What were your nails like? And what helped you?

[Nene]

Oh I absolutely feel the pain, too!

I actually have only been doing nails for a whopping three months, so you can imagine how rubbish my nails are... But it helps me to know that these amazing people on this forum, whose nails I just stare in awe, have been beginners at one point, too. And then by practicing for as long as it takes, they have come where they are now.
I hope that some day, years and years from now, I will be able to actually be proud of a set I´ve done.
That´s my goal, then I know I have maybe actually learned something along the way.

And it helps to know that there are other newbies here, too, who may be struggling with the same problems...
About problem areas - my biggest ones are these: nails waaaayyy too thick, zones 1 and 3 too thick, apex not correctly placed (or in some cases it´s nearly nonexistant ), my nails are uneven, it seems that every nail looks different, and then smile lines... WHAT smiles?

So yeah, a long road ahead. Lucky me, I´m young! :green:

Also, my educator at CND told me to now practice and practice, and whenever I feel like it, I can go there and for example perform a rebalance on my own nails. She (or someone there) will actually be there with me and help me, give me hints and tell me what I should focus on. All this for free!
Maybe you could find someone who could help you along your way?

xx

EDIT:

Also, I think it is very important to have a supportive network of colleagues. This is why I feel I am very lucky to have found this forum. Here people are supportive and critique is constructive, not destructive.

Here where I live, the competition is tight and people seem to want to help no one but themselves.
For example, I had a more experienced nail tech telling me off about how dare I charge people for my work, and if it was her, I would have to pay for her to let me do her nails! I was very upset and tried to explain her that even though my nails are nowhere near pure perfection at this point and I have very little experience under my belt, I still have happy clients who come back to me.

Also, as CND products aren´t exactly cheap, and I do have pride in my work no matter how in the beginning I am, I do not work free of charge for months until my nails look "professional enough". (She by the way uses a very cheap brand, which is another generic one, and also asked me if I am a little slow to pay so much for high-end products...) Well, I will let her attitude and comments alone speak for themselves.
That cheeky cow also dared to offer training me (as according to her, my training has been utter bull****). Well, let´s just say, she´d have to pay ME to even meet her in person, let alone train me with lack of respect like that...

 

[alpina]

I have always had a natural ability with a brush. My mother was a highly trained artist and my 3 brothers are also very artistic in all sorts of different genres; so we had a head start with our genes BUT my nails really became beautiful and natural looking when I was lucky enough to meet a mentor named Barbara Griggs. Barbara used to do all the posters for CND and I looked at them endlessly and tried to copy her work.

When I met her at a training I was in awe. Never thought she'd give a newbie like me the time of day. All the educators for CND were so close and had worked together for years and who the hell was I? the new kid on the block. But I was part of the Creative family.

Well Barbara took me under her wing. Taught me how to carve out a lower arch, taught me how to use the 'line of light', taught me many many techniques. It is important to learn how to use those techniques and to develop my creative eye. Allot of them I describe in my book 'nailclass'.

I will forever be grateful to her for her generous time. Years later I did the nails for an important add campaign and some posters for Creative and she told me she was so proud. That meant the world to me.

You will get where you want to go with determination and hard work. :hug:

I could stare at Geeg's solar oil poster for hours and not get bored (The on of the hand with the oil running over it). IMO, those nails are the ultimate acheivement and they are the nails I judge my own work from.

So obviously, everytime I do a set of nails I think they are the most disgusting ugly vile things I have ever seen. I was also lucky enough to have a great teacher who did fantastic nails - so I had very high expectations from the start.

I've been doing nails full time for two years now but up untill a few months ago I was only charging half price for my sets. I was also telling potential clients not to expect too much from me because I still couldn't do nice looking nails.:smack: :o It was only when my old teacher made me do a nail on her then kicked me in the butt for my lack of confidence that I could begin to see my nails for what they really were - I need improvement still of course but my work is nothing to be ashamed of.

I guess my point is that it WILL happen - practise, practise, practise! And take lots of photos of your work with the date on them. When you look back you will be amazed to see how far you've come.

 

[Northern Nails]

Hiya geeks,

As some of you may know im new to nail enhancements and im struggling my nails seem to not be upto scratch yet.

A question for you all is, when you first started out with nail enhancements what were your nails like? (In your own opinion)

And what helped you improve your skills to become a good nail technician?

xx

OMG!! Mine were horrendous. When i was training thet were like bricks it took me 3 hours to do 1 set!!

I found looking at pictures of nails e.g. Geeg, worked for me. And knowing that the more acrylic i applied the more filing making more work

 

[gemmat]

I went on the Calgel course in January and find the gel so difficult to work with. I dont do any nail extensions at all so am a complete novice with this. Im sure I didnt even get told where zone 1 2 and 3 are! apex?? Im sure I cant have forgotton all of this?

I have no confidence at all but i know I havent practiced enough. Its finding the time with 2 young kids. Im begining to think maybe I should have started with acrylic as they seem to easier to work with?

What do you think? xx

 

[Violet Star]

Its lovely that there is so much support here it just makes everything seem so much better knowing i have experienced , kind people to turn to.

It does become frustrating when your trying to reach a standard and your not getting there, i have been forever looking at geeg's pictures (beautiful) and trying to get my nails to look like those.

Will keep cracking on and working my ass off to get there.

xx