Hi Hi!
This has been a post I have been planning and preparing
for quite a while now.
After a good amount experience creating my own press-on nails,
and going to a salon and being encouraged
to become a nail tech, I decided,
why not practice and make my nails myself?
Now don't get me wrong, my previous nail tech is very
sweet and her work was super stunning.
I am not trying to bash her in any way!
However, the more I researched and learned about the
application process, the more mistakes
I actually realized.
Issues I came to realize:
1. Last time I saw her, I asked her to push back
my cuticles and she forgot to..
[During the process]
2. The structure seemed very thin looking.
Others agreed with the lack of structure and said they
were surprised they haven't all broke.
3. Four days after I got them done, one of the tips broke.
I am in no way trying to shame my nail tech but I was quite
disappointed with the results and service.
I figured this would be my opportunity to learn a new skill, save money,
and do something that's already super enjoyable to me!
･:*☆:. The Research.:☆*:･
I started off with basically no idea of what I even wanted.
When I went into my salon, I only knew about Gel and Acrylic, Thais it.
I knew Acrylic was stronger so I wanted to go with that.
However, while researching on my own, I discovered that there are basically THOUSANDS of ways to do nails!
Medias you can use are..
Gel, Hard Gel, Acrylic, Poly Gel, Hybrid Gel,
To sculpt the nail you can use..
Full, Half, or 1/3 well tip extensions, Nail forms, Dual forms
and even a combination of almost all of these.
For example, Gel polish on acrylics, Poly Gel on a tip, Hard gel on a form.
I recommend watching a lot of Youtube videos of all of these methods.
Search Pros and Cons too! Acrylic Vs Gel, or Forms Vs Tips, Etc.
Each method is used by so many different people for different reasons.
I personally finalized on acrylic!
I haven't used any other media so this may change but I liked
the extra strength that acrylic gives, since I use my hands a lot working
and would need to rely on strength!
･:*☆:.Youtube Channels.:☆*:･
My favorite Youtube channels are..
Suzie's Nail Career Education
She is so so helpful and has so many videos that cover all different nail methods. I still haven't finished all of her videos but they are very addicting and relaxing! She has a lot of basic beginner videos and also fun creative techniques for cool designs. -
I have been really enjoying their Instagram page and LIVE videos! They also have a very cool Business Talk podcast where they talk about their experiences and the business side of being a nail tech!
Its super fascinating and I love the topics they come up with!
They also have a lot of cool cheats, tips and short-cuts
on their IG and Youtube!
This is one of the first channels I watched to really get an overall idea on the process. Ive heard their products are really nice and their videos are super easy to follow. I still have more videos to watch from them but I think they specialize in Gel mainly (iirc).
There are some other channels I watch too but these are the main 3
I really enjoy and have already learned so much from!
So after about 2 weeks after getting my nails done
at the salon, they felt very brittle.
Since the nails I had were Tips, I always wondered when I should soak them off and start fresh. My Grandma, who had a career in cosmetology, told me
"you'll be able to tell".
And she was right, they felts very unstable.
･:*☆:.Soak-Off Process.:☆*:･
I looked up videos of how to "take off acrylics".
I learned that it is better to soak off the acrylic in 100%
acetone rather than file it off or breaking them off.
I used this video as reference -> Here!
I trimmed off all the rhinestones and bling with my
wire cutters and kept what could maybe be cleaned and re-used!
What I didn't realize though is that if you file a good bit off, especially the top-coat or gel polish, it'll soak off much much faster!
I did this for the 2nd hand and it made a huge difference!
I got my plastic baggie, paper towel,
and acetone and went to work!
The longer you soak though, the more will come off.
I just don't like the feeling of acetone on my hands too long
and you'll get kind of a residue on your hands from the
acrylic breaking down into the acetone.
To prevent this, I rinsed my hands in-between soaks and
changed out the acetone when it got
super cloudy and gross.
**DO NOT POUR IT DOWN THE SINK.
Pout it on a paper towel into the garbage!**
Here are my nails after my soaks!
In total it took a couple hours for each hand.
Like I said though, I was impatient!
[Left Hand]
[Right Hand]
in clear nail polish and called it a night.
I noticed these strange dents in my nails, however.
When looking them up, apparently they are refereed to as "rings of fire".
It seems that these dents are right where the very back
of the acrylic nail (my grow out point)
was anchored at my nail.
It was also slightly painful and sensitive.
I figured it was either trauma from the nails being pushed against my finger nail from my rough job all the time, or if I over filed when taking them off.
Thinking back on it though, I barely filed anything
when I soaked off the acrylic.
I only filed a small excess amount that was caked on.
It could have been me but since it starts from the anchor point
and goes all the way down the nail,I sort of suspect that
my nail tech may have over-filed my nails in the first place.
Regardless, I just tried to keep them covered until
I was ready to put on my own acrylics!
･:*☆:. Ordering Supplies .:☆*:･
I really have to thank the Vet Gals and other Nail tech savvy friends
for helping me out so much with supplies!
Meri, Sei, Ray, and Lyon all really helped and supported me
through the process and I cant thank them enough!
We all use different methods but it was really enjoyable
to share our experiences, tips and techniques to each other.
The nail channel in the 109 discord was also a huge
help for me for tips and venting any frustrations
i had along the way www!
Here is a list of all the tings Needed/Recommended
on what to get if you are going to do acrylic nails:
[The Basics] E-file/Dremel
E-File Bits
Cuticle Pusher
Hand Files
Buffer
Nail Forms
Nail Tips
Nail Glue
[You can hand file in place of an e-file, but it'll take you longer,
esp. if you accidentally put on way too much product (like me)]
Monomer
Monomer dish
Dehydrator and Primer
Acrylic powder (Polymer)
Acrylic brush (rec. Size #8)
[Including the e-file, these items should NOT be skimped on.
Please buy higher quality items! These items are ones where
the quality makes an ENTIRE difference in my opinion!!]
Remember, you are being an artist and a chemist at the same time,
so have respect for the hard work these companies take to make them safe
and MMA free for us!
Top Coat
Gel Polish
Nail Deco
Nail At Brushes
[These are things where I believe you have more room
to try multiple brands and what you like! Just have fun!]
Most of the basics, I got off Amazon, like my e-file,
the bits, buffers and files.
For the necessities, I think it is really important to
get a brand you like, know or trust.
I started out by getting the NCE basic kit, -> Here!
You get 2 acrylic powders and Suzie's slow-setting Monomer.
The bottle is very tiny but it almost has no smell and
I really wanted to try slow setting monomer.
Until I ordered more supplies, I mainly practiced
with Suzie's kit and making acrylic beads.
so i moved on to a fake nail and fake finger.
I practiced on the fake finger almost daily or even
twice daily if I had the time!
I tried long nails, short nails, and even french style nails!
But I was still making them super bulky.
So I took time to just keep practicing filing and applying less.
I made it a continues goal to get my arch/apex perfect
and get a nice structure.
I was lucky enough to start this all right around Black Friday!
So I got a bunch of acrylic powders from
Valentino during their Black Friday Sale!!
I was SUPER HYPE and waited so long for them to come in
I almost checked the shipping status daily..
[ I'm debating on doing a review for these or featuring them on Instagram..]
Bc of the holiday delays, It took 2.5 weeks to arrive
but I was so stoked when it came in!!
After watching so many videos with forms and tips,
I really wanted to try a form, just to see whats its like.
Forms looked really scary to me and I was nervous about not
having a guide to follow, which is what a tip would ensure.
However, there are extra steps to using Tips, fitting them
to your nail size and gluing them down.
So I was actually pretty nervous doing that too.
I tried attaching a tip to my fake finger but it was a
horrible mess and wouldn't hold.
The fake finger was not as curved enough and
the Tip just kept popping off.
practice tips on myself once its go time!
･:*☆:.Forms.:☆*:･
So I tried the form, and somehow, I was INSANELY better at it!
I was pretty surprised that it wasn't super difficult and actually helped me get and understand a very good apex and length. I could also give myself credit too, I just naturally got better with time too.
But wow what a difference!
I researched if Tips or Forms were better, (again, because I forgot), and
it sounds like it just depends on personal preference!
Some like having a guide with the tips, and some like forms
more because its less steps and feels a little more stable.
I had also watched SO MANY nail videos with people using forms
rather than tips, that I think my eyes just got easier
at analyzing and understanding the application with a form.
So now we have all the items in, I've practiced my technique
(~3 weeks of practice), I've watched countless Youtube videos, and my nails are all nice and grown out.
Please read Part 2 for my reveal and how the process went
on myself; MY VERY OWN HANDS!
Gosh this post was such a ride haha. I'm glad that you were able to find a new hobby and that you're so passionate about it. I can't wait to see all the cool nails you'll make!!
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