole333]

Your replies are very helpful, thanks. It's true we love to shop, but I can't let that get in the way. At least not until the beauty show!

Lists, lists and more lists!

This feels so right, I just hope I can make a real go of it. :biggrin:

 

[Wooshka]

I've only gotten my license about 6 months ago, I was lucky to find a job while I was finishing school. However, I'm only doing regular mani/pedi and shellac, I just bought that hand trainer so I can practice my acrylics/gels and of course painting. (that can ALWAYS improve) and of course nail art. I just received it and mind you my teenager children think it's funny now that it's clipped to the table and flipping the bird, but I think it's going to be an awesome practice tool.

That's what my kids (aged 14 and 20) do to my trainer hand too!!!
Every time I walk away from it, I come back to find it giving me the bird.
If they are not careful, I will take it off my table and stick one it's fingers somewhere they will not like.....maybe while they are sleeping:lol: Then they might leave it alone from now on.

To the OP questions..... if you already have a nail trainer hand, then you have made a good investment.
I honestly can't say there is anything I would not have bought, I have used it all at various times but I didn't buy anything (apart from my trainer hand) with the "I'm just using it for training" thoughts, I bought everything with the mindset of "I'm opening my home salon and will need......" so everything I have is being used or will be used in my business.
I just use whatever I need at the time if I wish to practice something.
So I don't regret buying anything.

 

[savage1]

This was a really helpful post. I am also just starting out and has taken every ounce of my will power not to spend spend spend.
Great advice. Thanks x

 

[bobbyrazz]

Definitely make sure you buy good quality stuff. I got over excited and ended up buying a load of crap that I've never used since lol.
I've contemplated a nail trainer, they really creep me out though, especially those one finger ones *shudder* lol.

 

[geekling]

I bought a load of sh*t, spend hundreds, then had to spend more getting decent products! Make sure you buy as you meen to go on! xxx

 

[manhattannails]

With the nail trainers I have always wondered how like painting real nails it is e.g painting acrylic nails is so much easier than natural nails in my opinion. Does that make sense? Does it just feel like your painting false nails?

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