I'm On INSTAGRAM

My daughter set up a professional Instagram account for me; pro pics only (daughter, being amusing, said, "Only business stuff, mom... no food pics, no dog pics, nothing but work pics, ok??!?" She's a strict one... lol). If you'd like to follow me, my username is artistryofthenail.

Stop Calling It A "Gel Manicure"!

In yet another attempt to educate the general public, this blog post is all about the differences between some of the products professional nail techs use, as well as educating you on the proper terms so that you get what you really want on your nails.

(A) "Shellac nails" -- Shellac is a *name brand*, not a service. It is trademarked by CND (formerly Creative Nail Design), and those salons that are telling you you're getting a "Shellac manicure" without actually using CND's Shellac are lying to you (& shame on them!). If they offer "Shellac nails", please ask if it's actually CND Shellac or a different brand, then know if they're not using CND Shellac, you are actually getting a "Gel Polish Manicure". To you, it may seem like a small nit-picky thing, but if we don't know what you are actually wearing, then we won't know exactly how (& how long) it's going to take; scheduling you for the wrong service and quoting you an incorrect price. For the record, if I don't apply it, I charge $10 AND UP to remove it. The "AND UP" applies when you are wearing unknown product. Did you know that some not-so-reputable salons & "techs" mix gel & polish, and call it Shellac?!?! Ugh.

(B) "Gel Polish" -- Most reputable salons & techs will refer to all brush-on, in-a-bottle, UV-cured coatings as "gel polish" (even CND Shellac, although technically, CND Shellac is considered a "power polish", since its formulation is different from other gel polishes, but we'll let that one slide). There are a ton of companies that offer gel polishes; the three I currently use (plus my CND Shellac) are Gelish, Artistic Colour Gloss, & GelColor. When you want a gel *polish* manicure, please don't call it a "gel manicure". Gel polish removes using pure acetone, or an acetone-based remover, wrapped with special remover wraps (there are a ton of different ones out there) or cotton & foil and letting them sit for 10-20m (depending on the brand). A few require a light scuff of a 180 grit file across the top coat first.

(C) "Soft/Soak Off Gels" -- Here, there are three sub-categories: "Strengtheners", "Builders", and "Soak Off Lacquers". All use the same method to remove as I described in the above section.
1. Strengtheners come in either a gel pot or a bottle with a brush. They are intended to give a *tiny bit* of strength to your natural nails, under your gel polish application. These will soak off with your gel polish; add about 5m for soak off. This is a topical, removable, application (not the same as a strengthener nail polish).
2. Builders are intended for that purpose; to build an enhancement (just like traditional gel and liquid & powder - aka acrylic). They can be used over natural nails, built out using a form, or used over properly applied tips. However, they are *not* intended to be used when you have nails much longer than just past your fingertips. They are flexible, and depending on how thick they were applied, they will soak off in 15-30 minutes.
3. Soak Off Lacquers are just that; color for your nails that soak off. They come in a pot you have to mix, are stronger than Shellac and gel polish, and can be "filled" (just like soak off Builders). And, just like soak off Builders, these require 15-30m for removal.

(D) "Hard/Traditional/Builder Gels" -- For strength & length, should be rebalanced (I do not use the term "fill" because that implies just putting more product at the cuticle area; I actually rebalance the whole nail each time to make sure your apex is properly strengthened and your shape is correct). The two biggest differences between these and soak off Builders are:
1. These must be filed off. I usually thin with my e-file (it's not a "drill" or a "dremel"; stop calling it that), then use increasingly fine hand files to remove.
2. These can also be used over natural nails, built out using a form, or used over properly applied tips... however, they can be used over (& to create) ANY length.

(E) Liquid & Powder -- We used to refer to these as "acrylic", but the more scientifically-accurate (& more professional, in my opinion) term is liquid & powder. L&P sets are similar in strength to soak off Builder gels, but must be applied using (as the name states) the proper ratio of liquid (monomer) to powder (polymers). Removal should be a combination of e-filing, soak off, and hand-filing... NEVER PICKING! There is no need for a bowl of acetone, as removal wraps work just fine, but some techs still prefer this method.


One of my biggest pet peeves, however, is when you call me and ask for "nails". I don't know what that means. I don't know how long to schedule your appointment. You could mean a basic manicure (45m-1hr) and I think you want a full set of gel nails (which could mean anything from 1.5 hrs for a simple overlay to 3 hrs if I'm sculpting a new set). Try these terms -- "regular manicure", "gel polish manicure", "gel nails" or "acrylic nails" (meaning enhancement), etc. Even the dreaded/hated term "fake nails" gives me SOME idea of what you want.

Menu Revamp

I usually completely revamp my menu every couple of years (where I decide if some services go because no one's getting them, or something needs to be repriced, etc), but sometimes I have additional services I add in the middle of that. For instance, soft gels have recently come on the market. I also charge the same for enhancement services no matter which medium is used (meaning -- the cost of a "full set w/tips" is the same whether I use hard/traditional gel, L&P, or soft/soak off gel). I also recently redid my logo (with a lot of help & input from my husband). All that said, I've decided that all of my print materials need to be redone (professionally), so I've spent a big chunk of the last two days reworking the brochure. Below is the jpeg of both the front & the back of what will be the brochure. Other than having the pro fix the margins & making sure everything lines up, what do you guys think (click on the pic to make it bigger)?

**EDIT 7/19/14** I tweaked a few more things over the last few days, with the assistance of my nail tech friend, Michelle, and my long-time friend, Julie. Both ladies are very detail-oriented, and excellent with grammar & spelling. Once I've got all of the new print materials ordered, I'll see if I can post the PDF proofs that VistaPrint sent me on my work page.

My Favorite Products

As a professional nail stylist, I get asked my opinion on a lot of different products (some professional, some not). Here is a short list of my favorite products:

1. Favorite cuticle oil -- CND Solar Oil is my absolute favorite. I love the smell, the consistency, and the fact that it comes in a bunch of different sized bottles which makes it convenient to have in multiple places. If, however, you're allergic to nuts or nut oils, my second fave is OPI Avoplex cuticle oil.
2. Favorite base coat -- OPI makes a ton, all made for different nail types. I like most of them. Natural Nail Strengthener is my go-to for thin/weak nails. Nail Envy comes in different formulas depending on your needs; my favorite is Matte Base; it's great for just about everyone.
3. Favorite top coat -- again, OPI wins. I use the traditional Top Coat, but they have others to choose from (including Matte for a non-shiny finish).
4. Favorite quick dry -- OPI's "Drip Dry Drops". Many companies make drops as well as sprays. I don't like sprays because you always, no matter what you do, get it on other things. These drops are precise, and really work.
5. Favorite brand of gel polish -- You know... I don't have a favorite. As I've told many people (pros and non-pros alike), there isn't one formula/brand that works for everyone. I carry my top four favorites -- OPI GelColor, CND Shellac, Gelish, and Artistic Colour Gloss. Between these four, I have enough for my clients to find something they like and that will work with their body's chemistry.
6. Favorite brand of gel -- CND. Hands down... I've tried other brands in the past, and currently carry two soft gels each from both CND and ACG (ACG has recently come out with a hard gel that is LED-curable; once I get some and test it out, I will blog a review for you). I also carry, and use, traditional hard gel by CND. I like their ease of application.
7. Favorite brand of acrylic -- First, let's start calling them by their correct name: Liquid & Powder (or L&P). Chemically, L&P and gels are both in the acrylate family, they just apply & cure differently. That aside, I still favor CND. They have a few different liquids and a couple different powders so you can customize for any client. If done using the correct ratios, you can also customize further by adding glitter or pigments to your mixture.
8. Favorite brand of traditional polish -- OPI. I love that I can match their traditional polish to their GelColor line (for those who are still in the dark ages and have to match their toes & fingers, and for those who are so hard on their nails that they need a little touch up between appointments). I love the formula & I love the brush. I do *NOT* love that some of you don't understand the concept (or don't care) of diversion... please STOP buying OPI in grocery stores!
9. Favorite remover -- This one's a tie. I prefer the smell of CND's Nourishing Remover, but the price of OPI's Expert Touch is better. Both can be used as a traditional polish remover, a gel polish remover, and a soft gel remover. Both have nourishing oils in them, so don't use them as a nail prep!
10. Favorite non-professional product -- This is actually not a nails-specific product. It's a skin product. O'Keefe's products -- they both WORK! As much as I gripe at my clients who don't wear proper shoes, don't take proper care of their feet, etc... there are still those who have super-dry feet, and/or cracked heels. This, I know, can be painful. O'Keefe's really does work, and can be found in any grocery or health&beauty store.
11. Favorite nail prep -- CND's Scrub Fresh. This will remove all oils in the nails, and prep them for better adhesion of whatever nail products you choose to apply.

Artistic Colour Gloss -- A Review by a Pro

Nail polish bloggers have their place on the internet, I suppose, but when looking at gel polish lines, you're best to ask a pro who (1) has used the product and (2) has taken a class from the manufacturer, if possible. I have done both with Artistic Colour Gloss. It was a four-hour class on March 17th. I ended up buying 9 shades & a special nail brush to wipe the tacky layer off of the base coat (per instructions), plus I already had the "starter kit" which included another shade, the base coat, top coat, nail prep, remover, some wipes, some remover wraps, cuticle oil (theirs is orange peel scented), and dehydrator.

Made by the same parent company as Gelish, ACG is very similar in prep, application (base coat is slightly less time in the LED lamp), wear, & removal. However, it is being billed as the "Runway" line. I have also found that the colors are stickier/tackier than other brands (Gelish included), so you can easily use craft foils, glitter, pigments, etc to give it an even more fun look. You can find a full list of shades including pics, here: ACG SHADES.

My test subjects were as follows:
1. E.S. -- a full-time hairdresser & mom to a (almost) 2y old. My regular routine with her (& other hairdressers) is Gelish base coat, three coats of color, & two top coats. Sometimes, the tips have a bit of staining from hair color (gloves cannot be worn ALL THE TIME, so that is to be expected), and occasionally, one or two have chipped a little bit (probably from all the hair washing, and none of my hairdresser clients are consistent with their cuticle oil).
For the experiment, we used ACG base, three coats of color, & two top coats. At the two week mark, when she returned for her redo appointment, she said she felt they held "about as well" as when she wears Gelish, but she got more staining at her tips.
2. D.K. -- my husband who normally wears OPI GelColor with little to no problems. Since I forgot to bring the top & base coats home, I had to use what I had here, which is GelColor top & base (we actually used MATTE top coat) with two coats of ACG "Trouble" (a beautiful silver; the matte top coat gave it a nice satin finish). He said it holds "about the same" as GelColor for all four layers, and he really liked the color (quite a bit outside his comfort zone; he usually wears dark creams).
3. S.F. -- a full time mom of 5yo twins. She wears gel enhancements with gel polish applied over them (different brands; no big difference in how they hold up). With her application, I completed the gel process (rebalance, seal with appropriate top coat), then wiped the tacky layer, buffed with a foam buffer, and applied ACG (no need for base coat over enhancements) colors & top coat. She, also, didn't see any difference with how ACG wore on her.
4. My daughter -- an 8th grade student. When I do enhancements on her, she can wear them for two full weeks. When I do gel polish, depending on brand, I usually get 7-12 days out of them. This time, she did sort of what my husband did (different color, regular GelColor top coat, and we did a design). They held for 10 days before she broke a couple, which of course starts the chip/peel process. I'd call that "about average" for her.
5. Me -- a very busy nail tech, mom, & wife. I wear traditional gel enhancements in two different lengths (almond on my left, square on my right). I am right-handed, so my nails wear at different rates. And, I love doing different kinds of artwork on them, so having the ability to use outside art supplies is a bonus for me. Just to test the difference, I went straight from the gel top coat application to the ACG color application (while the gel top coat was still tacky -- a process taught by CND; works great with gel-to-Shellac... not so much with gel-to-ACG). I found that the first coat of ACG color was *VERY* runny/streaky... I will not be doing it that way in the future. In doing this experiment, I have also noticed that these wear the same as Gelish &/or GelColor do (over my enhancements, they are about the same).

The shades are cheaper than the other brands I use in my studio; a huge plus. All in all, I am very happy with this system, and if I find more shades I love, I will be buying them. Now, if ACG would only come out with a nice wall rack... ;)

*Please note -- this is not a sponsored post. All thoughts are my own, and this blog post is only about my personal experiences with ACG.

The Cobbler's Children...

You know the saying, "The cobbler's children have no shoes"? The meaning is, of course, being so busy taking care of others that we don't take care of ourselves (or, in some cases, our children). For me, this was not only true recently at home (although more so right after my husband's & my motorcycle accident) taking care of him & our daughter; putting some of my own needs on the back burner, but also at work. My clients were taken care of, at a bit of my own personal expense. Around October, I decided enough was enough, and I started making time to take care of myself. I once again made monthly facial appointments, made sure to stick to my Sun/Mon days off, and added monthly hair appts as well as massages. I was working close to, sometimes exceeding, 40hrs every week, and knew I would crash if I kept going. I also took a weekend off to attend my sister's wedding (boy, do some clients get PISSED when their beauty professionals do that). Then began the holiday season... ACK!

Right before the accident, I had taken off my nails; thinking that I could just do gel polish for a while... I knew the holiday season was coming, and that I would be busy, and gel polish alone takes a lot shorter of a time to do every 2-3 weeks than my usual gel w/gel polish (& sometimes art). After my sister's wedding, I gave up on that idea... I'm just not meant to have short nails with no enhancement! So, I brought my stuff home on a Saturday, and Sunday, I put them back on. The experiment that time was two-fold: almond-shape (since I had already tried almondettos and kept breaking them) and using CND's "Brisa Lite Sculpting" gel. I got the shaping down fine, but still kept breaking them near the free edge. So, in December, I'd had enough, and I called Tanya (my CND EA, nail sister, and friend). She tells me (after I sent a couple of pics) that Sculpting isn't strong enough for the length I had them... and, you can't apply traditional Brisa over the Sculpting. ACK, again!

On New Year's Day, I completely removed all my nails, cleaned up my cuticles, etc, and applied new tips & gel. I decided at this point to try something else -- almond on my left hand, short & square on my right. Since I am right-handed, I figured it would be easier to do artwork, stamping, etc on my longer, prettier, left hand, plus have the "in" shape/length... and my right hand could be kept short & not nearly as "fun", because that would be my *working* hand. Just to make it more fun for ME, I decided that they don't even have to match. So, every rebalance has gotten something different on each hand. My husband joked that, due to my OCD, I probably wouldn't leave them like this very long... but PHHHHLTHH at him; it's February, and I still like them this way!

FOUR product updates -- (1) I am no longer taking regular L&P (Liquid & Powder; that's "acrylic enhancements" for the uninformed) clients. I will continue to use it for repairs if necessary, but I don't like it; it smells and I have a tiny room with only one window that opens. If you require regular L&P appts, I have a few professional recommendations for you. (2) In March, I will be taking a class for a new(er to the market) gel polish line called "Artistic Colour Gloss", from the same makers of Gelish. If I like it, I will start carrying some colors in this line. (3) I have eliminated the few IBD Just Gel shades I had; I don't like them, they are too lightly-pigmented for me and don't hold glitter/foil/pigments like others. (4) I now have nail stamps & a few stamping polishes... I'm still in "playing with them" mode, trying to get them right (it's not as easy as it looks), but it's coming along nicely.

Ok, one more update before I sign off: Business is still busy. Usually, I, like many beauty professionals, find a slow-down between January & March. My regulars, though, have already scheduled through early JUNE (& I only booked out 'til then because we haven't decided on our summer family plans, yet), and I am close to 90% booked. I literally have 4 or less open spots each week between now & then. I have also taken on a couple of days at Tanya's salon, to cover for her while she's on vacation. If you have something coming up within the next four months, I suggest you call me *now*. Otherwise, you may be (as my father says) S.O.L.

It's Been A While... Sorry About That!

Apparently, the last time I blogged here was in May. So, here's some product updates for you:

Since then, I've switched over all but one traditional gel client to CND's Brisa Lite Sculpting. I truly love this stuff, and when I put my last Ed Wyse order in (Oh, I have a new rep, Tracy, who comes to my salon once per month, shows me the new product coming out if there is any that month, takes my order, and processes it for me... Ed Wyse doesn't charge shipping, there is no minimum order, and since they are based in Seattle, I get my order in 1-2 business days), the Sculpting now comes in a larger jar; the same size as the one for their traditional gel.

* One client, JB, and I are in a weaning process right now. I have successfully removed all the gel (weaning from traditional, to Sculpting, to Smoothing, to no gel base) from my toes... I am now only wearing either traditional polish or any gel polish, with no gel. It's a weird feeling, but much less time consuming. I will still use gel to repair, if needed. My fingernails also have no gel on them anymore; as of last weekend, I am now wearing only gel polish. However, since I am still a very busy nail tech, and use removal products on my clients, I usually double top-coat, and use either Gelish, GelColor, or Axxium (they are stronger than Shellac, and Shellac's top-coat is acetone-permeable, so that's out). JB is on her first round of Smoothing gel under her Shellac & artwork. I just did that Tuesday, so we'll see how they're holding at her next appt... but so far, so good!

* I have tried the Vinylux on a few other people, and it's really a crap-shoot... Works great on some, but not so well on others. I have *one* client (the weekly traditional mani client I told you about in my last blog post) who still loves it, but it may be the color she chose -- Grapefruit Sparkle. Glitters & sheers dry faster, imo, than cremes... plus, it's easier to hide any minor imperfections. Cremes are unforgiving. I think these are best used on toes, as a Shellac match, but unless the client requests otherwise, I'll be using them with traditional base coat.

* Some new collections have also been released: OPI's had Mariah Carey and San Francisco. I'm patiently awaiting my San Fran GelColor pre-orders... I have on order: "Peace & Love & OPI", "Dining Al-Frisco", "Muir Muir On The Wall", and I own the Liquid Sands in "Alcatraz... ROCKS!" and "Wharf! Wharf! Wharf!". From Mariah's collection, I will be ordering three Liquid Sands, two regular polishes, and at least four GelColors. CND came out with their "Forbidden" collection; the only one of those I didn't buy was "Dark Dahlia", but after seeing some swatches, I think I may buy it. Gelish also has some new holiday colors coming out, so I'll be picking up a few of those, as well. Looks like I'll need to do some more swatching soon...

* MY STUDIO's REMODEL IS FINALLY DONE!! If you start at this pic, you get the idea. Three things are still in the works, but I have no idea on their timelines... (1) Hubs found a wooden sign carver/designer/painter, and for my birthday (which was in June), he was going to have a new ARTISTRY sign made for my door. Then, we had our motorcycle accident, so that is on hold. (2) The storage cabinet behind my desk needs to go; I have plans/sketches for a new (better) one, but until hubs is healed & had time, that, too, will have to wait. (3) I am on the hunt for another sheet of those flip flop wall decals. I got those at Michael's but the last few times I've gone back, they don't have them. And, they're a specialty item, so I can't just order them.

* Last thing - Since it's a new season, my hours of availability have, once again, changed. All of my standing clients have scheduled through December, leaving me with a couple spots for random clients, and every other Friday open. I would love to get one or two new standings for those Fridays. If you are local, and wish to get into a regular nail maintenance routine with me, PM me on my work page and we'll figure out what time works best.