I have been sick for almost two weeks now but now I'm feeling better so let's talk Top Coat for regular nail polish.
Now as you know there are a ton of varieties of top coat out there but we almost always lean towards a top coat that is going to be a quick drier because that is going to get your clients out the door faster because we all know that clients what their service to go as quickly as possible. Well, unless they have a big messy house full of screaming kids to go to.
I have tried several brands but the one that I prefer is Lumos High Speed Top Coat by Famous Names and it is fabulous. Whenever I use it, the polish is dry in about 3-4 minutes unless you put on a heavy coat. What I also like about this top coat is that it helps with chipping and it's nice and shiny!
This polish is available through their website so check it out!www.famousnames.com
Something else to keep in mind is matte polish. Matte top coats are starting to rise in popularity and all of the big names in the nail industry are coming out with their own versions. You can create a ton of cool looks so buy a bottle and play!
The lifting issue has been really bothering me so I've been doing a lot of research and I have come up with some ways to combat this monkey on my back.
1.Proper nail prep.(Of course!) This entails roughing up the nail properly,pushing back the cuticle, making sure the pterygium and other nail debris is off of the nail plate and removing all the dust from filing as well.
2.Using a good product line. Primers,dehydrators,monomers and polymers should really come from the same line because these products were designed to work with each other for the maximum results. I have done the research and over and over again I am seeing two product lines: CND Retention and EZ Flow. I've tried Retention myself and I think it's great.
3.Proper application around the cuticle. That means using a small amount of product around the cuticle and making sure that none of the product actually dries on the cuticle.
4. Applying a cuticle oil every day. One of my favorites is CND Solar oil.You can see it pictured to the left.
5. No picking at the acrylic at the cuticle or exposing the hands to water excessively. If you're client has their hand in water a lot suggest wearing gloves to protect the acrylic.
6.Some times it doesn't really matter what you do and what the client does because their nail plates are naturally oily and just won't respond well to enhancements.
I know how frustrating it can be to put all that hard work into a set of nails only to see it become marred from an ugly lifting area but don't give up! With diligence and practice we shall prevail!! If you have any tips or insight, please feel free to comment.
One of the hardest things for me is doing a backfill without making the previous line of acrylic show. I found a video that has helped me so much and I hope it helps you too!
http://youtu.be/m1ub4SeL5D4
I am in LOVE with the Young Nails tutorials! I stumbled across them while cruising their site and found tons of videos about acrylics,gels,nail art etc.....
They deal exclusively in sculptured nails,but it's worth a look.
http://www.youngnails.com/videotutorials.aspx
Just a quick note about your natural nails and services being preformed on them. I know that I'm going into the beauty industry so doing full sets of acrylics, gel nails,gel polish and fills will be a part of my income but I also have a responsibility of looking out for my clients. Going for nails services constantly can cause damage and pain to your natural nail. My suggestion would be to let your nails rest for awhile. Once your false nails are removed let your nails breath,don't even apply polish. I do this for myself and recommend the same to family in friends. I recently applied acrylics to myself after letting my nails rest for weeks and it made a world of difference.
