Tried gelish on my first 3 guinea pigs ....the results ...

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Bea Dhanji

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Hi all, well I did my first real life person yesterday, we used sweet dreams and I had no probs, then tonight I did a French again not so bad was quite impressed with that !! Then the 3rd tonight was on another friend ... We picked starburst ... OMG in the end I just took the whole lot of... It was terrible really really patchy I couldn't get close to the edges and when I wiped at the end with cleanser ... The colour on one nail came off. Thankfully that was a friend, but now I'm worried sick ...

Why was it patchy ?
Why didn't it cure ?

So gutted ... But I guess that's why practise/research is so important !
 
Also ... The prepping seems to take ages ... So much cuticle comes of, the Nail ... How long should s gelish manicure take ??.. Thanks everyone x
 
Also ... The prepping seems to take ages ... So much cuticle comes of, the Nail ... How long should s gelish manicure take ??.. Thanks everyone x

Sorry your having such a hard time ..but sounds like your a newbie to Gelish....It's pretty easy once u master the prep ( very important ) cause then it makes for an easy and successful application. Don't get too hung up on your first few peeps...practise makes perfect. Once you prep the nail just follow the steps for Gelish...I beleive you can google Gelish there are plenty you tube videos on it ....take your time and don't worry if it takes you longer than an hour ...you have to master the process then your speed will come. I give myself an hour for Gelish Manicure, sometimes it takes me 45 mins if its a straight forward prep.... Don't over load the color on or it will run into the sidewalls and cuticle...but don't be too skimpy on it either or it will be streaky...Find that balance on applying the right amount of product.

1. prep nails - very important! ( don't worry about time frame right now, better to do a good job prepping for maximum results)

2. Apply dehydrater to nail (don't touch nails with your hands after you dehydrate, don't want oils on them)

3. Apply foundation and cure 1 min ( 36 watt UV lamp)

4. Apply 2 coats of gelish color ( sometimes i do 3 depends on the color, curing EACH coat 2 mins ( using 36 Watt UV lamp...LED lamps are faster with less curing time)

5. Apply top it off and cure for 2 mins

6. Wipe nail with lint free pad using the Gelish cleanser
Your done !

Note* When applying color and top it off make sure your not dragging the color or top it off ...you need to being feeling like you have enough product on the nail so its a smooth application.
Also always keep away from cuticle are ...i know i like to get as close to this are as possible as clients don't like to see that gap so i apply thinner and as close as i can to side walls and cuticle area...works for me :)

Good luck and keep practising ...I'm sure there are other geeks on here that will give you advice also :)
Don't give up ...Gelish is Brilliant !

Michelle :)
 
Takes me around 45 mins also from start to finish (assuming I'm putting it on 'naked' nails and not soaking first).

If it all came off when you wiped it sounds like it didn't cure properly...I get this sometimes on pinkys as some peoples fingers don't sit in the lamp correctly. Either that or your lamp could be the problem, I remember on another thread you use a 12w LED whereas the nail harmony LED is 30w. You could always call Nail Harmony for advice too, they're really helpful. xx
 
Sorry your having such a hard time ..but sounds like your a newbie to Gelish....It's pretty easy once u master the prep ( very important ) cause then it makes for an easy and successful application. Don't get too hung up on your first few peeps...practise makes perfect. Once you prep the nail just follow the steps for Gelish...I beleive you can google Gelish there are plenty you tube videos on it ....take your time and don't worry if it takes you longer than an hour ...you have to master the process then your speed will come. I give myself an hour for Gelish Manicure, sometimes it takes me 45 mins if its a straight forward prep.... Don't over load the color on or it will run into the sidewalls and cuticle...but don't be too skimpy on it either or it will be streaky...Find that balance on applying the right amount of product.

1. prep nails - very important! ( don't worry about time frame right now, better to do a good job prepping for maximum results)

2. Apply dehydrater to nail (don't touch nails with your hands after you dehydrate, don't want oils on them)

3. Apply foundation and cure 1 min ( 36 watt UV lamp)

Using a dry brush dry wipe the foundation gel, then....

4. Apply 2 coats of gelish color ( sometimes i do 3 depends on the color, curing EACH coat 2 mins ( using 36 Watt UV lamp...LED lamps are faster with less curing time)

5. Apply top it off and cure for 2 mins

6. Wipe nail with lint free pad using the Gelish cleanser
Your done !

Note* When applying color and top it off make sure your not dragging the color or top it off ...you need to being feeling like you have enough product on the nail so its a smooth application.
Also always keep away from cuticle are ...i know i like to get as close to this are as possible as clients don't like to see that gap so i apply thinner and as close as i can to side walls and cuticle area...works for me :)

Good luck and keep practising ...I'm sure there are other geeks on here that will give you advice also :)
Don't give up ...Gelish is Brilliant !

Michelle :)


Good advice from Michelle, but I have added another point to her step by step - you need to dry wipe the foundation gel after curing, wipe each nail with a dry gel brush, then wipe the brush before moving on to the next nail. This gives a much tackier surface for your colours to grab to.
 
Thank you all so much,

I am practising on 2 poss 3 more people tomorrow, so hopefully I will get there, You guys have been brill.

I think the problem last night may have been that I did two sets of nails back to back, and after I finished the first one I massaged her hands with cream and Cuticle oil....Then I went straight onto my second friend....Could well be that I touched her nails a lot with my own hands that were still very oily (if that makes sense).

Also Ive discovered the lighting in my room at night is terrible, I could barely see the colour I was putting on, the french wasnt so bad, probably because the colour was so clear :confused:

As for the lamp, I didmy own nails on Monday with Sweet Chocolate, and apart from the edges been a bit scruffy, it still looks perfect, and my toes with Bellas Vampire look suoer shiny....So not quite sure...!!

But I will continue, I am booked at a friends Body shop party in a few weeks, and am not confident enough to do full hands because of the time scale...So I am going to do a sample finger on some of the ladies, then offer them a voucher to come to my salon and get their nails done properly at a reduced price !!

Thank you again for your help everyone xx
 
Thank you all so much,

I am practising on 2 poss 3 more people tomorrow, so hopefully I will get there, You guys have been brill.

I think the problem last night may have been that I did two sets of nails back to back, and after I finished the first one I massaged her hands with cream and Cuticle oil....Then I went straight onto my second friend....Could well be that I touched her nails a lot with my own hands that were still very oily (if that makes sense).

Also Ive discovered the lighting in my room at night is terrible, I could barely see the colour I was putting on, the french wasnt so bad, probably because the colour was so clear :confused:

As for the lamp, I didmy own nails on Monday with Sweet Chocolate, and apart from the edges been a bit scruffy, it still looks perfect, and my toes with Bellas Vampire look suoer shiny....So not quite sure...!!

But I will continue, I am booked at a friends Body shop party in a few weeks, and am not confident enough to do full hands because of the time scale...So I am going to do a sample finger on some of the ladies, then offer them a voucher to come to my salon and get their nails done properly at a reduced price !!

Thank you again for your help everyone xx

So glad your feeling better about working with Gelish :) The body shop party is good for you to promote your Gelish...great Idea just to do sample fingers for the ladies...well done ! Now that's something to look forward to ! Your networking girl !! :biggrin::wink2: Your gonna do just fine and build your biz nicely :)
 
Bev
I have never dry brushed the foundation layer after curing...I don't seem to have any probs with gelish but you know I am gonna try dry brushing the foundation layer....Thanks for that info, i learn something new every day :)

Michelle :)
 
In all seriousness I think you need to address your lamp/s!

You need either a 36w UV or a 30w LED. (I think!) You also need a good lamp to work by, like a daylight lamp or similar.
 
Thank you all so much,

I am practising on 2 poss 3 more people tomorrow, so hopefully I will get there, You guys have been brill.

I think the problem last night may have been that I did two sets of nails back to back, and after I finished the first one I massaged her hands with cream and Cuticle oil....Then I went straight onto my second friend....Could well be that I touched her nails a lot with my own hands that were still very oily (if that makes sense).

Also Ive discovered the lighting in my room at night is terrible, I could barely see the colour I was putting on, the french wasnt so bad, probably because the colour was so clear :confused:

As for the lamp, I didmy own nails on Monday with Sweet Chocolate, and apart from the edges been a bit scruffy, it still looks perfect, and my toes with Bellas Vampire look suoer shiny....So not quite sure...!!

But I will continue, I am booked at a friends Body shop party in a few weeks, and am not confident enough to do full hands because of the time scale...So I am going to do a sample finger on some of the ladies, then offer them a voucher to come to my salon and get their nails done properly at a reduced price !!

Thank you again for your help everyone xx

Once you have prepped the nails, do not touch them with your fingers again at all, even if you have no massage oils or cream on your fingers you have your own natural oils which will transfer onto their nail and wash your hands throughly between clients x
 
I think the problem last night may have been that I did two sets of nails back to back, and after I finished the first one I massaged her hands with cream and Cuticle oil....Then I went straight onto my second friend....Could well be that I touched her nails a lot with my own hands that were still very oily (if that makes sense).

Your own hands should have been washed, if not scrupulously clean before you started on the second client. I am not having a go, so please don't take that badly, I am just trying to be helpful.

Although I still think the colour coming off is a curing issue.
 
Zo zo , lol don't worry not offended just really really appreciate all the help and support!

Naples.... Thankyou for the encouragement !!

And everyone else, yes I am gonna sort my lamp out... Now I can see why the lady I purchased it from upgraded to the led nail harmony one !! Also gonna sort out the lighting in my room, never realised how bad it was !!

All comments/feedback much appreciated !!
 
I have never used an LED lamp but I don't see the point as I cannot paint any faster than a UV lamp cures...:lol:

You might want to consider a UV lamp so it is more versatile in the future.

You can get a folding daylight lamp in a bag that's good for mobile. You can also get a battery operated one (rechargeable I think) although it's pricey.
 
Also, a little tip for you when buying a new desk lamp.
Check what type of bulbs the desk lamp has as you might accidentally cure the gel on your brush if your desk lamp (or overhead fluorescent light) emits UV light.
Good luck with the Gelish. It's a fab product.:lol:
 
I've wiped the whole colour off one nail before and all the rest were fine, you know what? It's because I forgot to Top it off! :o Easily done when you're new, you're doing clients back to back and worrying! With your colour being patchy it could be that it's not curing well, or that you're dragging your colour with your TIO. You can do a slightly thicker layer and float it over the colour, make sure you really cover the colour well at the side walls & cuticle (without touching the skin), then lightly brush off the excess. That will help with your 'scruffy' side walls too. It takes me around 45 mins if it's straightforward but up to an hour if there's loads of cuticle work or they want French (I spend ages tidying smile lines lol). Keep at it, it's all about getting into a good routine, that will come with practice.
 
Thankyou all again !

I was going to also ask... Regarding prep, when you watch the tutorials etc on you tube all they do is buff the nails and push the cuticle's back ... Is that enough, as I've been really going for it with my metal stick ... And I'm shocked at the amount of "stuff" that's coming off the nails ....

How do you all do it ?

Do you scrape until it's spotless?(which takes ages)

Or do you just buff and push back ?

Sorry for so Many questions, but everyone is so great on here, and as I've said on previous post's I really want to be good at this and succeed !
 
Hmm... it *may* be that when someone is filming, the model has already had the majority of their prep done beforehand.
 
I can do Gelish in about an hour but if the nails are bad and cuticles bad it can take me upto an hour and 15 plus, but I spend ages making sure the prep is done properly.

Starburst can look patchy, I have found this several times, I am really careful when I apply now to make sure I float my brush and not drag it, I tend to use 3 coats of colour for this one x
 
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Thank you ... !!
 
Starburst is a lovely colour, I have it on my nails at the moment, but I find it one of the most difficult colours to get a good even coverage with. It was the first colour I used when I first purchased Gelish and sent me into a right old panic as it looked awful!! Never had any problems with the other colours so tend to apply Starburst very slightly thicker than I would normally do and this seems to work - also I put on 3 coats.

Jo xx
 

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