Where to start?

[ALEX]

Hi guys!
Just wondered if you could help me? I am just contemplating getting all the equipment to start nail art airbrushing. Could anybody give any advice on a brand to go with or a course to go on. I don't want to do the tattoo's with the machine or the tan - just nails. Also does anybody have an estimate of how much it would cost to get everything you need to be able to airbrush? If you already have the equipment do you think it is possible to make your money back with the customer demand for the service?
Thanks for your time!

 

[bimbogeri]

I've just bought a kit, I got it from Ebay, but it is the home nails kit as sold on www.airbrushes.com. I'm not sure how well it would hold up to a lot of regular use (ie, if you're in a salon) but as a newbie with no customers so far I thought it would be a good place to start. I probably intend doing my french manicures with the airbrush, so as I charge £2.50 on top of a manicure price for a french polish, then say it would take 100 manicures to make back £250 worth of equipment. So far I've only spent £135, (I think the kit to buy is £170?), but will spend more on masks and other colours of paint. It's worth not only looking at the prices your local salons charge for nail art but also seeing if you can find out how popular it is. My personal instinct is that french finishes and colour blends are likely to be most popular in my area rather than lots of fiddly designs, so that will help keep your costs down, but it depends what will fly in your area I guess. It's possible I'll also end up spending money on a course as well, depending on how I feel I get on with it on my own, so it's worth factoring that in as well.
Good luck!

 

[ALEX]

Thanks very much for that detailed reply!

 

[vicky]

Hi Alex

If you buy the airbrushing equipment from capital plus a few paints your looking at about £320. The out lay is expensive but you should make it back quite quickly. I would advise doing a course tho, its not as easy as it looks...very messy..lol

Vicky x

Hi guys!
Just wondered if you could help me? I am just contemplating getting all the equipment to start nail art airbrushing. Could anybody give any advice on a brand to go with or a course to go on. I don't want to do the tattoo's with the machine or the tan - just nails. Also does anybody have an estimate of how much it would cost to get everything you need to be able to airbrush? If you already have the equipment do you think it is possible to make your money back with the customer demand for the service?
Thanks for your time!

 

[Saffirez]

I would recommend buying and training with Melle at All Things Nails ( www.allthingsnails.co.uk - check out the airbrushed nails on her site!). I bought my airbrush stuff before I knew about Melle or I would have got everything through her. I have bought stuff since and trained with her and it has made a massive difference to my airbrushing skills! Plus, if I have a question then she is more than happy to help with any query. I personally feel that if i hadn't done tanning with my machine as well, then it would have taken me ages to cover the cost of the compressor etc. The tanning paid for everything quite quickly.

 

[mum]

Hi Alex
You could definately make your outlay back! Offering french and blends is a good way to start (as suggested before). If you promote it well and wear it most of your clients will give it a go.

However, I do have a downside comment :sad:. Airbrushing is a practical skill and, to do it well, takes time. If you are going to charge your clients for the service then your skill at it (including time taken) should be very good.

Don't even try without a course. The hardest thing with airbrushing (and the one that so many people give up on because they think their airbrush is broken!!!!) is knowing how to keep it clean. Sounds silly but so many airbrushes get sent back as faulty and rarely are.

If you did a course now and spend every spare moment practising you may (just) be ready to get going just before Christmas.

Outlay lost always happens to those who think it is just about buying the equipment, setting it up, spraying and waiting for the money to roll in. I think it is a big a decision and commtiment to make as starting with artificial nails.

Good luck. If you take the plunge and do it right, you'll love it. It might even make you liles better than your nearest competitor

Marian

 

[TotallyObsessed]

Hi, Essential Nails do a home course, which includes everything you need, and you can either get the course with the hand trainer (which might be a good idea for practise) or without. I think it’s around £399 with HT and £349 without.



[font=&quot]I’m just learning Mani/Pedi at the moment so have a very very long way to go before I even think about Nail Art :sad:, still I just have to be patient and concentrate on one thing at a time and fingers crossed I do well and enjoy it all .

[font=&quot]Good luck and let us all know how you get on :biggrin:.[/font][/font]

 

[red ice]

Hi Alex,
Speak to Chocolate (Rachel Myatt) at K-Sa-Ra. She runs courses and sells all equipment necessary. You can get her on 0208 300 0860 or www.netnails.net.
You will love her courses, they are a blast!
Good luck.
Lisa @ red:ice 9

 

[vicky]

And you should no Lisa...Your Rachels side kick..! These 2 are the best in the business Alex...The course is great and youl meet other geeks too..!

Vicky x

Hi Alex,
Speak to Chocolate (Rachel Myatt) at K-Sa-Ra. She runs courses and sells all equipment necessary. You can get her on 0208 300 0860 or www.netnails.net.
You will love her courses, they are a blast!
Good luck.
Lisa @ red:ice 9

 

[ALEX]

Thanks for all the good and honest advice! Think im gonna take the plunge!

 

[JackieMc]

Well everyone has given you good advice on training so I won't bother harping on about that (but it really IS important to do some training, and with a real person as opposed to a video as you can aks questions there and then).

Regarding equipment, I used Badger and Iwata airbrushes and an Iwata compressor - they've never let me down. I also prefer Medea paints to Createx as they clean off the skin so much more easily and they have some lovely pinks & reds which are (IMHO) the most popular colours for colour blends etc. Don't spend a fortune on a massive collection of paints - buy your primary colours and then some colours (pinks/reds/lilacs for example), buy a large white and some empty bottles and mix different shades. Don't forget to buy a black paint.

You will find that French manicures and colour blends are the main money makers, and as long as you dont go mad with your initial purchases, you should easily make your money back in not too long a time.

 

[luckybird21]

Hi Alex,
Speak to Chocolate (Rachel Myatt) at K-Sa-Ra. She runs courses and sells all equipment necessary. You can get her on 0208 300 0860 or www.netnails.net.
You will love her courses, they are a blast!
Good luck.
Lisa @ red:ice 9

defo, go to rachel, she is excellent! she was my assesor for my nvq back in july, and lisa knows what shes talking about she was my tutor at the begining of the course, i took at the adult education centre in sittingbourne. And she is a fab technician!

Hi lisa, coz havent seen you since passing, cheers for all your help at the beginning of the course, your nails are fab, and you are fab, it was such a shame that you couldnt complete the course, i for one missed you! and i defo couldnt have passed without all of your help and guidence!

sorry i've spamed this thread!:o

 

[Bryony]

I would recommend training with Melle at All Things Nails ( www.allthingsnails.co.uk - check out the airbrushed nails on her site!). If I have a question then she is more than happy to help with any query.

Amended quote.....

I agree, Melle is fab and the training is second to none - but I see you're in Lancashire... I think she does do some outside London, so do give her a call but you maybe closer to Chocolate...

Although I did my training with Melle I ordered my airbrush from [email protected], an address given by Tara, another geek. I got the Iwata Smart Jet Pro, Primary colour paints pack (10 colours inc. white & black), stencils/masks etc.etc. the kit is available from airbrushes.com but Mike gave a better price. I also recived the kit about 2/3 days after ordering so that was ace too.

I have some Createx paints from my training day wth Melle but these are thicker than the Medea paints and seem to block the Iwata HP-B airbrush I have more easily than the Medea paints.

Melle suggested charging between £7-10 for airbrushing, and to only charge for 10 nails - even if they only want one done, as there is a minimum amount of paint you can get out of the bottle.

Good luck, and DEFINATELY do training. As Marian said about cleaning, my gun has blocked a few times but Melle taught us well and I've beeen able to sort it every time.