Bluesky?

[MMBeauty2012]

Professional = a person engaged or qualified in a profession.

Not products used. Clearly I joined this website to get help and support off people I thought of as collegues. Clearly I was wrong.

Got the idea now. Thanks everyone

 

[NancySyd]

Professional = a person engaged or qualified in a profession.

Not products used. Clearly I joined this website to get help and support off people I thought of as collegues. Clearly I was wrong.

Got the idea now. Thanks everyone

You omitted an important part of the definition of professional (as an adjective, not a noun) from Merriam Webster "c (1) :characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2):exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace"

It is this definition that a forum like this seeks to encourage. You have been given help and support - you were given the honest opinions of a group of highly trained and skilled colleagues on a product you use. The fact that those opinions were not what you wanted to hear does not mean that they weren't, or weren't intended to be, helpful or supportive. In a forum like this there are always going to be judgments, disagreements, and conflicts. Hopefully, people are respectful and polite (and I see no indication that people were not so in this thread) in that process, but it is important to understand that this isn't always going to be a warm and fuzzy place.

 

[EmmaLF]

Tbh bluesky still piggy back off shellac. The bottles are the same. They recently changed their bottles again to match shellac more. They used to be plain black with the same shape as shellac but now the bottles are coloured to match the polish inside. Just like shellac. Also I've noticed all the colours are exact replica of shellac colours. Every time shellac brings out a new collection bluesky brings one out a little while later with exact copies of the colours, they just call them something different.

 

[MMBeauty2012]

I have not sought help and advice. I have given advice to leila m regarding the fact that bluesky are not harmful and hold all the required sheets necessary to be used and are insurable.
It is the so called professionals on here that have implied that I am not professional due to a choice of brand that I use...
A lot of professionals buy and use bluesky and seemingly keep quiet on this, why? Because of the likes of you judgemental ladies......

 

[MissJulesBeauty]

Well what a lovely conversation ladies.. Thanks. I'll keep doing what I'm doing and using what I'm using.
I'm deeply offended as you are basically saying because of the product I use I'm not professional...... It may well be put on the market for home users but do you know what, who cares. I paid a lot of money for my training. I'm proud of what I have achieved.....

Leila M asked about it not being safe, well its all above board now. Has all the legal requirements to use. Is insurable for us "professionals" to use. End of the matter.

I don't like the idea of using Bluesky simply because it looks too close to Shellac and when they first launched I spent so long educating my clients who had seen it, on the risks etc. Local wannabes used to use it on a mobile basis and charge £5 per set! I fear if I started using it now I would be going against everything I have said for the last 2-3 years lol.. That said I wanted to commend you for your post. I am sure you knew when posting that you would be going against the grain but your post has certainly educated me a little and it is always good to read from both sides. So thank you for not being a sheep and speaking up. For the record the fact that you know so much about the product shows me your professionalism. Though I still say Shellac for the win lol x .

 

[MMBeauty2012]

Thanks Miss Jules Beauty. I trained with shellac and converted to bluesky. I didn't dislike shellac, only my clients didn't want to pay for it. They'd rather go to an nss than pay the premium... I've found no difference in application or removal so sold the few shellac colours I had and now have over 80 colours to choose from and very happy clients

 

[MissJulesBeauty]

Thanks Miss Jules Beauty. I trained with shellac and converted to bluesky. I didn't dislike shellac, only my clients didn't want to pay for it. They'd rather go to an nss than pay the premium... I've found no difference in application or removal so sold the few shellac colours I had and now have over 80 colours to choose from and very happy clients

And that my lovely is the main thing! Happy clients, means repeat custom and pennies in the bank

 

[LeilaM]

Thanks for all your responses, I think im a bit scared to reply with my opinion on here now as don't want to upset anyone. I respect that all have personal opinions just as we all have personal choices. I really thought hard about what brand to start off with and think there are so so many brilliant brands to choose from, I chose Brillbird and they are gorgeous but being new to this industry I'm sure a long the way I will experiment with many products, as long as they are proven safe. I think the lady that felt confident and to openly admit to using bluesky is very brave, as it's obvious so many are against it. If it's safe and her clients understand what they're paying for well good for you
x

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[krum]

It is not snobbery to think as professionals we should use professionals products!
We train so that we can apply products safely and correctly. Buying stuff off of eBay is not the same or safe and shouldn't be allowed.
I had a client last week come in with Bluesky on her nails which I had to remove. It took forever! It just wouldn't break down and I ended up chipping at it. Whoever said it's easy to remove that just isn't true!

 

[JuicyLucy]

I didn't dislike shellac, only my clients didn't want to pay for it. They'd rather go to an nss than pay the premium... .

You need to really think about what you are charging and how much less Bluesky is really costing compared to Shellac/OPI etc. I have copied below a post I wrote a couple of years ago when this subject reared its head.

Judging by a few recent threads, when it comes to gel polish/UV colour coats, it would appear that lots of people on here do not understand how to work out cost per service. They assume that expensive brands cost loads more to use than cheap brands and they price their services to reflect this incorrect assumption. They incorrectly assume they are making the same amount (or more) as techs using expensive brands but charging sensible prices.

Clearly your initial layout for a cheap brand is going to be less, but the difference between cost per service is such a small amount that its not worth worrying about. Certainly the brand you use should have hardly any affect how much you charge clients.

Using round figures as an example and not actual prices:

Say, "Brand X" costs £20 for each 15ml bottle of topcoat, basecoat and colour coat.

Say, "Brand Y" costs £5 again for each 15ml bottle of topcoat, basecoat and colour coat (a quarter of the price of "Brand X").

Most brands that do 15ml bottles say you can do around 100 sets from a bottle of basecoat, 50 sets from a bottle of colour and 80 from topcoat.

So...
"Brand X" would cost 85p in basic product costs
"Brand Y" would cost 21p in basic product costs
a difference of only 64p per set.

Your prep and finishing product costs are the same for both brands.
Your overhead costs are the same for both brands.
If you are mobile, your traveling costs are the same for both brands.
Your time used is the same for both brands.

So techs charging a low amount because they are using cheap products are actually only saving 64p a set. However, they are charging their clients (on average) between £5-£10 less than techs using premium brands.

What these techs are actually doing is giving their time away cheaply and not making a decent profit or living. Or, if they are charging the correct amount, they are cheating their clients by unnecessarily using a cheap brand.

You are deluding yourself if you think you are saving money or making more profit by buying and using cheap products, unless you are charging pennies less, you are actually making much less. I have seen some techs advertising who are effectively making half the minimum wage in the UK per hour.

Personally I have no problem with what other nail techs use for their own businesses - it's your business, you make your own decisions, it's part of the joy of running your own company. I am not brand loyal myself and I think people get blinded and fooled by some of the big companies with their marketing. I research, test and use the best products from various suppliers for my business - S2 for prep and finishing products, OPI and Gelish for gel polish, OPI for normal polish and manicure products, Nubar for pedicure products and NSI for gel extension products.

 

[Misstoniilou]

Im probably the last person who could be called a brand snob. Like i said, i think its fine as long as youd then be happy for your hairdresser to whip out a cheap box dye, because that is the equivilant.

Ive even had bluesky on with no problems. But its still not a professional product. It is a knock off retail version of a professional product. Thats just a fact im afraid. But im just repeating myself now so i think ill be off to bed.

 

[thenailbar.mz]

Well done for you. I'm still trained and professional. Its just brand snobbery as far as I am concerned. My clients and I am far from happy with this product. You can buy pretty much everything from Amazon and eBay these days that are classed as "professional only"
....

Hear hear!!!!

 

[MrsBB2013]

Thanks for that breakdown of costs juicylucy. I use ibd and had a rough idea of costs but that makes it a lot clearer x

 

[MrsBB2013]

Also there is a woman who uses same products as me charging £10 for fingers. I charge £18 since ibd is a mid price product, haven't got a clue how she is making much money at that! X

 

[ami1234]

Can't you buy genuine CND shellac off eBay!!??

 

[mikala-nails]

I love BlueSky..I've never had a problem with it xx

 

[blossom]

Juicy lucy, the only point I'd take up with your workings out are that brand A, presuming Shellac, is not sold in 15ml bottles, they might look like it but are in fact 7.3ml, just over a teaspoon.

I've checked on Bluesky and they are 10ml. Gellux is 15ml, etc

So for anyone working out, just saying.

I use OPI nail varnish which used to be pro only but is now readily available in some Boots etc and can be bought at Sally's by anyone. Doesn't make me unprofessional for using it.

I think we all know Bluesky started by being a copy cat product, if they now have MSDS that's a good thing. For people such as the OP in an area where people don't want to pay, esp if ALL salons etc are undercharging, I can see how it would make sense to use the Bluesky line as its a heck of a lot less outlay with. all those colours to buy.

And for anyone who didn't know, this site, being owned and run by CND, has more than its fair share of CND fans as you'd expect and anyone "going against the grain" is likely to get an earful.

Another thought, does your insurance cover you using Bluesky? X

 

[squidgernetball]

Can't you buy genuine CND shellac off eBay!!??

You can but the distribution isn't authorised so you can never be sure it's genuine, whereas products such as bluesky are actively sold to the public with no need for qualification.

Yes there are a lot of CND fans on here, but my argument is purely about pro and non pro products. Because boots sell the varnish you use, doesn't make it less of a pro product because opi require training/certification to buy their gels. They also support their therapist with training as do cnd. Bluesky don't. No training, no certificate requirements, no prep products and so on.

I also use gel ll. Shock horror. This isn't a cnd product but it is also pro only. You have to give evidence of your qualifications and they support their therapists with prep products and training.

I've said it before. I don't care what everybody uses, but bluesky isn't a pro product. Nor is Younique, Forever living or arbonne. I know they're all different, but they're all openly available for your clients to buy.

If you want to be taken seriously as a nail tech I personally think you need to use pro products.

My client who told me she buys and uses bluesky fell in love with gel ll. The next time she came in, she grumpily informed me that she tried to buy it but you have to have a certificate. Yes. It's a pro product.

Vic x

 

[pure]

New Can't you buy genuine CND shellac off eBay!!??

You will find some nail techs are selling their unwanted stock on eBay, or it could be fake, out of date, or an empty bottle filled with some other gel polish. But it won't be being sold by the brand company themselves. That's the difference.

 

[leenie81]

Dennis Williams sell cnd shellac and aslong as you are registered with them you can buy it so that can be someone who has only a hairdressing qualification or just spray tan certificate ect, there are lots of cnd shellac on eBay a swell as other professional brands. I personally use cnd shellac but I think if someone wants to use bluesky, gets good results and clients are happy then good on them and their profit margins