Essential Nails

[Carole.B]

Hi, i think what ever training path you choose if your work is no good you won't keep your clients. Also we must never get complacent about training, it's an exciting and changing industry . Carole xx

 

[sj1973]

Hi, i think what ever training path you choose if your work is no good you won't keep your clients. Also we must never get complacent about training, it's an exciting and changing industry . Carole xx

...Its true about if your work is not good enough ....but thats why we have training...to know what we are doing or to get better with what we are doing.

 

[Haley]

Hi everyone,

Just read some of your comments on this so felt I just needed to say a few words....

I know where you are all coming from about going to a proper class as you are there with a trainer who can correct you when you've done wrong and you get all the recognised certificates/qualifications etc, but (like myself) some people will find training at home better because of their circumstances. I WILL evetually go to classes.

All week I have been watching video's online and reading about acrylics, gels, minx, hollywood toes, nail diseases, products, nail art and more and I must say I have learnt a LOT (to say I didn't have a clue at all about anything, I mean if you told me last week theres different types of nail methods and I would of been confused!!!) and I haven't even stepped foot out of my house! I am not saying I know it all, but I can say I have actually educated myself a little and have more of a understading (by the way, the videos and the websites I have been on have been filmed/written by professional nail technicians)....my point being, Video's can help people learn a lot. So don't diss people for trying, even if it is learning at home by video's. At least they are trying.

Haley

 

[NoLimitNails]

Eventhough this post is very old (2-3 years) it's sweet of you to reply.

But I think you are missing the point, we are not saying you cannot learn from videos, internet etc. but to work on the public is a whole different matter. Lots of people read up or watches dvd' etc. before deciding on a course, and what we are trying to explain, is that very very very few techs doing the essential nail courses go directly to working on public (and almost any of them experience lots of problems as the trainer hand and real nails is very different). Loads use it as a stepping stone, then taking classroom based classes instead.. IMO go directly to classroom based (if you have that option), and choose quality over quantity, that saves you the money...

 

[Lynnie]

To be honest a lot of classroom based courses use the nail trainer so as this was developed by Essential Nails they obviusly know a lot about the nail industry. I accept that having someone watching your every move is an advantage but as people have pointed out, that isn't always practical. At least with the videos you can go back and watch each step time and time again if necessary and at each step you can send in a nail to EN and ask if it is correct, then they will offer advice on how it could be improved. Plus, by the time that course is finished you are going to have completed a LOT of nails so although you wouldn't have worked on a 'real' person you would in many ways have more experience.

A friend of mine took a classroom course, it lasted for one day, she did one set of nails and that was it, she passed. It's a LOT harder to gain a qualification with EN and I think that deserves immense respect.

 

[NoLimitNails]

I was speaking of the quality courses, not the one day ones (which as you can read on here, aren't the favourites either) Yes they use the trainer hand, but as far as I'm aware they don't use it all the time, at some point they start on real people, and I don't care how many emails you can send to EN, they still cannot watch you and correct the way you hold the brush and those things.

I have spend money on an EN course, and tbh I didn't bother sending it in, as I couldn't see the point? I could produce a decent nail, no doubt, but I couldn't make it last on the real nail, the trainer hand couldn't tell me that it hurt like hell when I filed on it (to fast) or that I had overblended to be sure I had no blend line.

The tutor on my CND course could, and every time I have a problem I can call them, mail them and on top of that I can bring my model to training nights, so someone can HAVE A LOOK at where I go wrong, and then correct me because they can see it in seconds, and that's the whole point, have somebody look at what you do, saves a heck of a lot of work and loosing clients, instead of mailing back and forth (or calling) trying to explain something, it would take an instructor to see in a second...

I have respect for those who make it work with only the EN, but truth is than nearly nobody does, often they spend more money on training another place just like I did...

 

[Kaytee]

Hi Every one,

I'm new to this..

I have never had any training in acrylic nails at all. However I have been doing acrylic nails for about 2 years. I have taught my self using internet resourses etc. At the moment I only do my friends nails as I dont have any insurance or qualifications. I do however want to start my own business in nails, which will need qualifications and insurance. I have often thought about doing a EN course to get that.

I have to agree with what a lot of you are saying about using it as a stepping stone, and how you need someone there to tell you if you are doing it wrong - not just a voice at the end of a phone or email.

I also have to agree with the fact that a lot of people can't do courses with live tutors. I my self have a full time job and live quite far from my nearest college, I also can't drive. - This makes EN a more conveniant course.

If you are happy about taking the risk of doing an EN course then by all means do it. I'm happy to do it, or at least give it a try. If I don't do this course then I have to save up so i can afford the travel and to take time out of work to do this. I also have to think about timing issues, alot of college based course are run over a certain amount of week on a certain day. The beauty of the course is that you do it when you can, and when you want.

Just another note, alot of my friends that work in a local salon have got an EN qualification - its not always looked down on.

Hope you come to the right decision for you

 

[Christine72]

I think it is important to learn from a qualified teacher, with experience. Essentialnails.com doesn't give you that. I think it would be better to be able to ask right there and then, so you don't build any bad habits...

Saying that, so many 'schools' now don't have qualified teachers and there courses aren't even accredited - which is just plain ridiculous.

 

[shedunlop]

A lot of people start out this way and do very well in the industry. Most of them realise that whichever training course you do it is just the beginning of your career and you will do many courses as and when you need them and your circumstances allow.

I have seen techs who have trained this way, some are great and some are awful, I have also seen techs who have trained with tutors, even one to one and have been great or awful.

I would go ahead, you will get insurance through The Guild who are reputable. Use a good quality product, read as much as you can on here and do some follow up training as and when you can.

Good luck my darling I wish you the best in your career.

 

[LucieLocket]

Hi all,
I know this is a very old thread, but I am looking to do an EN course (Complete Nail Technician) and as lots of people above, have been doing research into it.
I have found very conflicting reviews, and was wondering if anyone who has posted previously has completed the courses they were unsure about doing, and what they thought?
My only reservation is the cost- currently £699 for Spa Manicure and Pedicure, Gel Nail Extensions and UV Gel Polish- is this reasonable?
I'm not interested in getting into the 'Politics' of home based learning verses an actual physical course (I have exhausted every avenue of going to college to complete this and my only option is Home Learning)
I am not looking to work in a Salon, I would like to do mobile Nails in my spare time.I would really appreciate any guidance and advice from people who have done the course.
Thanks in advance

 

[mrsj03]

I find this whole thread judgmental and poorly researched.

There is a definite stench of superiority going on. Those of you criticizing Essential Nails do not seem to understand all the course entails. The videos and the big book you get are very detailed, you can also call EN at any time for help and you can email them every day if you want with a close-up pic of your nail and they guide you through any errors they see.
You HAVE to send in a nail at every single step of the way so you send in a prepped nail, then a tipped nail making sure you have blended the tip perfectly, you go on doing this adding more and more nails until your last lot are a full hand finished properly with absolutely no signs of cuticle damage and a decent apex. They are VERY strict and regularly fail people and encourage everyone to contact them for pointers on how to improve on problem areas at each stage.
There is also absolutely no problem obtaining insurance when you are trained by them, so I have no idea where on earth that silly comment originated from!
As with ALL professions, everyone should be doing ongoing training to stay up to date with new information and techniques, so why wouldn't EN trained nail techs do the same? Ridiculous to even give a whiff of a suggestion that they wouldn't. They are no less likely to do further training than someone trained in person!

I have been trained in person and by EN and they are no different EXCEPT for the fact that the trainer is there at the time for you to ask questions, the only difference with EN is that you have to ring and email pics of your work for feedback!

There are some amazing nail techs on youtube who trained through EN Miss Lucy being one of them. So go and look at her work and tell me she isn't professional AND Kirsty Meakin (also on YouTube) is one of the trainers that helped put the course together and she is a trained Educator and won LOADS of awards, her work is stunning.
I got more step by step training from the EN videos and phone/email support than I got doing my Nursing Degree at University, everyone needs to practice whatever the training just like setting up iv's and injecting people, we all get better at our jobs and skills with practice and a lot of people just cannot take time out to travel to do a course so this way is perfect.

Just because 1 person finds in-person training better than the video course does not mean it is for everyone and it doesn't mean it is rubbish if you don't contact them and ask for help, then you aren't using all resources available to you.

 

[Noodle]

I find this whole thread judgmental and poorly researched.

There is a definite stench of superiority going on. Those of you criticizing Essential Nails do not seem to understand all the course entails. The videos and the big book you get are very detailed, you can also call EN at any time for help and you can email them every day if you want with a close-up pic of your nail and they guide you through any errors they see.
You HAVE to send in a nail at every single step of the way so you send in a prepped nail, then a tipped nail making sure you have blended the tip perfectly, you go on doing this adding more and more nails until your last lot are a full hand finished properly with absolutely no signs of cuticle damage and a decent apex. They are VERY strict and regularly fail people and encourage everyone to contact them for pointers on how to improve on problem areas at each stage.
There is also absolutely no problem obtaining insurance when you are trained by them, so I have no idea where on earth that silly comment originated from!
As with ALL professions, everyone should be doing ongoing training to stay up to date with new information and techniques, so why wouldn't EN trained nail techs do the same? Ridiculous to even give a whiff of a suggestion that they wouldn't. They are no less likely to do further training than someone trained in person!

I have been trained in person and by EN and they are no different EXCEPT for the fact that the trainer is there at the time for you to ask questions, the only difference with EN is that you have to ring and email pics of your work for feedback!

There are some amazing nail techs on youtube who trained through EN Miss Lucy being one of them. So go and look at her work and tell me she isn't professional AND Kirsty Meakin (also on YouTube) is one of the trainers that helped put the course together and she is a trained Educator and won LOADS of awards, her work is stunning.
I got more step by step training from the EN videos and phone/email support than I got doing my Nursing Degree at University, everyone needs to practice whatever the training just like setting up iv's and injecting people, we all get better at our jobs and skills with practice and a lot of people just cannot take time out to travel to do a course so this way is perfect.

Just because 1 person finds in-person training better than the video course does not mean it is for everyone and it doesn't mean it is rubbish if you don't contact them and ask for help, then you aren't using all resources available to you.

Thank you for your input, but bearing in mind this thread was first created over 11 years ago, with its most recent post being 3 years ago, opinions may have either changed, or stayed the same.

By the way, the OP has also been absent since 2010.