To sculpt or not to sculpt?

[melbee]

I did my first set of glitter tipped sculpts on a paying client (also good friend) and I was very pleased with them apart from they took me 1hr 50mins. Well, she text me tonight (to tell me that her litter finger one has cracked then came off. She is very honest, and would have told me if she had caught it in a cupboard etc. this is only after 5 days.
Would people say that tips are stronger than sculpts? this client/friend I have done tips on for the past 2 years and never had a single problem.
They were not long either. I know sculpts look better and fit better, but if they dont last as well Im tempted not to bother. They didnt look too thin at all, and I was actually quite pleased with the end result too.
I cant upload pictures, as it keeps timing me out?

 

[Wooshka]

Tips are no stronger than sculpted nails as a tip is not used for strength, it is just used as a platform to apply product and extend the free edge.

If it cracked and then came off, I would put it down to the product being too thin and not having your apex in the correct position.
As for it coming off, well, I would put this down to prep and possibly not pushing the product onto the natural nail enough to give a good adhesion.

You also much remember to really butt the white up to the pink and you can always use a clear to place in your apex.

Did you miss doing something on this pinkie maybe? primer? cuticle removal?

Get her back, re-apply and move forward and put it down to experience

 

[geeg]

Honest or not, your friend's nail did not crack and come off all by itself. She might not be aware of what she did to crack it, but crack it she did.

lee is right that sculpted nails are as strong and as durable as any tip application ... It it the placement of product and structure of the Nail that makes it strong and it takes awhile to get this right when going from tips to sculpts. Those corners have to be strong and you need a strong central vertical apex. A sculpting class would help you.

 

[nailgoddess629]

Agree with Wooshka. I only do sculpted nails! When apex is spot on then they are much more durable than tip and glue...glue breaks down the sculpted nail will not....make sure you are getting in your C curve as well...your apex should be in between the natural nail and the free edge just as it merges into the 2 areas..... practice on yourself and just keep trying ... it is so much more liberating to be able to craft and create the nail and looks so natural this way.... borrow anybodies hands for practice that you can.... do it for no cost....it is an investment in you and your business! Have fun the more you practice the bigger your confidence will grow and before you know it you will have mastered it!

 

[melbee]

I did an NSI sculpting class just last week, but they didnt mention the apex strength.
The educator also said that the mix for glitter and NSI powder is 1:2, a few of us questioned this as I had always previously used a mix ratio of 1:3.
I am now wondering if the mix which I did (following the recomendations I was given) was too weak?
I also will take on board about the apex. Im upset as they came out really well too.
When she said it cracked and came off, she meant the tip and not the whole nail.
Do people have problems with glitter tips then as the glitter dilutes the acrylic (so to speak) ? should I counterbalance this potential problem by capping with clear acrylic to strengthen the glitter tip?

 

[Wooshka]

I did an NSI sculpting class just last week, but they didnt mention the apex strength.
The educator also said that the mix for glitter and NSI powder is 1:2, a few of us questioned this as I had always previously used a mix ratio of 1:3.
I am now wondering if the mix which I did (following the recomendations I was given) was too weak?
I also will take on board about the apex. Im upset as they came out really well too.
When she said it cracked and came off, she meant the tip and not the whole nail.
Do people have problems with glitter tips then as the glitter dilutes the acrylic (so to speak) ? should I counterbalance this potential problem by capping with clear acrylic to strengthen the glitter tip?

I am a NSI user and to be honest I rarely mix my own glitters as NSI offer a fantastic range of glitters already pre-mixed but if I do, I always do a mix of 1:3.
When it comes to glitter french, you should always encapsulate the glitter with clear, this protects you from filing it away when doing your finish filing and helps give strength.
You don't need a huge amount, just a nice thin layer but enough to cover the entire tip.

 

[nailzoo]

Funny, when I read the OP, I was gonna reply ....... scrolled down, and lo and behold Gigi said what I was thinking

Nails don't crack by themselves (particularly pinkies). I've been out with my clients and they are so happy with them, they insist on showing them off (even by putting that pinkie, ever so delicately between their teeth) the look is alluring, but the results aren't.

 

[geeg]

Re the comment about adhesive breaking down etc. adhesive does not break down in 5 minutes ... It takes weeks and weeks ... By the time the tiny bit of adhesive has lost it's holding power, the tip will have grown off and been filed away. Not a valid argument to not use tips, and not a valid argument to make, that sculpted nails are stronger either.

As one who has both tipped and sculpted nails on thousands of clients for many many years, I have never seen evidence of one method breaking down more than another. Both kinds of nails break on occasion, both types of nails get picked by the pickers, bitten by the biters and abused by the abusers ...........
The good clients who take care of their nails have equal results with either sculpted or tipped nails in my experience.

I use both methods on the right clients. The most valid argument for sculpting is that it's cheaper to do so and it's faster to do, but if the end result is going to be faster and easier to achieve with a tip then I tip ... If it is going to be faster and easier to sculpt, then I sculpt.

 

[izzidoll]

should I counterbalance this potential problem by capping with clear acrylic to strengthen the glitter tip?

I always have a thin layer of clear L&P over my glitter tip this ensures you do not file any of the glitter off when finish filing.

 

[melbee]

Thanks for your detailed replies, I had been wondering if to only sculpt was the way forward - as there are a few clients I have who have nails that fit like gloves into tips - and they never have any problems. So these I will continue to tip.
Then, the ski jump & flat nails & nail biters I hope to sculpt.
What would be the best for the really WIDE large nailed clients? (I dont think these nail owners look very good with white tips, but they are die hard pink & whiters) - is there any way of illusioning the white so it makes their nails appear smaller / narrower?

 

[Dream Nails]

Extending the look of the nail bed gives an illusion of a lovely sleek nail.
I've just done the CND L&P and they show you how to do this. Makes beautiful nails.
I see on your profile you have CND training why not get back in touch with them
Vicki x