Why does it cost extra for nail art?

Nail art.
The thing that can transform your nails from run of the mill everyday,
to individual glam filled personalized pieces of art.

Don't get me wrong, they're not everyone's cup of tea, I'm not telling you that you HAVE to have nail art to have a fancy manicure, and to be honest some days even I can't be f....uhhh bothered with it lol.
If you've ever seen or had nail art done you know that it is not as easy as it looks, and every brush stroke or glitter sprinkle is very carefully placed and applied with an extreme amount of thought.

And yes it may be a quick glitter fade, or a few polka dots, 

but what you aren't thinking about is how much that glitter may cost, or how much product is wasted when applying polka dots, or the tools that are used to complete these looks. It all comes into play when artist price their work.

But most importantly....
TIME.

Anything that takes longer than a regular colour application should be, and is for myself, considered art.

As a client try and remember you aren't just getting your nails painted by a random person....

The woman or man sitting in front of you usually has spent a lot of money learning and practicing how to do these things on your fingers, they are creating something, something that will never truly be created in the same way and once you've worn it out it will only remain in an image (if she (me lol) remembered to take a photo)

Really, that means the nail art on your fingers, is priceless.

So if you're wanting art, dont expect it for free...

Support your nail tech (most of you do and we are super grateful for that) and pay that extra $ for that customized design.

B xxx

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2016....a year of growth

It's crazy to think that this time last year I had no idea where I was heading or what I wanted as my career....becoming a mother you almost inevitably lose your way and wonder how the hell you're going to get back on your feet.
It's scary.
And not matter how many times you get told,
"it's ok, your allowed to have a break from work"
or
"you're still young, don't worry you have time to figure out what you want to do"
you still feel like you're failing as a parent because you should be contributing towards family income.
Losing sight of the fact that you are contributing, you're raising your children and that my friends is no easy task...leading to the fact we also forget that sometimes we need 'me' time.

This is where I decided to return to the nail industry.

I was reminded by a friend at how much I enjoyed sitting there with new people everyday creating art on their fingers and seeing their smile as they walked out of the door knowing I just had a small part in making them feel better about themselves.

 

So I got my ass into gear and started researching brands that were around and saw an awesome brand and new nail academy that was coming to my town to do some nail art courses.
I jumped on board and never looked back!
Those 2 days I attended brought back my passion, even though initially I had thought it would be a hobby, something for myself, until I figured out what I was really ment to be doing,  I decided there and then that I would be doing this as my job and shit got serious.

Now don't get me wrong, becoming a home salon is not cheap and it took me a while to build up my stock and equipment I needed to successfully pull this off, and I'm still going...

My first purchase was a gel polish kit from Monaco Pro, and my very first client paid for my next polish, and my next for my next. My business is paying for itself which is the best feeling!

This year I have decided that half of what I make will stay in the business and the other half will go back into my family paying for things like swimming lessons and school stationary, after all whats the point in working if you don't get anything out of it.

This year I have also decided to set strict boundaries on what and when things go on in my nail room.

For instance child rules, you'd think these would be just general smarts but sometimes people don't understand the dangers of a baby being able to touch chemicals or trying to get into rubbish bins.

And to make sure I don't run myself into the dirt I have decided that my hours are my hours, I was getting quite lenient with random nail clients but that has to change to ensure I get time off and my kids still get their mother at home, which is why I work from home in the first place.

I want to take this section to sincerely thank all my friends and family that supported me making this journey and have got me to the point now where I have frequent strangers inquiring and making appointments. You are the reason I have a job xxx

I have set myself goals for my nail business this year, something I have never done before and I am planning on attending nail courses and workshops whenever I can to ensure the success I foresee for myself.

Happy New Year to you all xxx
May this year rock our socks off

B xxx

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Nail Biters

 

Just about everyone has bitten their nails in their life.

Biting fingernails is a habit that often starts in childhood.
Studies show 60% of children and 45% of teenagers bite their nails.
Nail biting becomes less common after age 18, but it can continue into adulthood. Many adults and children are often unaware they are biting their nails because doing so has become a habit. it can be the occasional nibble to a more serious problem.

Regularly biting your nails and cuticles can leave your fingers red and sore. The area of skin around your nails may bleed and become infected.
Bacteria and viruses passed from your fingers to your face and mouth can make you vulnerable to infection.

This is where nail technicians can be your best friends!!!

There are so many options to help strengthen your nails to the point where they will be strong enough to grow naturally.

IBX and gel polish, Hard gel (extension or over lay) and Acrylic (extension or overlay)

(If you want to know more about IBX I have another post about the benefits here...)

What is hard gel?
Hard gel is a higher viscosity gel formula that comes in light proof pots. 

This needs to be cured in UV light.
It can be extended out (extension) or just placed on top of your natural nail. This is called an overlay.

What is acrylic?
Acrylic is a 2 step system with liquid and powder in which a brush is dipped into the liquid and then placed into the powder to form a ball. This sets naturally.
It can also be used for extensions or overlays.

What is best for you can depend on your hobbies and life style. Your nail tech should be able to suggest the correct form of nail service for you once she has found out what these are.

The below success story is solely from gel polish appointments.

  <------This was her first appointment getting gel polish to help grow her bitten nails.
The first step towards stopping the biting habit.

<-------This was 3 weeks from her initial appointment and the results are amazing!
A few millimeters feels like a lot more to a nail biter and it can take a while for them to get used to the extra length, so maintaining them and keeping them short is the best option.



My next success story is based on an acrylic extension.

<------This client is very hard on her nails, she works with horses, is a solo mum and does a lot of gardening.

She has bitten her nails for a very long time and struggles to grow them out due to the skin in front of her nail beds which are slightly pushed up.

This means her nails grow into her skin which is uncomfortable.

<------This is after an acrylic extension with ACG gel polish.

I kept the length below the edge of her fingertip and rounded the edges so she would be less likely to catch them on things.

These are sculpted using forms (which i talk about in THIS blog post)

She has reported that she has had her nails stood on by horses, got caught in buckles, been in a lot of water, had some medicinal chemicals on them and the acrylic is still in perfect form, no lifting and no chipping.

Her nails are a little sore from knocking them around (she admits she is very rough with them), but its possible that the acrylic saved her from getting yet another bruised nail as it took most of the impact.

I have yet to do a hard gel service on a nail biter but it will essentially have the same impact as acrylic except it is slightly softer and more flexible. This would be suited to someone with hands in water all the time or someone that doesn't like the smell of monomer (used in acrylics).

Long story short....if you're ready to grow your nails or want a quick solution for a special occasion, get in contact with a qualified nail technician who can provide a high quality service so your natural nails will be taken care of underneath your enhancements.

B xxx

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Monaco Workshops Aug/Sep 2015

I highly recommend that you attend workshops like this one if you get the opportunity.
Whether you're a trained tech, training presently, wanting to train as a tech or even a hair dresser or make-up artist wanting to branch out and offer your clients more, you will leave with so much passion and drive to produce some really fantastic work.
I love how much fun I had and knowledge I gained from attending these workshops.
Like seriously.....not just getting to play with brand new product but getting to connect with like minded people and network.

The group of women that attended the workshops are awesome and everyone had input and questions that helped everyone learn just a little bit more and Penny was more than happy to answer any questions we had even if they seemed silly to the ones asking.
It was awesome to see so much enthusiasm and inspiration pouring out of one person, making every part of the Monaco Nail Academy workshops enjoyable.

Here's a link to find what they have to offer presently.....
http://monaco.ac.nz/courses
Soon Taranaki will have its own educator, which will be amazing! We are quite sheltered here so not having to travel to do workshops etc would be so handy for us naki folks.
The new educator is none other than Brittany Bourgoise, owner of Flamingo Boutique and the area leader for Monaco.

Now.....I'm going to have a rave for a second so bare with me.....

I LOVE Artisitic products. I have used a few brands, and the consistency of quality is by far the best I've seen. Not only that but the support network Monaco have set up is incredible. Penny and her team are single handily changing the way this industries views its peers. Meaning everyone who attends these workshops, goes away having made new friends.
I fully respect Penny and her values and love how she welcomes everyone with open arms.

So here's an insight into what went on.....

(view from the deck at our venue)

The workshops took place at a beautiful secluded spot just outside of New Plymouth,
One Burgess Hill, a little hard to find but stunning none the less.

DAY 1.
Nail Art 1.0 & Nail Art 2.0
So many demos with little tricks and tips on the best way to achieve certain nail designs.
Also getting play with things we have never played with before, like pigments, nail art pens and acrylic paint made specifically for nail design.
Not only that, but Penny gave us a little chemistry lesson (which I love knowing about, helps you understand why certain things need to be done and whats happening when things go wrong) and an acrylic/hard gel problem solving session to help us in any areas we might be struggling.

(Penny giving a demonstration)

DAY 2.
Artistic Colour Gloss Certification & Pigments
Went back to basics on this one and went over how to prep nails properly, the reasons behind certain issues we may face and how to fix them and the correct removal technique.
I feel more confident in giving you the best dam gel polish service you can have now!
And with pigments (which I might add, I found to be the hardest to use.....most likely my brush is not the right type of brush to apply with...I will fix this when I have purchased the more important items I still need....well want lol).....well the possibilities are so vast.....you'll just have to take the class.
And as a added bonus i had a quick lesson on what IBX does and how it works and how to use it. I see this in my kit in the near future!

Here are my practice tips I finished while doing the class.....

(matte with gloss french, leopard print, daisies, teddy bear)

(quilting pattern, marbling, union jack, teddy bear)

(galaxy, pigment fade with scribe...semi fail, squares and flowers, paint/blood drips)

(glitter pigment fade, full pigment, dispertion/snake skin)

Not all of them were amazing lol, still a fair bit of trial and error when it come to new techniques but that's what the workshops were all about.
I have come home passionate and rearing to go!

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