GEL nails

[thenaillounge]

I have to agree with Jane, all Gels are Beautiful so long as they are applied correctly and backed up with the apropriate training. I use IBD and think its fab, had a client come in for an infill (had been away for four weeks) there was not even a touch of lifting, a real pleasure for both her and me.

 

[geeg]

I have alwas liked IBD and LCN and Akzents and a few others but to say ALL are beautiful is just not true, they're not for the reasons mentioned in my post above. You have mentioned a couple of high end lines what about all the low end lines out there? Definitely NOT beautiful.

 

[PLAOH]

Although I offer Backscratchers acrylic and Fibreglass, all of my clients have gel. I have tried several different gels but IBD is the one that I found the best. It is strong but flexible, great to work with and my clients have no lifting at all.

A new client had gel two weeks ago. Went back to do her rebalance and she had no lifting and hadn't lost one and she has EIGHT children (one being 5 week old) so her hands are constantly in water.

Hope this helps.
Kind Regards

 

[Karen_SCV]

I’ve sat & watched this thread and gone through every range of emotions from interest to indignation.

Geeg:
Most of us on the site only use one type of gel, some have tried a few and we give our feedback on a question like the one Heather asked but as often happens on the site we finish up being shot down by you. I know you are passionate about all Creative products but this site is supposed to be non product related and non biased. Why, when this sort of question comes up, can you not give answers which cover the broad spectrum of knowledge you have?

To say “Brisa is absolutely different from other gels in its chemical make up, also the way it looks (beautiful) and it is strong.” reads that all other gels are ugly and weak. This is not true and was a very misleading statement. Yes, I agree, that there are gels at the lower end of the market that are not so nice, but that is true of anything, buy cheap & nasty, get cheap & nasty in my book. There are many nice gels on the market and requests for help in deciding how do chose between them when you are trying them out for the first time should not always have to boil down to a speech on Brisa.

Several times in the thread you refer to your vast experience with many different gels (which we do not dispute) but you never give any generic comments on choosing between them you just go straight into a sales pitch on Brisa, and not until much later in the thread did you mention any other brand than Brisa.
With all you experience why can you not explain to people when these questions come up how gels differ in type, consistency, methods of use and explain the things they need to consider and ask at shows to help them make a decision?


Heather:
I cannot comment on many gels as I have only worked with BioSculpture. I wore Bio as a client for 5 years & fell in love with it then so when I became a nail technician it was naturally one of the top contenders on my list of gel options. It’s a lovely gel to work with although some do not like its runny consistency but getting to grips with that is very quickly mastered. One of the biggest things I loved about it was that it involves no buffing of the nail plate before application and if needing removing for any reason it can be soaked off. It looks lovely & I have never experienced yellowing of the product. I sculpt with it & the sculpting gel looks so natural that after I recently had to sculpt a couple of nails for a friend as she had broken them (still not got the hang of the filing cabinet WITH longer nails yet :lol: ) she looked down at her hands with just the clear overlay on and was amazed that she could not tell which 2 were the sculpts. It is quite an expensive gel, comparable in price only to Calgel but I feel it is well worth its cost. If you are going to the show at Excel or G-Mex there will be a whole bunch of people on the Bio stand demonstrating the gel and they are always very helpful if you have questions. Why not go to one of the shows with natural nails & get a trial nail done at each of the gel demos going on? It will certainly give you a good comparison & 1-2-1 time with a technician skilled in each gel so you can ask lots of questions.

Well that was a long post from me & now I will either got shot down in flames (again) or this thread will die as after the earlier days when I managed to get flamed in a couple of threads I seem to have got cut out of the loop by it & most threads I post on don’t go very far after I have spoken, hense I dont comment on much any more :lol:. But now I am broaching onto another subject & should really visit the other “hot topic” thread of the moment & get myself potentially flamed in there as well.

 

[geeg]

I’ve sat & watched this thread and gone through every range of emotions from interest to indignation.

Geeg:
Most of us on the site only use one type of gel, some have tried a few and we give our feedback on a question like the one Heather asked but as often happens on the site we finish up being shot down by you. I know you are passionate about all Creative products but this site is supposed to be non product related and non biased. Why, when this sort of question comes up, can you not give answers which cover the broad spectrum of knowledge you have?

To say “Brisa is absolutely different from other gels in its chemical make up, also the way it looks (beautiful) and it is strong.” reads that all other gels are ugly and weak. This is not true and was a very misleading statement. Yes, I agree, that there are gels at the lower end of the market that are not so nice, but that is true of anything, buy cheap & nasty, get cheap & nasty in my book. There are many nice gels on the market and requests for help in deciding how do chose between them when you are trying them out for the first time should not always have to boil down to a speech on Brisa.

Several times in the thread you refer to your vast experience with many different gels (which we do not dispute) but you never give any generic comments on choosing between them you just go straight into a sales pitch on Brisa, and not until much later in the thread did you mention any other brand than Brisa.
With all you experience why can you not explain to people when these questions come up how gels differ in type, consistency, methods of use and explain the things they need to consider and ask at shows to help them make a decision?


Heather:
I cannot comment on many gels as I have only worked with BioSculpture. I wore Bio as a client for 5 years & fell in love with it then so when I became a nail technician it was naturally one of the top contenders on my list of gel options. It’s a lovely gel to work with although some do not like its runny consistency but getting to grips with that is very quickly mastered. One of the biggest things I loved about it was that it involves no buffing of the nail plate before application and if needing removing for any reason it can be soaked off. It looks lovely & I have never experienced yellowing of the product. I sculpt with it & the sculpting gel looks so natural that after I recently had to sculpt a couple of nails for a friend as she had broken them (still not got the hang of the filing cabinet WITH longer nails yet :lol: ) she looked down at her hands with just the clear overlay on and was amazed that she could not tell which 2 were the sculpts. It is quite an expensive gel, comparable in price only to Calgel but I feel it is well worth its cost. If you are going to the show at Excel or G-Mex there will be a whole bunch of people on the Bio stand demonstrating the gel and they are always very helpful if you have questions. Why not go to one of the shows with natural nails & get a trial nail done at each of the gel demos going on? It will certainly give you a good comparison & 1-2-1 time with a technician skilled in each gel so you can ask lots of questions.

Well that was a long post from me & now I will either got shot down in flames (again) or this thread will die as after the earlier days when I managed to get flamed in a couple of threads I seem to have got cut out of the loop by it & most threads I post on don’t go very far after I have spoken, hense I dont comment on much any more :lol:. But now I am broaching onto another subject & should really visit the other “hot topic” thread of the moment & get myself potentially flamed in there as well.

I would like to ask one simple question. Why can everyone else talk and rave about the products they use and they are NOT biased, but I can not talk or rave about the products I use because I AM biased?

Now I am not going to shoot you down or flame you or any of the other choice phrases that you like to use for any comments I may make, but not others.

I cannot in every post explain my background and experience in order to give credibility to my remarks. I have filled in my profile and people can lookif they want to see my credentials.

I have posted turorials and articles that explain in minute detail why and how Brisa Gels differ from others and why they are in many ways superior technology. There muist be over 50-60 questions about Brisa Gels answered in those tutorials that are there for everyone to read if they are sufficiently interested. It would be quite boring for every post I make to justify every remark by giving out all the same old information.

Just because I think that Brisa is incredibly beautiful and strong etc etc does not mean that I am saying that all other gels are weak and ugly ... I am sorry but that is the way YOU choose to read it and you do not speak for all of the members on this site.

You could have pm'd me with this diatribe as the Geek has asked (only yesterday) or you can make another thread turn ugly on the site by trying to make me look like the bad guy ...

If my remarks are such a problem to everyone then perhaps you can all pm the geek and ask for me to be banned from posting. If this is what the majority want, then I will stop putting the hours in that I do to hopefully help and encourage and instruct the many who ask for help (and I have had hundreds of pm's thanking me just for doing this). But I do not think that I am doing anything any differently to anyone else by mentioning and praising the products I use. If you don't like me doing this ... if somehow it offends you, then don't bother to read my posts at all. Just like the nasty films on TV ... you don't have to watch them.

Pm me if you want to have a go ... that would really be more polite and more constructive all around.

 

[Lellipop]

Hiya All,
Just saw this thread about 5 minutes ago and do feel that I have to comment on it.
Many months ago when we had trouble with Mr Nag, We were informed that this site was not a Creative Site but a site that all nail techs could access for advice and info.
I myself am a great believer in free speech and do think that if a member is not using creative products, So be it, They should not feel that they can't post because they will be slated for what they use.
Karen is a Bio Sculptor user which is an extremely good brand of gel, I do not feel that her post was written in a nasty way, But just pointed out that why when this site isn't a creative site can't techs post about all brands used without feeling that they will be belittled.

 

[jester]

I think that this is another case of reading things in different ways. I personally thought that the post from geeg was a statement of her opinion, just like everyone else has presented opinions on IBD etc.

I think that some of the problem is that we know geeg is associated with Creative and so assume she is being (for want of a better word) biased.

I value her posts as an informed opinion on Creative products.

I think that Geegs knowledge is invaluable and I follow her posts closely. It would be beneficial for people with as high a level of knowledge from The Edge, Akzents, IBD etc etc to be viewing posts as often as she does and making their own comments on techniques using their products. This would enable us all to really get to know the products that we use or may be considering using.

 

[novo]

Ok, well I must admit had always felt I was the only one not using Brisa or CNd trained but feel ok now having been following the thread. Well I use IBD mainly and I love it, my clients are converting like crazy people. I have had very little to no problem with soaking off (I use individual soakers). Very little if any lifting too ( some tips are better than others tho). But do agree get along to excel or similar and try the products. I intend to try more when I get there on 6th. Have a bash and see what you think, You will pay the outlay for the ones you think your customers will love and benefit from and provide a good service with.
pam xx

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Whilst I agree that Gigi is very passionate about Brisa and Creative products and can get a little over enthusiastic about promoting it (!) I think that having read all the posts so far (and the other thread about "thinking before we post") that we have all got caught up in other issues and we need to get back to the point that Heather originally asked.

Heather, gel is very popular as you can see (Creative wouldn't have invested all that money in Brisa if gels were never used - LCN won't even supply l&p into this country so SOMEONE must be using gel - me lol), it's all about confidence in your product and in your ability to apply it - and which clients it would be better for over l&p. As has been stated there are a good number of gels on the market, but as you asked about Brisa and NSI, then I can state from experience that Brisa is a good gel (for the reasons that Gigi has already posted), but I have never experienced NSI so I can't cpmment.

AS I SAID BEFORE - if you want to offer it as a service along side l&p then it must have substantial differences to it which is why I recommended a non-soak off gel (ie non porous) so you can offer this to peeps with their hands in water a lot (ie swimmers, hairdressers, mums with youg children etc). LCN is one of these gels as is Brisa (correct me someone if I am wrong).

Please guys I am not knocking the other products mentioned so don't think I am knocking your product, so please don't have a go at me, I'm just trying to reply to Heather and give HER my opinion. Let's all get back to the point lol! (as Darius said - Can you feel the love in the room? lol)

 

[Up To Scratch]

Hi

Well well well, what have you started here? Only joshing - lol :lol:

This all goes to show just how passionate every1 on here is about nails - not just Geeg. And for Geeg to feel that her constructive, vastly experienced and extremely valuable opinion may no longer be required is a true shame. I agree that certain points that are made may come across a little strong but we are ALL guilty of that - myself included :o - and again, this just goes to show how passionate we all are.

Anyhoo, back to my opinion, for what it's worth... I am a Backscratchers technician and my main business is Sheeer Magic China Silk Natural Nail Wraps. I also offer extensions using their Glass Glaze Fibreglass system and their Extreme Powder Glaze Acrylic. I have, however, recently been toying with the idea of an additional system and Gel would have to be the most profitable option as L&P acrylic systems have - very unfortunately - got an unpleasant reputation in my area of late. :sad:

I am going to the show @ GMEX in October and will be particularly interested in looking at (& hopefully trying out!) IBD, Biosculpture and Brisa - as these are the gels I have had the most positive feedback on over the last few months.

I know I'm not providing an experienced opinion, but - as someone in the "same boat" as you - I hope this helps.

xx

 

[Deb379]

Hi there

I was thinking of trying bio sculpture because you can soak them off, I'm not too sure about this buffing off, surely you could damage the natural nail buffing off?

Deb379

 

[Up To Scratch]

Hi there

I was thinking of trying bio sculpture because you can soak them off, I'm not too sure about this buffing off, surely you could damage the natural nail buffing off?

Deb379

Nice one Deb379,

I must say, this is one of my concerns too... help pls...?

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Buffing off is a problem and my first few sets were a nightmare. But you soon get to know what is nail and what is gel and I don't ever over file into the nail plate - just like you wouldn't when filing back lifting etc with other products. In fact I usually leave a thin layer of gel on so that it protects the nail as it grows out. Hope this answers your concerns peeps!

 

[perfect10kb]

Hi ,


Like to put my two penneth worth into this thread if I may. When choosing a gel system you have two sorts . soakable and non soakable . The non soakable gels tend to be a bit more flexibel and not quite as hard as the non soakable . As far as I am aware (please someone correct me if I am wrong)
the two main soakable gels are Calgel and Bio Sculpture. There are numerous non soakable including LCN,Light Elegance ,NSI,Star,IBD,Brisa ect ect .

When choosing a gel system if you go for a soakable or non soakable will be a matter of preference . If you need to remove a non soakable gel then NO you will not damage the natural nail as long as you do this properly .You are best to leave a very thin layer of gel on . Filing the gels off comes with practice . I have to say though that if applied correctly there are few occasions when this needs to be done . the majority of my clients will only request a new set maybe once a year .


I choose Light Elegance as my gel system beacause it does have more than just a self levelling gel It has both self levelling and sculpting gels plus a variety of different gels to suit differing needs such as clients with weak very flexible nails and hypoallergenic gels . I wanted a system that gave me flexibility with my clients and one that could be used over tips or to sculpt with


Decide what you want from your system and then do your research for ones that meets your requirments .

Hope that you have found this of some help :biggrin:

Kind Regards
Karen

 

[Heather111]

OH MY GOD....what have I started???? Just like to say that I've got excellent info from everyone who answered my post THANK YOU. Sorry for the hassle it may have caused. Thanks to Geeg, as like Jester said I always follow her posts and find them invaluable. Thanks to Karen SCV also for making me aware that there are many gels out there to choose from.....

Cheer up guys its the weekend and I'm off on holiday tomorrow!!!!!!