u/DidyouseeOoShiny

Hey y’all, working on becoming a nail tech, my last one did not go over well, and I get it! I really rushed the polish application and I had mangled my cuticles by over nipping dry skin and it was awful! I was a little too over zealous because it was my first sculpted set and trying to get apex and curve done properly and it took so long that I messed up any chance of them looking good by slapping on the polish! 😖

A lot of things are different here, I hope lol. These are a couple days old now. This is my 2nd sculpted set and I did go much shorter. Trying to go for a medium almond and I knew I was going to be adding a few extra layers for the design so I made them slightly thinner to make up for the bulk the polish was going to add. (I hate overly bulky nails) I’m still having some problems though and I think it’s in the polish application but I’m not sure. I did show these 2 nails before any polish went on and I think I got the structure laid well but then I added:

2 coats sheer nude pink
1 base coat with a micro glitter
Matte top coat
Acrylic paint and custom rose gold topcoat
2 coats topcoat

I tried to go very light with each coat to slowly build it up and I do drop the most of the product in the apex area and use a barely wet brush to push into the cuticle area but I’m seeing on almost every nail a slightly raised cuticle, a dip, then it goes back up to the apex… what am I doing wrong there?

I’m also working on my cuticles, using cuticle oil and lotion about twice a day to help those babies along. I was thinking about trying OPI’s cuticle serum. I tend to have a lot of trouble with my cuticles and tiny hangnails because I wash my hands 50 times a day and I generally do not use lotions or anything. I’m trying to change that habit! Does anybody have any knowledge about those OPI products. Do you think they would help me?

The design I’m very happy with. I wanted to keep it very soft and pretty, playing with the light some. But an overall everyday set, I didn’t want it leaning towards any season/ occasion. I’m trying to get my hand back with the brush pressure, been a long time since I’ve painted but the gel polish was not giving me anywhere near the look I was going for so I switched to acrylic. Super proud of my right hand because they do at least resemble flowers over there and I was using my non dominant hand lol.

So, any tips, criticisms, helpful advice? I’m trying to stick to the forms (and honestly liking them a lot, I honestly think they’re pretty easy) and a builder gel.

Nails on myself. Very neutral, wearable design with a pop underneath.

1st time sculpting and using forms.
Completely winged it on how to add the glitter underneath. I was trying to have it come through the sheer base color but I had to pivot to a sheer builder gel trying to get my structure even and then couldn’t really see it when it was done.

But what do y’all think? Any tips?

Beginning school and need real working advice.

Hello there! I start school for nail technician in a week in the Nashville area! I’m so excited! I’ve wanted to do this for so long. I am 38 and have spent the last 30 years always doing my own nails.. I have dabbled in acrylic and press ons before you tube ever got to YouTube university status. It wasn’t until this past year that I started focusing on builder gel and getting the hang of that. I did try a couple of years ago to do press ons, these are some of the sets I’ve done. I thought I was doing good work but I didn’t sell a single thing… no idea how to market lol I do need to learn how to properly do the technical nail building side and really get that down but I’ve always loved the nail art. All of these sets are gel and gel palettes with micro paintbrushes! I love creating something beautiful that people can wear, live their life in! So I have a few questions for people that know about all of this.

1. Any advice for just starting nail school?
2. I generally need a reference to look back on to keep my composition really on point or to do characters well. I never want things to look too cluttered/ busy and to keep things cohesive. Do clients think less of you if you need that reference all the time?
3. The more complicated sets took me 1.5 hours between prep, base, base color, art, and sealing. Is that too long?
4. I am a perfectionist! I see flaws constantly so I frequently alcohol and start over on that layer. I do have experience with acrylic painting and was wondering if it would be easier to mix, blend, shade, and layer with paint and faster because you don’t have to cure each section constantly or are the results not as professional?
5. I love using a well chosen quote or word in designs, but I struggle hard with them… perfectionist! Words can take me the longest because I’m trying to get them perfect. I recently learned about water slide decal paper and was wondering about y’all’s thoughts on them. Either just words, letters, or small characters that can be premade and ready for specific sets, or having an accent nail of a full color nail decal of either a background, complicated scenery, effect, picture… whatever. I thought I could have some already done and put in little baggies according to what they are so they’re ready to go. Is this cheating!? Would it work in real life application? Do clients go for it or would they rather see them hand painted?

So if anybody has any advice for any of these questions or any constructive criticism on the nail art I’ve already done that could help me improve I would appreciate it more than you would ever know… I’ve waited it seems like my whole life to finally go after what I want to do… and I really really want to do it well and open up my own salon one day. I’ve been dreaming about that since I was 12-13.

I’m sorry this post is so long, thank you in advance for any and all of y’all’s help! 💕

Beginning school and need real working advice.

Hello there! I start school for nail technician in a week in the Nashville area! I’m so excited! I’ve wanted to do this for so long. I am 38 and have spent the last 30 years always doing my own nails.. I have dabbled in acrylic and press ons before you tube ever got to YouTube university status. It wasn’t until this past year that I started focusing on builder gel and getting the hang of that. I did try a couple of years ago to do press ons, these are some of the sets I’ve done. I thought I was doing good work but I didn’t sell a single thing… no idea how to market lol I do need to learn how to properly do the technical nail building side and really get that down but I’ve always loved the nail art. All of these sets are gel and gel palettes with micro paintbrushes! I love creating something beautiful that people can wear, live their life in! So I have a few questions for people that know about all of this.

1. Any advice for just starting nail school?
2. I generally need a reference to look back on to keep my composition really on point or to do characters well. I never want things to look too cluttered/ busy and to keep things cohesive. Do clients think less of you if you need that reference all the time?
3. The more complicated sets took me 1.5 hours between prep, base, base color, art, and sealing. Is that too long?
4. I am a perfectionist! I see flaws constantly so I frequently alcohol and start over on that layer. I do have experience with acrylic painting and was wondering if it would be easier to mix, blend, shade, and layer with paint and faster because you don’t have to cure each section constantly or are the results not as professional?
5. I love using a well chosen quote or word in designs, but I struggle hard with them… perfectionist! Words can take me the longest because I’m trying to get them perfect. I recently learned about water slide decal paper and was wondering about y’all’s thoughts on them. Either just words, letters, or small characters that can be premade and ready for specific sets, or having an accent nail of a full color nail decal of either a background, complicated scenery, effect, picture… whatever. I thought I could have some already done and put in little baggies according to what they are so they’re ready to go. Is this cheating!? Would it work in real life application? Do clients go for it or would they rather see them hand painted?

So if anybody has any advice for any of these questions or any constructive criticism on the nail art I’ve already done that could help me improve I would appreciate it more than you would ever know… I’ve waited it seems like my whole life to finally go after what I want to do… and I really really want to do it well and open up my own salon one day. I’ve been dreaming about that since I was 12-13.

I’m sorry this post is so long, thank you in advance for any and all of y’all’s help! 💕

Beginning school and need real working advice.

Hello there! I start school for nail technician in a week in the Nashville area! I’m so excited! I’ve wanted to do this for so long. I am 38 and have spent the last 30 years always doing my own nails.. I have dabbled in acrylic and press ons before you tube ever got to YouTube university status. It wasn’t until this past year that I started focusing on builder gel and getting the hang of that. I did try a couple of years ago to do press ons, these are some of the sets I’ve done. I thought I was doing good work but I didn’t sell a single thing… no idea how to market lol I do need to learn how to properly do the technical nail building side and really get that down but I’ve always loved the nail art. All of these sets are gel and gel palettes with micro paintbrushes! I love creating something beautiful that people can wear, live their life in! So I have a few questions for people that know about all of this.

1. Any advice for just starting nail school?
2. I generally need a reference to look back on to keep my composition really on point or to do characters well. I never want things to look too cluttered/ busy and to keep things cohesive. Do clients think less of you if you need that reference all the time?
3. The more complicated sets took me 1.5 hours between prep, base, base color, art, and sealing. Is that too long?
4. I am a perfectionist! I see flaws constantly so I frequently alcohol and start over on that layer. I do have experience with acrylic painting and was wondering if it would be easier to mix, blend, shade, and layer with paint and faster because you don’t have to cure each section constantly or are the results not as professional?
5. I love using a well chosen quote or word in designs, but I struggle hard with them… perfectionist! Words can take me the longest because I’m trying to get them perfect. I recently learned about water slide decal paper and was wondering about y’all’s thoughts on them. Either just words, letters, or small characters that can be premade and ready for specific sets, or having an accent nail of a full color nail decal of either a background, complicated scenery, effect, picture… whatever. I thought I could have some already done and put in little baggies according to what they are so they’re ready to go. Is this cheating!? Would it work in real life application? Do clients go for it or would they rather see them hand painted?

So if anybody has any advice for any of these questions or any constructive criticism on the nail art I’ve already done that could help me improve I would appreciate it more than you would ever know… I’ve waited it seems like my whole life to finally go after what I want to do… and I really really want to do it well and open up my own salon one day. I’ve been dreaming about that since I was 12-13.

I’m sorry this post is so long, thank you in advance for any and all of y’all’s help! 💕