Your Nails Magazine Issue 21

ISSUE NO. 21 (2/2016) • €7.62 / £5.99 • YOURNAILSMAG.COM

the

experience difference

The Most Exciting Networking Events For Nail Techs Which You Can’t Afford To Miss!!

Talons 'n Salons to educate and serve the Industry

Dublin Portlaoise Limerick Cork www.talonsnsalons.com Talonsnsalons @talonsnsalons

#ForEveryWoman Semi Permanent MAKE UP

by PROVOC

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To order please go to www.dreambeauty.ie

CONTENTS APRIL 2016

COVER LOOK: Sponsored by Bio Sculpture

the

experience difference

35

FROM THE EXPERTS 24 48 57 60 69 70 73 78

FROM THE FOOT EXPERT - Irina Ivanova ASK YOUR NAIL EXPERT - Doug Schoon MASTERING NAIL STYLING - Paulina Pastuszak IMPORTANCE OF A WEBSITE - Darragh Bourke HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON NATURAL NAIL CARE NAIL PEEPS Q & A CASE STUDY by Tatiana Litvinov WOMEN IN BUSINESS - Bettina Bordas

ABOUT 10 18 29 34 41 55 63

FAN BOARD NAIL STYLIST SPOTLIGHT - Amie Pike INTERVIEW WITH...Ilona Konsek MY STORY - Kristy Homolya DIVINE DIGITS - Salon Review KAROLINA TALKS TO...Shirlee Ann Kerr TATIANA LITVINOV - World Nail Champion

TRENDING 30 BEST NAIL ART SNAPCHAT ACCOUNTS - Jodie Edwards 35 COVER STORY by Karolina Boczek 63 ROCK THOSE PANTONE COLOURS

MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTORS UK Gemma Lambert The Nail Team Newstand.co.uk www.newstand.co.uk Cherylea Hammer Australian Distributor Mobile: 0410-600-341 wickednails1@gmail.com cherylea.hammer Ireland Easons Ireland & Easons Northern Ireland Find a full list on our website www.yournailsmag.com/ distribution YourNails magazine is also available through some product suppliers.

Ask your local supplier for details.

www.nailandbeauty.ie www.shop.diamondnails.ie Available directly from: Catherine Nail Collection, Clonmel NSI Hair Nail and Beauty, Dublin Crystal Nails, Dublin FREE copies available for students in most colleges. Ask your educator for details.

Discontinued copies available on Apple devices for purchase

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The only way to Natural Looking Nails

WWW.BRILLBIRDIRELAND.COM

BRILLBIRDCORK@GMAIL.COM

Contents

71 30

63

NEWS 12 14 16 22

WHAT’S UP...in the news WHERE...in the world TALONS N SALONS Networking Events Calendar IRISH BEAUTY SHOW REPORT

PRODUCTS SPOTLIGHT 20 27 39 65 68

EDITOR’S CHOICE NEW PRODUCTS SUMMER COLOURS AIRBRUSH REVIEW EDITOR’S PRODUCT REVIEW

STEP BY STEPS 20 21 26 40 44 64 59 62 69 72

SUMMER FLIRT - Ilona Konsek SIP OF WINE - Ilona Konsek SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL by Karolina Boczek ONE STROKE FLOWER by Gemma Lambert LAVENDER PEARL - Iryna Miakotina CREATIVE RAINBOW - Ellada Lutsenko ANGRY LOVE - Agnes Lassa CHROME BOUQUET - Leighanne Skilton PERFECT RED MANICURE CASE STUDY - Karolina Boczek

PHOTO GALLERIES 45 TALONS ‘N SALONS CHRISTMAS PARTY REPORT 50 YOUR NAILS GALLERY 8

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY ARTISAN ...................................... 33 www.artisaninternational.ie BIOSCULPTURE ...1, 33, 35, 36, 37 www.biosculpture.ie BRILLBIRD ....................................... 7 www.brillbirdireland.com CRYSTAL NAILS .............. 15, 33, 39 www.crystalnailsireland.com ESTETIK ..........................................79 Busch and Baehr www.estetik.ie EXCELLENT NAILS .......................32 www.excellentnails.ie INDIGO .................................... 9, 33 www.indigonails.ie JESSICA ....................................... 39 MISS CAT NAILS ......................... 33 NAIL PARADISE ...........................11 PROVOC .............................. 4, 5, 80 www.dreambeauty.ie This Ad index is provided as a courtesy to YOUR NAILS advertisers.

The publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions

Indigo Nails Lab Ireland 30 Castle Street Sligo Co. Sligo 071-9144654 www.indigonails.ie office@indigonails.ie

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mis I am new to this magaz ine but I really love it and will b e continuin to read it x g good job!

Kellym Daly Will always be delighte d to say I designed th e nails for th e first ever Your Nails mag cover.

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I love this m agazine! Kar olina is amazing & so professio nal x

News

ews n e h t ... in TALONS ’N SALONS A SUCCESS On the 17th January at the Talons’nSalons Christmas Party event in Portlaoise 35 nail technicians took part in a nail art mixed media course with World Nail Art Champion Paulina Pastuszak from Poland.

Paulina presented 5 nail designs which included mirror effect, sweater effect and also sugar effect. The girls were awarded with certificates and the event was followed up with an Awards night and party. The next Talon’nSalons Christmas Party is scheduled for 15th January 2017.

WORLD NAIL CHAMPION IN IRELAND FLIRT WITH SHELLAC

On the 23rd & 24th January, Tatiana Litvinov, Wold Nail Champion 2015 visited Dublin to give 2 days of training. Tatiana showed the girls how to perfectly create a winning pink and white and also presented the technique of how to create shapes like almond, pipe and stiletto in both gel and acrylic.

SPARKLE AND TWINKLE WITH LECENTÉ™

There’s an electricity of unspoken attraction in the air. Evoke a subtle, sensual femininity with the new Flirtation Collection from CND. A palette of soft yet bright shades teases at the imagination and makes this collection equal parts coy, confident, and playful.

“This season, sweet, creamy pastels are inspired by modern lace and embroidery for a delicate and refined glamour,” says CND Co-founder and Style Director Jan Arnold. “Nails will be slim oval glazed with tender shades of coral and lilac, blushed with the spark of deepening allure. Flirtation’s code allows you to be irresistible.”

Available at www.sweetsquared.com

Sparkle and twinkle this spring with nine brand new, dazzling glitters from industry leaders Lecenté™.

These high quality glitters are designed to be used specifically on nails making them the finest glitters on the market. Use to create elegant full coverage designs or incorporate into nail art to add a little bling to any look. The new collection is made up of three show-stopping multi glitz teamed with six spring-ready glitters. From Diva through to Waterfall these dramatic glitters are sure to steal the spotlight this season. Pair with CND™SHELLAC™ to create the ultimate Rock Star nails! Available at sweetsquared.com 12

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News

world e h t n i ...

VINYLUX WALKS ON THE CATWALK IN LONDON RITA ORA WEARING NUDE KNICKERS Liza Smith - CND Education Ambassador & Session Tech lead a team at the Ralph & Russo Haute Couture show in Paris bumped in to Rita Ora! Rita wore the stunning CND™SHELLAC™ Nude Knickers and praised the team on their amazing work at the show!

PROVOC LANDS IN IRELAND Provoc SemiPermanent Make Up brand distributed in UK by Thalia Distribution & Training Academy has found it’s way to the Irish beauty market through Karolina Boczek, editor of Your Nails Magazine who took this opportunity as a new venture in her career.

“I have decided to set up Dream Beauty Supplies and take on the Provoc make up brand, as it is an amazing long lasting product. I believe all make up artists in Ireland would love waterproof pencils that will satisfy their customers”, says Karolina. Clients had an opportunity to see the products at the Irish Beauty Show in March.

FALL 2016: A UNITY OF STRENGTH, CONFIDENCE AND COMPLEXITY ‘The desire for tranquility, strength, and optimism have inspired a Fall 2016 color palette that is led by the Blue family.

Along with anchoring earth tones, exuberant pops of vibrant colors also appear throughout the collections.

Transcending gender, these unexpectedly vivacious colours in our Fall 2016 palette act as playful but structured departures from your more typical fall shades. Blue skies represent constancy as they are always above us, grays give a feeling of stability, red tones invite confidence and warmth, while the hot Pinkish Purples and Spicy Mustard Yellows suggest a touch of the exotic.’ Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute™ 14

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CND™, the global leader in hand and foot nail styles fashion, has once again collaborated with fashion powerhouse VIN+OMI for their AW16 London Fashion Week show.

The collection, entitled ‘Colourotic’ has been based on CND’s award winning VINYLUX™ Weekly Polish colours and was inspired by the close connection between the two innovative, fashion-forward brands.

The nails all demonstrated the endless possibilities of nail design using CND’s product range. Created by a team of CND™ Education Ambassadors, renowned for their creativity, knowledge and skill level. The talented Runway team consisted of 7 CND Education Ambassadors (Fee Wallace, Kirsti Gammon, Samantha BirkettLeigh, Kayley Cairns, Liza Smith, Jeni Smith, Susan McGirl) and a CND Nail Stylist (Nickie Rhodes-Hill).

from the Editor

Email me! Tell us what you think of our magazine and we will print it in the next issue!

YOU TELL US ... s you want

... we listen and make the change almost gone for I am so glad the wind and rain is the last few for l awfu another year. It has been affected by been have ds moo our months and while, as so a for just it - at least mine has - but New Year the e sinc ened happ have s many thing bring us will year zing that I really believe this ama e. mor so much le, like Paulina I have met so many inspiring peop stmas Party Chri the at t Pastuszak who was a gues in January. e laois Port in ns Salo ns’n Talo edition of I have Also 45. page on You can read the report nov, Litvi na Tatia only and one the finally met 63 for indepth Nail World Champion (see page nicest and the be to ed prov she and ) interview rving of dese ly plete most talented person, com Anita Podoba met also I bt! dou a out with this title gary to teach from Brillbird who came from Hun inspiring t mos the of few a girls us some of designs I have ever seen. world by It seems that nail art has taken the es: foils, niqu tech shed refre or new storm with hidden in lie h whic rs, rhinestones, acrylics, glitte breath fresh nally fi can ers draw our of om the bott designs. Who air and be used again for fantastic

s can change would have thought that a few trick simple and fast a such in art nail do you way the psulating all the way? Not me, as I remember enca layers of gel or thick into s ond diam and rs glitte with acrylic acrylic, trying to cover the mistakes etc. ts pain ed again that At the Irish Beauty Show you prov s in the tech nail d cate you are the most dedi orting, for which supp t mos the also and stry indu I really enjoyed I am so thankful. I must say that stories. They your ing hear and you with ting chat e inspires azin mag the way e inspire me, the sam better nail a and on pers er bett a be to you, technician.

Karolina Boczek, Editor

mag.com contact me at: karolina@yournails

receive updates and Sign up to our newsletter and suppliers! exclusive offers from your fav ailsmag.com urn /yo p:/ htt !

Go to our website N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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Calendar of Events

Talons 'n Salons Networking Events in 2016/17 for all Nail Techs organised by YOUR NAILS Magazine SUNDAY

15

MAY 2016 SUNDAY

21

AUGUST 2016

Talons 'n Salons Spring Break Cork

Talons 'n Salons End of Summer Limerick

SUNDAY

15

JANUARY 2017

Talons 'n Salons Christmas Party

See our website for more details: www.yournailsmag.com 16

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YOUR NAILS

Magazine

ISSUE 21 (2/2016)

Editor-in-chief Karolina Boczek karolina@yournailsmag.com

karolina.boczek

Features Writers Trends Writers

iPad & iPhone App

Jodie Edwards edwardsjodie@live.co.uk Darrah Bourke darragh@dbwebconsultant.com

ISSUE NO. 21

/ £4.99 (2/2016) • €7.62

G.COM • YOURNAILSMA

Foot Care Feature Writer Irina Ivanova estetikirl@gmail.com

Graphic Designers Graphic Designer Judith Kearney admin@yournailsmag.com

Contributors

Ilona Konsek, Gemma Lambert, Doug Schoon,

experienccee differen the

Cover nails by: Bio Sculpture Gel

Amie Pike, Irina Ivanova, Kristy Homolya, Laura McCarthy, Iryna Miakotina, Shirlee Ann Kerr, Ellada Lutsenko, Paulina Pastuszak, Agnes Lassa, Leighanne Skilton, Tatiana Litvinov, Bettina Bordas, Joanna Figasinka, Izabela Kolodziej, Inga Balciunaite, Monika Kedzierska

Editorial Advertising Office 12 Clonile, Old Cratloe Road Caherdavin, Limerick, Ireland Tel. +353 (0) 86 8884936 info@yournailsmag.com

Our new App is available now!

To find out more information regarding our brand new app, please check our facebook page or our website:

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http://yournailsmag.com The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights with regards to copyright of their work. No part of this work covered by copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without written consent of the publisher.

The publisher, contributors, editors and related parties are not responsible in any way for the actions or result taken by any person, organization or any party on the basis of reading information, stories or contributions in this publication, website or related products.

Your Nails Magazine

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT

ON

Amie Pike

Irish National Nail Tournament Overall Winner 2016 How was 2015 for you?

2015 was a great year for me. I had 4 wins in the Nail Championships. UK Salon Nail Top Tech - 3rd place. Ireland competition Pink & White - 1st place. I also entered two pictures in a photographic classic and got 3rd & 2nd! I have also celebrated my first year in business in 2015, which is a great achievement.

What is the best recipe for success in this industry?

My recipe is to never give up, and train your ass off to get what you want, as it's the only way to succeed!

What do you think about Your Nails Magazine, do you think it has benefited the industry?

I think the magazine is great! I think Karolina works her ass off to make it a success!

Any plans for 2016?

At the moment my plans are to take part in as many competitions as possible. I also want to get my own courses out there and set dates for them.

What do you think about the last couple of years in the Irish nail industry ?

The last couple of years have been great.

I think Ireland has come a long way and we are finally getting some big names in to train with. Also the competitions are getting much bigger, which is great.

Can you name a person who has inspired you, who you have met?

My inspiration has to be Emma Harris! I just think she is amazing!!

To me she came out of nowhere and has done so amazingly 18

well in all the competitions she entered. She truly deserved to do well as her work is unreal! I've learnt so much from her!

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What was the best nail trend of 2015?

The best nail trend has definitely been OmbrĂŠ nails! That's all we do in the salon.

What was the worst nail trend of 2015?

Hands down the worst trend was those bubble nails! Which I didn't attempt.

If you could recommend one thing to every nail tech to have, what would it be ?

I would say that no matter how good you are, there is always room to improve. I would recommend that you keep practicing and doing courses so that you keep improving.

Editors Choice

1.

Sip of Wine

Ilona Konsek, NSI Educator Athlone Your Nails Star Award 2015 Winner

2.

3.

4.

1. Create gel extensions in the desired shape using cover pink. File and buff to a smooth surface.

2. Using green, grey and burgundy colour, paint all the nails. You can use gel polish or gel paint. Cure. On the pointy finger draw reversed smile lines using different colours. Cure each line separately. Repeat with a second coat if needed.

3.

Apply a thin coat of top coat.

4. On the index finger decorate the nail with different shapes and coloured rhinestones. Cure. Wipe off the residue or go straight to applying cuticle oil if gel top coat has been used.

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Step by Step

Summer Flirt

Ilona Konsek, NSI Educator Athlone Your Nails Star Award 2015 Winner

To create those colourful summer nails you will need: • • • • •

• • • • •

Pink Gel Polish Nude Gel Polish Black Gel Polish Light and dark blue Gel Polish Yellow Gel Polish

FIRST HAND

SECOND HAND

• First build your nails as usual in the pointy shape.

Shape and buff. Apply different colours to chosen fingers. Draw V shape design on the ring finger with white gel. Cure.

• To make it more interesting paint your other hand in different colours. Draw a heart shaped design on the middle finger and V shaped French tip in blue. Cure.

• On the middle finger be more adventurous with a thin brush draw a woman’s face with black gel polish or gel paint. Apply a second coat to the rest of the nails, fill tip of the ring finger with blue colour.

Cure.

• Apply second coat to the rest of the nails. On the small finger draw heart design and swirls with white gel paint or gel polish. Cure.

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Finish both hands with gel polish top coat.

TANNING

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White gel / gel polish Cover Pink Gel Purple gel polish Pink Glitter gel polish Pastel green gel polish

WA

Irish Beauty Show

It’s

SHOW

Bigger and better than before, the Irish Beauty Show arrived at the RDS, Dublin on the 13th of March and I for one was giddy with anticipation! With over 350 world leading professional brands showcasing tanning, nails, beauty, skincare, haircare, makeup and complimentary therapies, it was the place to be for any beautician or nail tech!

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Having arrived in Dublin on Saturday, and with a great nights sleep I was feeling refreshed and rejuvenated as I headed in the door of the RDS; straight into an absolute Aladdin’s cave of beauty treasures! Not to mention, about 10,000 people! You could feel the excitement in the air, and why wouldn’t you? With live demos from industry experts such as Marissa Carter, Sinead Cady and Charlene Flanagan to name but a few, and of course, the Irish National Nail Tournament Awards it was always going to be a huge success! Spray tans, brows, makeup and nails took over the RDS show space, clearly giving the industry what it is craving.

Products delivering expert results, loaded with ingredients that read like a Michelin star menu. Die hard brands such as OPI, CND, Dermalogica, Blank Canvass, Cailyn Cosmetics, Waxperts, SunMARCH FX Tan, Crown RDS, DUBLIN 13-14 2016 Brush, So Sue Me, to name but a few, all promoting their respective products.

This was clearly the place to be! Of course if you are in the industry, salon disposables such as couch roll, cotton pads, wax pots etc are all at rock bottom prices, it’s worth the trip just to stock up on those.

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IPL

21

Irish Beauty Show

CND showcased with spectacular effect.

It was such a serene place despite the craziness of the trade show all around.

Sparkling white countertops adorned with their latest trade product and colour launches; Vinylux Polish, Shellac and new spa mani/pedi products. The technicians were amazing, the wealth of product knowledge was outstanding.

Product launches such as a new and improved cucumber heel therapy, part of their delicious Spa Pedicure collection.

Extremely nourishing and healing, enriched with cucumber and smelling good enough to eat with a spoon! It’s miraculous formula will smooth and soften the toughest of cracked heels, leaving you with delicate and smooth feet.

The new Vinylux collection of polishes was on display with an array of rainbow colours. This fabulous product offers the client a chip free 7 day manicure, that can be simply removed with regular acetone polish remover. There is also no need for a base coat so there are savings to be made!

Creative Academy Ireland were close to hand providing information on every form of Nail Tech training imaginable… from complete beginner to expert top up courses.

OPI’s New Orleans collection offered a hot and spicy colour blend of 12 new lacquers, with matching gel polishes.

Hennessy Hair & Beauty provided a great stand, giving excellent discounts on multi buys of polishes, gels, and day to day disposables and equipment.

KEY NAIL TRENDS • Coral & Nude Lacquer • Embellishment such as Swarovski crystals, with many exhibitors completely covering one nail in Crystals • Nail art & stamping being a particular draw! Metal plates with etched designs, you simply paint onto the plate, stamp off and stamp on! With remarkable results.

The lovely dolls in Waxperts were launching their Rosie Pearl strip wax, formulated especially for sensitive skin and containing elastic properties which adhere to the finer hairs, which I can vouch for, as they were kind enough to give me a demonstration! The scent is so wonderful, Rose and Jasmine subtly envelop the senses and give you Satin smooth legs which I happily displayed on Sunday evening club hopping around Dublin’s fair city!

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Irish Beauty Show

Blank Canvass Cosmetics gave 2 amazing days of demos, featuring the brilliant Charlene Flanagan, an MUA based in the west, and the glorious duo of Sinead Cady and Sarah Frances. Be sure to check these girls out on Instagram and snapchat!

Smoky eyes and killer pouts were the order of the day, using the Pippa palette, an all in one palette which simply should come as standard in every woman’s bag!

So Sue Me had a huge stand also, displaying her ever growing product line. No shortage of contouring palettes here, and an extensive selection of colours from her high street polish collection.

Cocoa Brown presented by non other than the fabulous Marissa Carter herself! Her pink pop up tent was to die for! Marissa’s demo was incredible, and taught the do’s & donts of professional tan application. With an especially brilliant “how to” on contouring the body!

Crown brush cosmetics took over the entire centre of the show space, with enormous queues just to get near their products. All the brushes were individually displayed, and the eyeshadow palettes, OH MY GOD! I bought 6, the concealer palette was outstanding value too. The wait in line was so worth it!

Whilst the main discounts were VAT free offers, many of their online deals still remain. Opening offers for nail techs and beauty therapists trying to establish their businesses can still avail of exceptional offers albeit products, product training or upskilling their trade! Overall, this is a show you don’t want to miss next year, and judging by its immense popularity, book your tickets early!

Facebook Page: Polished

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Your Nails Columnist

From the foot expert

by Irina Ivanova

Building Stronger Nails

W

ell-groomed hand and toe nails are an essential part of every woman’s look. Nail technicians do their best to make women feel good about their hands and feet. Indeed, we can do wonderful things for our clients – we can create beautiful designs, we can transform the shape, we can do extensions and reconstructions. These treatments, however, only deal with external problems. A balanced approach can be a lot more effective for achieving healthy looking and beautiful nails.

The look of our nails reflects the state of our body, which is often determined by our diet.

Some clients can be fond of food that is not nail-friendly. As a result the nails become brittle, and won’t grow. Sharing with your clients a few ideas about things that are good for our nail health can help them develop a balanced approach to nail care.

Gelatine is one of the nutrients that is able to promote nail health. It is a jelly-like substance, produced as a result of collagen denaturation, which has no odour or taste.

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It is rich in calcium, bound with active protein, a crucial building material for the nail plate. Gelatine is very good for the whole body: it promotes and sustains joint mobility and elasticity of cartilages, prevents their degeneration and boosts muscle strength. Gelatine can be found in brawn, fruit jelly, icecream, cake icing and numerous confectionary products. The list of foods which contain this “nail building material” is extensive,

therefore any client can find something they might like to eat.

Adding gelatine to one’s diet can become a simple step towards solving the problem of brittle nails.

Food supplements Food supplements contain micro-and macro-elements, vitamins, and other valuable nutrients which our body needs on a daily basis in order to sustain the work of all of

its organs and systems. Food supplements remove harmful substances from our body while supplying it with the good stuff. This leads to gradual detoxification and regeneration of connective tissue cells, followed by regeneration of the rest of the body cells. Silicea capsules, for example, contain silicon, manganese, zinc, selenium and biotin. Selenium and zinc contribute to the maintenance of normal nails.

Manganese takes a role in maintenance of f bone. Biotin promotes healthy hair growth, while silicon is found in each cell of the body and is vital for any tissues which rely on strength, elasticity and flexibility.

Gingko biloba is another element to look for in food supplements. It stimulates circulation and promotes the flow of blood to organs and tissues as well as strengthens the blood vessel walls, which can also be of benefit for our nail health.

Herbal Remedies Nails are built of a very strong protein called keratin, which

Your Nails Columnist

is also a building material for our skin and hair. The nail plate consists of a dead layer of keratin, while the nail bed is permeated by a network of capillaries which supply oxygen-enriched blood to the nail matrix.

One of the reasons for unhealthy nails can be restricted blood circulation in the fingers, toes, and the nail bed. Provided your client does not suffer from cardio-vascular diseases, you can add herbs and essential oils into hand and foot spa.

This will improve circulation and promote healthy nail growth.

Thyme, for example, speeds up the blood flow, causing a warm sensation. This herb also has antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal properties, which makes it a good choice as a foot care treatment. Thyme is used for prevention of fungal infections of the feet. If added to a foot spa, it removes the unpleasant odour, characteristic of feet which are prone to excessive sweating. Peppermint widens coronary vessels while causing a cooling effect.

Peppermint leaves added to a hand spa will promote relaxation and reduce swelling.

Camphor tree oil also stimulates circulation and metabolism. A few drops of this oil in a foot spa warm up cold feet, reduce tiredness, refresh and tone up the feet. Camphor oil in a hand spa will make the hands look more visibly groomed.

changes in the nail plate – nails can become brittle, uneven, covered in lines and furrows.

Lack of calcium causes seizures, osteoporosis, tooth decay and brittle nails. Therefore, if your client complains that their nails have become brittle, ask them if they had made any changes to their diet of recent. Tell

them about the importance of consuming dairy products, fish and shellfish.

Magnesium is another mineral which has a role in maintaining our bones alongside with calcium. Magnesium is an important component of tooth enamel, nails and hair. Supplies of magnesium in our body can be boosted by consuming pumpkin seeds, pine nuts and almonds.

Iron regulates levels of haemoglobin in blood which is necessary for supplying oxygen to all organs and systems in the body. Even insignificant deficit of iron can cause excessive tiredness, loss of hair and brittle nails. If a client complains of this problem, encourage them to pay attention to their diet and ensure they consume red meat, liver, fish, poultry.

Other sources of iron are beans, peas, wheat germ.

A healthy diet can improve nail health significantly.

In any case, it won’t do a client any harm. At the same time we must remember that as nail technicians we should not try to diagnose and treat our clients’ medical problems.

For example, if a client’s nails look infected, advise them that they get a swab tested in a lab via their GP. If there are serious concerns, the best thing we can do is encourage our clients to seek advice from a trained medical professional.

Minerals Minerals are vital for the body, and their lack can cause N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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Step by Step

Simply

BEAUTIFUL B A S I C N A I L A RT

Step 1

Step 1.

Step 2.

Step 3.

Step 4.

Step 5.

Step 6.

Step 7.

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Prepare the nails as normal.

Apply 2 thin coats of gold gel polish. Cure in between.

Take a small piece of golden foil. This foil is very thin and it breaks easily. Use of tweezers might help.

Stick the foil onto the nail. Make sure it sticks flat.

Using black gel paint draw the outline of your design. In this case, a little heart and leaf.

Cure the design in the lamp.

Fill the rest of the space with black gel paint. Gel polish would not be good for this as it would require applying 2 coats and it might be difficult to get it precise. Cure and finish with top coat.

If you have a great idea for a basic design and want to share it, please contact gallery@yournailsmag.com

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Step by Step

Step 1 Step 1.

Step 2.

Step 3.

Step 1.

Step 2.

Step 3.

Step 4.

Step 5.

Step 6.

Step 2

Step 3

Apply 2 coats of CND Shellac Midnight Swim. Cure in between.

Take piece of the foil colour of your choice and place it onto the design. You can cure it to make sure it sticks perfectly before applying top coat. Preferably use no wipe top coat to be sure you will not remove the foil when wiping off the residue.

Draw the design with black gel paint. Cure in between for few seconds to make sure the design stays in place. Cure and finish with top coat.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Prepare the nails as normal.

Apply base coat and cure.

Apply thin coat of CND Shellac Plum Pasley. Cure.

Apply second coat of CND Shellac Pasley and cure.

Using tweezers pick up a desired sticker from Cat Nails Collection. Apply straight away onto the nail. Make sure you don’t move it after as the sticker might loose its adhesive abilities.

Apply 2 coats of top coat for better protection.

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Step by Step

Step 2

Step 1

Step 3

Step 4

Step 1. Apply base coat. Cure. Apply 2 coats of nude colour and cure in between.

Step 2. Buff the nails gently. You can apply top coat before buffing so you don’t remove the colour by buffing.

Step 3. Using white gel paint (no gel polish as it’s too watery, the best would be gel paint, no wipe) draw your design. Do not cure.

Step 4. Using white acrylic powder sprinkle some of it onto the design. Do it gently so as not to smudge the design before curing. Once it’s cured remove the excess of acrylic powder and thedesign is ready.

This is a matt effect but you can play with it with different colours of powder as well.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 1. Apply gel polish base coat and cure. Then apply 2 coats of golden rusty gel polish and cure.

Step 2. Using golden flake / sheet gently place it on the top of the nail. Once it’s stuck remove the rest of the foil gently. It is very fragile.

Step 3. Apply top coat and cure. Then gently buff the surface being very carefull not to remove the foil.

Step 4. Draw design with white gel paint, make sure it’s sticky this time when cured.

Step 5. Press silver foil onto the nail and pull, you can use any foil that you have. Apply Gel polish top coat.

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Interview

Interview with...

Ilona Konsek

Your Nails Star Award 2015 Winner

Ilona Konsek, winner of the Star Award 2015 for dedication and support of Your Nails Magazine, NSI Educator and fantastic nail technician, speaks about her carreer path and how she started in this industry to become one of the most wanted and talented nail techs in Ireland.

How did you start doing nails?

A friend had done my nails for me and I liked them so much I wanted to wear them all the time, so I decided to learn how to do them myself. I bought the equipment, I did the course and I have now been doing it for 11 years! Initially I was doing nails just for myself, then I did my friends nails who were delighted by my creations. The interest was so great that 6 years ago I opened my own nail salon - Cyber Sun in Athlone. The studio now offers gel nails, acrylic, manicure & pedicure, eyelashes extensions, waxing, piercing and sunbed. My services are expanding all the time.

Who did you train with?

I am constantly updating my skills by training with other nail technicians. This year aloneI have certified with Mistrzynia World-Tatiana Litvinov, the wonderful Nail Champion - Vincenzo Russello, Nail Artist Champion - Paulina Pastuszak and Nail Design Champion - Adriana Onofrei, who inspired me to focus more on the artistic side. Adriana supports me all the time. Last year I trained with International Nail Artist -Dorota Palicka in Dublin at Talons’nSalons and I also travelled to Glasgow

to see her. In April I became an NSI educator by passing my exams in Manchester.

Why did you decide to become an educator?

I expect a lot from myself which is why I only train with the best, therefore, I decided I wanted to be an educator. I want to develop my skills, gain new experiences. It’s easy to finish a beginners nail course and call yourself a nail technician, but you need to practice a lot and train in order to be good.

Is it easy to become a good and respected nail tech in Ireland?

At this time, when getting your nails done is so very popular and there are so many nail techs it is not easy. You are being compared to others all the time. It’s hard work. You need a lot of practice and need to learn more and gain new skills all the time in spite of sometimes feeling unappreciated. But if you love it, you can not stay in one place, you want more and more. This is how I feel.

Did you expect to win the award?

I really wanted to win the award, of course, but did not expect it to happen. It was a wonderful surprise and my first ever trophy. I am thrilled to be part of creating the magazine and assisting in its growth. It is an honor to be part of something like this which is unique in Ireland.

Do you think nail magazines are needed in this industry when everything is shown on the internet?

Of course Your Nails Magazine is needed!

On the Internet anyone can show and share their work. But to be printed in a magazine is a unique feature, your designs need to be liked in order to be published. The magazine gives a lot of useful info and as enable us nail techs to keep in touch with each other and keep up to date on what is going on in the nail world.

I would like to thank Your Nails Magazine and Karolina Bozcek for publishing my works and organizing all the fabulous Talons’nSalons events where I have met some amazing nail techs and have had so much fun. See you all at the Talons’nSalons in Cork!

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Your Nails Columnist

Best nail art snapchat accounts to give you

serious nail envy

Our favourite beauty bloggers and nail gurus have signed up to Snapchat and have given us an insight into their top techniques and predictions for the hottest trends. Check out our guide for the best ones to follow...

by Jodie Edwards

Gigi Gorgeous @gigigorgeous https://www.instagram.com/p/7Ym6bwHPUp/?takenby=gigigorgeous For those who like to keep their nails on point and like to add a little glamour to every day proceedings - check out Gigi Gorgeous.

The transgender model and beauty blogger started YouTubing her makeup and nail tutorials as a creative outlet during her Catholic high school days in Canada. She initially began documenting her transition process from male to female but has since turned her channel into her career as a full-fledged beauty guru.

Her Snapchat account is rammed with manicure inspiration, nail art techniques and short how-to guides detailing how to copy her perfect talons. Gigi is a lover of all things girlie, so expect lots of pink polishes, glittery lacquers and long, glamorous talons. Her latest obsession is long, coffin shaped acrylics in a pretty pastel shade. Evoke Gigi’s look by getting involved in Rita Ora’s latest festival inspired collection for Rimmel which features twelve new colours in pretty festival inspired hues - perfect for clients heading out to Glastonbury in a few months.

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Your Nails Columnist

Victoria Macgrath @inthefrow https://www.instagram.com/p/BAw-gR1prGU/?takenby=inthefrow If you like your look current and you’re not afraid to paint your talons in the latest crazy shade - check out @inthefrow. Victoria is the purple haired vixen that runs the account and she shares her tips on everything from classic nude tips to eccentric nail arts and the newest collections. Victoria started blogging while studying for her fashion PhD and career as a Fashion Marketing Lecturer at the University of Manchester in 2012 and since then she has gone on to win multiple awards and legions of followers.

If you’re not afraid to experiment and you’re looking for the latest brave shade to paint your pedicure with - add @inthefrow to your Snapchat and check out her story for a feed of non stop nail designs and beauty tips to really make you look pop. Victoria’s signature hue is purple; her hair, lids and lips are all decorated in her signature shade. Follow suit and coat your claws in Illamasqua nail varnish in Poke, £14.50; the luminescent violet shade is the perfect tone to make nails stand out in the winter months and injects a little fun into summery manicures when the sun finally decides to show up.

Tanya Burr @TanyaBurrBearr https://www.instagram.com/p/8XzM3_l3Uh/?taken-by=tanyaburr Keep Tanya on your radar if you love creating natural nail looks with the short talons you were born with. The British blogger started creating YouTube videos about nails, fashion and beauty since 2009.

She started her site when she was working on a beauty counter part time and has since turned her love of nail art and make up tutorials into a full time job. Tanya has recently branched out into the world of Snapchat and we’re already obsessed.

Her story is a constant feed of fun and practical nail designs that are easy to recreate in affordable shades. She has her own range of lacquers which are sold exclusively at Superdrug and FeelUnique. com that come in twelve different shades. As well as being a full time fashion and beauty phenomenon, Tanya also directs the cookery section of her site and is working on a recipe book due out in the summer meaning she doesn’t mess around with fancy gem stones or claw like falsies. Copy Tanyas look by filing your claws into neat square tips masterpieces and covering then in a simple nude hue. Tanya Burr Nail Polish in Frosting Cupcakes, £4.99 is the perfect subtle shade to work this winter to offset your snuggly white polo necks while you can up the anti with a deeper shade of pink like her lacquer in Pick & Mix, £4.99 to make your summer holiday snaps pop.

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Trending

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d.com N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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Nailtech Spotlight

MY MY

My Story...

by Kristy Homolya I have loved painting my nails since I was a child. At that time, I had no idea what artificial nails were. When my previous employment ended in 2010, I decided to look for a job that required more creativity. I came up with the idea to enroll in a nail technician course. I found a course that was scheduled to start soon, and I submitted my application.

I was very excited about this new opportunity, I wanted to learn everything there was to know about this profession as quickly as possible. I quickly realized that I would love to turn this newly found interest into a longterm career. I felt completely enchanted.

However, after finishing school, I didn’t feel ready to start my career. I needed a lot of practice, and I recruited my friends and

34

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family members to become my models to gain more experience.

My biggest challenge was to become quicker. In the beginning, it took me more than 4 hours to complete a set of nails. The quality of my work was excellent, but I was worried that customers would expect a faster service. First I had to improve my time. It wasn’t easy, and I wanted to give up so many times. I am fortunate to have a husband who has always supported me. Andrew never let me give up and encouraged me to continue practicing.

As a result, I became faster every week. After about six months of practice, we felt I was finally ready to start working in a salon.

When I saw that some of my clients were interested in more complex designs, I applied for a nail art course. I immediately realized that my true passion lies in nail art. After finishing the first course, I wanted to learn more and applied for every available nail art course.

First I learned the basics of painting with acrylics, this was followed by one stroke nail painting, gel nail art, and 3D acrylic courses. As time passed, my basic designs turned into masterpieces.

I found myself spending all my free time practicing and creating new designs. Over the years I have mastered several new techniques including sculpted nails, gel polish technique, and Japanese manicure. My initial struggles with time are long gone!

Thanks to the courses and a lot of practice, I won second place at my first nail art competition.

This success encouraged me to enter several other competitions, and I managed to wIn first place multiple times.

My achievements keep me motivated, and I feel my hard work is getting rewarded. I feel lucky to be supported by a wonderful family who inspire me to be better.

In the future, I hope to open my own salon. For now, I’m happy with my life and grateful to have so many wonderful clients.

Cover Story

the

experience difference If you put your head on the ground you can hear grasshoppers playing their symphonies, the rustle of the grass waving in the wind, larks singing in the treetops; you can feel ants climbing on your arm as they lose their way to their hill, or rye tickling your feet; you can smell spring in the wind, in the dew, in the silence and you feel the warmth of the sun as it strokes your body. You are free of all bad emotions, bad feelings and wrong doing. If only time could stop and lie down with you while you are enjoying your peace; if only the world could stop making noise and delve into the sound of the universe. Experience the difference with nature‌

by Karolina Boczek N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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Cover Story

A NAIL REVOLUTION 25+ YEARS AT THE TOP OF THE MARKET!

Long Lasting Colour That Won’t Chip Or Smudge!

Bio Sculpture is the world’s ORIGINAL gel to provide permanent, chip-resistant and smudge-resistant nail colour.

This unique gel is a coloured overlay applied to your natural nail, like a permanent polish.

Thin, strong, and flexible, the coloured gel formula dries instantly under LED (and UV) and will not chip or smudge.

Founded and launched in South Africa by Elmien Scholtz in 1988, the brand has expanded into over 25 countries and the demand for the Brand continues to soar. The proprietary Branded products are manufactured in house and research and development is a very significant factor and commitment in the Company. Launched in Ireland in 2001, Bio Sculpture has continued to grow in Ireland over the last 15 years.

This year with the introduction of Evo, Bio Sculpture has once again shown that it can produce outstanding new products that will not damage the natural nail.

With its 25 years of experience, Bio Sculpture has launched its new revolutionary bottle and brush system. Years in the making, Evo Oxygenating Gel has taken the worldwide gel market by storm and continues to promote the ‘healthier 36

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alternative in nail care’.

Bio Sculpture is a success because it does what it says it will do. It has never compromised on its products or training. Our gel training means that we keep a high standard within the company worldwide and are constantly evolving and moving forward.

Bio Sculpture’s main selling point is that it does not damage the natural nail. Its ethos is based upon being the healthier alternative to nail care: “Imagine a nail gel so good for your nails that it actually nurtures the nail bed allowing the nail to grow.

Imagine a nail gel so durable that it doesn’t chip, split or damage your nail. Imagine a nail gel so healthy it protects and strengthens the natural nail instead of causing harsh and sometimes irreparable damage.

Imagine a nail gel that comes in over 150 fashion colours and dries instantly... that’s Bio Sculpture !

chemicals means there are no odours or nasty fumes and no damage to your natural nail.

THE PRODUCT What makes Bio Sculpture products so popular ?

No abrasive preparation, priming or dehydration ensuring no damage to the natural nail Dries in 30 seconds with our LED light so no smudging Both systems are applied as an overlay to the natural nail – can also be applied to toes for a perfect pedicure Both systems are flexible, chip and smudge proof and keep their colour and shine

SAFE AND NON-TOXIC Bio Sculpture and Evo are free from Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Free if DBP, Camphor and Toluene, the ingredients commonly found in acrylic formulas and other nail gels. The absence of these

W: www.biosculpture.ie E: info@biosculpture.ie T: 01 850 0005

Cover Story 1.

Step 1. Apply Evo Oxygenating Base close to the cuticles. Wash hands and use the Small Black File to carefully push back cuticles.

2.

Step 2. Use the Grey Patch Buff and the Hygienic File Handle to remove excess cuticle growth and smooth down the nail surface.

Step 3. Cut open the Cleanser Sachet and use the Cleanser Wipe to clean the nail surface.

3.

Step 4. Apply Evo Oxygenating Base close to the cuticles without touching the sides. Apply most of the product to the centre of nail then slip the brush over the end to seal the free edge. Use the rest of the product on the brush to form a perfectly rounded but thin cuticle line. Cover the sides and draw brush over free edges. Keep away from sunlight, halogen, light and over exposure of inside daylight.

4.

6.

5.

Step 5. Insert hand in LED and cure for 30 secs. Turn fingers from side to side for better side-wall coverage.

Step 6. Before colour application hold colour upside down and shake well.

Step 7. Apply 2 layers of colour on the inside of 7. the base application line curing between layers. When applying sheer colours, wipe the base after applying.

When applying a dense colour to short nails or toenails you may only need one layer of colour i.e Base, Colour, Top Coat. On long nails apply a supportive layer of Base AFTER the 2nd layer of colour BEFORE applying Gloss.

This layer will provide extra toughness whilst maintaining sufficient flexibility.

Step 8. Apply Evo Top Coat 1mm on the inside of the colour application line. Remove any product from side walls and cuticles using the metal pick.

Cure.

8.

9.

Step 9. Wipe Top Coat brush with Cleanser before replacing in bottle.

Step 10. Wait 30 seconds before wiping the nail with Cleanser. Always wipe from the cuticle downwards. Never wipe Evo Gloss layer with pure acetone.

11.

10.

Step 11. Use the Small Black File to refine the edges.

When doing a set of Clear French nails, wipe the underlying cured layer with Cleanser before applying the ‘Whitney’ (white) line. You can use the Evo slanted French brush or the Evo Nail Art brush to apply a very fine line. Procedure: Apply a layer of Base. Cure and wipe. Apply white and cure.

Use soft strokes to apply a layer of Base and cure. Apply Top Coat and cure.

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Product Spotlight

Artisan International Prom Pink, Tropical Teal, Summer Orchid, Purple Panties www.artisaninternational.ie

Summer Lecente Glitter Collection

Colours

CND Shellac Flirtation www.sweetsquared.com

Orly PaciďŹ c Coast Highway Collection www.orlybeauty.com

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Indigo Summer Colours www.indigonails.ie

Product Spotlight

Semilac Tropical Drinks www.excellentnails.ie

Jessica Spring Collection 2016 ‘Pop Couture’ www.frenchcosmetics.ie

Bio Sculpture Ireland Disco Dolly Collection www.biosculpture.ie

Crystal Nails 3D Colours Spring/Summer www.crystalnailsireland.com

OPI Spring 2016 www.opi.com

N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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Step by Step

e k o r t s e n O

flower

by Gemma Lambert

1

2

3

4

5

Step 1 Apply background colour first.

Step 4 Create your element 1 and 2 flowers

Step 2 Apply second background colour & blend into the first.

Step 5 Add your element 2 leaves

Step 3 Apply third background colour & blend into the second.

6

Step 6 Finish your design off with the detailing around the flowers, leaves, swirls, flicks and dots.

Always finish with two layers of top coat to seal your design.

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Salon Review

Laura McCarthy shares her story about how she started her own Nail Salon and Education Centre....Divine Digits

I

have always loved all things nails so I trained part time in 2011 and qualiďŹ ed in May 2012. I wanted to do it full time but with a young family I decided that I needed to stay employed in my job in hotel accounts/admin and that I would work as a mobile nail tech so that I could do it in the evenings and weekends.

This was working out fine for a while and I even upskilled with online and evening courses, and trained as an Educator with Astonishing Nails through Asu Nail & Beauty in Dublin.

After a year or two I left my high stress accounts job and started working in a retail shop called The Outlet in conjunction with my husbands Designs & Signs business while still continuing to do nails part time, but I was getting busier and more involved in the word of nails.

I started competing in photographic competitions and became a part of the Nail Nerds group that was an official sponsor to Miss Ireland 2014 & 2015.It made me have a serious think about expanding into a larger premises, (currently I was working out of a single room).

So my search began - I started my hunt for a premises to home my new salon. I had a lot of the basic groundwork done i.e. name of business (Divine Digitz Nails & Training) so I needed the right place. I knew that I needed a minimum of two rooms and an area for clients to wait. I live in a small town so finding a premises was a lot harder than I expected.

I searched all the local estate agents for properties but couldn’t find anything suitable or the ones I was interested in were already gone.

I was currently renting a single room above a bar and yarn shop on the main street in town which was a great location but too small and old fashioned. I continued looking for weeks but still nothing became available in the area.

I spoke to my landlord and told him I was looking for something bigger, he offered me other rooms but they all needed to be together and not scattered around the 1st floor of a building. I was almost giving up hope on my idea when my landlord came back to me and showed me an area that had just become available. It was the perfect space but was in need of a lot of updating, decorating and generally bringing it into 2015.

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News...

Salon Review

So the plans began. I set out by going around each room, (2 treatment rooms, a large classroom area, reception area and small kitchen, bathroom staff area) to make a list of what work needed to be done to each area, including the public stair well and bathrooms.

It’s a very old building so it really needed some major TLC. I searched the internet, Pinterest and looked around everywhere I went for ideas on colour schemes and fixtures and fittings, décor ideas etc.

what your vision is. Doing it online is a lot harder and there is a lot of back and forth and generally is a longer process. Also you can see real samples of the designer and printers’ work. I would recommend quality over quantity and the saying always goes ‘cheaper is not always better’. This will be what everybody sees on your social media and in the salon, it needs to look good and show off what you are.

Another tip is to try and save money is to go to your local college and see if there is anyone I decided to follow the colours of on a designer’s course who would my logo (that I designed myself) like to help you as experience for the theme and or part of their colours of the I bought the curtains on coursework, and salon. I was going adverts.ie and the rugs they’ll do it for free. for a classy yet a And try to ask friends from a local man in the in the business bit of a vintage look. My favourite local town fair. Amazing for advice and quality and much colour is blue/ recommendations, teal so I had to cheaper than the shops. they’ve been there use that in there I bought fairy lights and before and can offer somewhere. great advice.

I now had a business name, location, a basic idea and plan.

hanging decorations from my other shop The Outlet, to add a little sparkle to boring areas of the salon.

A good tip for getting your logo and marketing done at a reasonable price is to price around your local printers, see what you can get in package deals. Very often they will design your logo for free if you get all your marketing material with them.

Dealing with local printers also makes it easier as you can sit down with them and really show them 42

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When buying the items for the salon, I had made a list for each room of the essential items like furniture etc. I needed to stay on a tight budget and once I had an idea of the overall look that I wanted to achieve, I searched the internet for furniture shops that supplied what I was looking for. I looked out for sales and eventually I found what I was looking for in my local furniture shop. It was easier to deal with a shop that I could walk into

Step by Step Salon Review

and talk to the shop assistant.

I went in, picked the items I wanted and asked for a package deal, which saved me about 10%.

For the accessories and the little things I looked around second hand shops and on Facebook selling pages and found some lovely candle holders, lamps, shades and decorative pieces all for a quarter of the price in the shops.

I have been gathering things slowly while I was mobile so I had UV lamps and all the other essential items. For shelves and some other furniture pieces I went to Ikea - they have some great stuff there at very reasonable prices.

I needed a lot of work done including cleaning, painting, wiring and shelves, mirror etc put up. I asked around with friends for someone who needed work and posted on the local Facebook selling sites and found a great handyman who did most of the painting and general DIY work, while my friends and I did the cleaning and assembly of the furniture. I put all my Certs into frames and have a wall of those which adds colour and also shows my clients the qualifications that I have.

area, I was lucky to find a place that had the reception area built in. I did consider taking it out and getting a reception desk but I liked it the way it was. I did look for a new one on Donedeal, adverts. ie and selling sites.

There is a lot of items on those sites that are great if you are starting out, for half the price. You can upgrade them later. I used vinyl prints to cover the front of my reception desk which is a very easy and cost effective way of making it look good.

I repainted the whole place white, including the hallways and stairwell areas outside the salon to make it look cleaner and brighter. I sanded all the wooden areas including the reception N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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Step by Step

Lavender Pearl Iryna Miakotina, NSI Specialist, Ukraine

Step 1 Thoroughly prep the natural nail, push back cuticles, remove natural shine using Endurance 180/180 Grit File, remove the dust, apply Nailpure Plus to dehydrate. Take a Platinum Nail Form, fold into desired shape. If needed cut the hyponychium area to fit snugly. Fit the form. Reapply Nailpure Plus, and apply Attract (Acid Free) Nail Primer. Using Attraction Nail Powder – Peach Blush extend the natural nail bed, and create smile line. Extend thin skeleton of free edge using Secrets Acrylic Powder – Pure Ice. Apply Secrets Shades – Top Secret (blue) and Don’t Kiss and 44

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Cloak and Dagger (pink) on the extended free edge. Use the ombre technique.

Step 2 Add darker colour, i.e Marsala, starting on smile line, and fading to free edge. (trick: mix Secrets Shades: Deep Secrets(black) and My Lips Are Sealed(red) to get beautiful Marsala shade) File the nail using Endurance File 150/150 Grit in desire shape.

Using Lavender Block Buffer or Endurance Buffer 240 side buff the nail to get the smooth surface.

Step 3 Apply pearl for the center of the

3D flower. With Secrets Shade – Little White Lies create the outlines of the flower, and add more petals.

Step 4 Add some darker color for deeper dimension of the design.

Step 5 Complete design adding some smaller elements – pearls. Finish the entire nail with Glaze’n Go, cure 90sec in full hand UV light.

Note: don’t cover pearls.

Add some white bullion, if needed. Apply Nurture Oil to the cuticle and massage in to complete the service.

Photo Report

Talons

'n Salons Christmas Party Report Karolina Boczek reports

It was an amazing day and I think everyone who joined us, agreed. Everyone was asking me how I will top it off next year? Well, I have seriously been thinking about this and I have few ideas up my sleeve but I can guarantee you this, it’s going to be even better.

We started the day with a cup of coffee in the hall to warm us and wake some of us up after a long drive.

The girls were excited as Paulina Pastuszak is not only one of the best genuine nail technicians but she is also the best teacher too, speaking fluent English, German and Polish, Paulina had no problem in communicating with all of the girls.

The hotel made sure we had everything ready for the course and that the girls felt comfortable as there was over 30 of us in the room.

This was officially the biggest nail art course numberwise in Ireland so far in 2015/2016. Paulina presented her best design techniques such as MetaLove, Mirror effect, sweater effect and winter dust effect. The girls were amazed with the level of training and also that they could use those designs in the salon straight after the course.

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Photo Report

I was so impressed with the number of astonishing designs that were created on the course and I was so happy to see the high level of skills that proves that the nail industry in Ireland is growing, together with all of you.

After the course everyone went back to their rooms to ‘doll up’ for the evening. You can see by the pictures that all ladies were wearing beautiful outfits, make up, hair and of course, do not forget, nails! I welcomed them with a glass of champagne and red carpet.

The girls were posing in all their glamour and style while photographer Emilia Hebisz took pictures.

To add more Christmas spirit to the evening goodie bags were handed out a with few pressies and sponsored bits from Akzentz in HoHoHo themed bags and this, along with the bar in the room the party started even before the meal. This is what I was aiming when I envisaged this event - I wanted to gather all nail techs together for a great night of fun - to eat and dance together. After a three- course meal the award ceremony started. I was very nervous getting up on the stage as I am not used to speaking in public, but I could feel the support and amazing atmosphere which calmed my nerves down - together with few shots I guess! After announcing all the winners of 46

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Your Nails Readers’ Choice Awards, which you can find on our facebook page, it was time to announce the two most important prizes of the night, Star Award and Nail Styist of the Year 2015.

While I was telling everyone how much I am appreciative for the support that this person has given me by taking an active part in creating the magazine by sending pictures, tutorials, answers to all of the surveys etc.

I got very emotional.

This moment was very important to me and I believe it was very important to Ilona Konsek who got the award. I would like to thank her again!

Everybody was still waiting for one winner to be announced which turned out to be Laura McCarthy who became Your Nails Nail Artist of the Year 2015. Laura was very surprised at winning as she was much concerned about people voting for her as she lives in a small place with limited access to the internet, but she didn’t realise that not only her friends voted but also her family and devoted clients.

Voting was going on for a few months and out of 200 people nominated and shortlisted to only six, Laura was the definite winner.

Congratulations again to Laura!

So now we have a new saying that what happens at Talons’n Salons stays and never leaves the room. All I can say is that we have danced to the music all night and when the DJ stopped…. That’s another story, with some of us not finishing the party till 7a.m!

Trending

Photo Report

Comments from attendees: ‘Just want to say - It was great!!!’

‘Absolutely loved Paulina! The nail art was so effective and usable! So many little tricks that have changed my view of nail foils for ever!‘ ‘It was the best course I have been on. I met many lovely nail techs and I had the best Christmas Party ever. I can’t wait to meet the girls again’ ‘I really enjoyed the training with Paulina. We learned some amazing designs using products most of us already have in our kits, so no expense in buying extra products. xx’ ‘I absolutely loved the course!

Learned lots of new tricks!!’

‘Was a brilliant night!!’

‘Everything was really great!’

‘I loved being able to meet so many like-minded people, make new nail friends and it was so nice to have something to look forward to over Christmas when we are all at our busiest x’ ‘The best thing was meeting friends and networking. Meeting people for the first time and catching up with others’ ‘There was a wonderful atmosphere, very friendly people and delicious food, everything was just perfect!’

‘Learning and fun all in one’ ‘I loved being able to connect with other nail technicians’ ‘I think we should all wear christmas jumpers next year!’

‘I really enjoyed every aspect of the day hotel, food, DJ, training, they were all great...and the day ran very smoothly’

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from the Experts

ASK YOUR

NAIL EXPERT

By Doug Schoon, Schoon Scientific Nail Structure and Product Chemistry www.schoonscientific.com

1. IS IT SAFE TO USE AN ELECTRIC FILE? Many nail technicians use the electric file incorrectly and frequently damage the natural nail. Most nail techs don’t work very safely and tend to overfile the nail plate, most don’t have an understanding of the natural nail. In my opinion all nail technicians should avoid using any kind of electric file or power tool on their clients nails. This is a specialty that requires specialised training or the clients nails are likely to be overthinned and possibly become seriously damaged. The worst thing about the electric file is that nail techs think that if they can buy one it means that they can use one. They don’t bother getting specialised training and some then seriously injure their clients. So my message would be; don’t use any type of e-file without proper training.

2. WHEN DO I KNOW WHEN I SHOULD CHANGE MY PRIMER? When the primer becomes cloudy or forms a white solid powder that sails to the bottom of the container, that’s the time to part with your primer bottle and get a new one. I don’t recommend to re-use and re-fill the same primer bottle since the waxy substance can build up inside the nail primer and cause contamination and increase lifting. This can affect the adhesion. The waxing materials concentrate skin oils which can be deposited back onto the surface of the nail plate by the brush, so it is better to start afresh with a clean bottle.

3. CAN PRODUCTS REALLY REPAIR NAILS ?

Several products exist which can repair physical damage to the nail plate. Cosmetic companies 48

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can claim to repair physical damage or to improve physical condition or the appearance of the nail plate. There are many cosmetics now which can stop cracks, fill in groves or repair peeling nails as well as protecting from this kind of damage in the future. These are just cosmetic functions, however, and do not claim to treat, reverse, or prevent any chemical conditions. Only medical drugs or medical medicines can perform these functions. There is a big difference between physical conditions and medical conditions. Be careful not to confuse these.

Cosmetics are not medical drugs or medications, and can’t claim to be. They can’t claim they act like drugs or medicines. Medicines prevent infections, cosmetics do not.

4. IS IT OK TO PINCH ENHANCEMENTS? Pinching the sidewalls inward forces the centre of the enhancement to pull the nail plate upward. Upward forces are focused on the exact spot where the nail plate attaches to the nail bed at its weakest point. This practise can lead to separation of the nail plate from the nail bed which is called onycholisis.

This may be considered an acceptable competition technique as no one wears their competition nails for long, however the greater the pinching in on the side walls the greater the risk of onycholisis. If you are pinching a little, onycholisis is less likely. If you see any signs of onycholisis at all this suggests that you are pinching the side wall too much. Some clients nails are highly prone to onycholisis. Older clients for example have weaker attachments of the nail plate to the nail bed so often onycholisis occurs more easily. If you see this happening stop pinching and onycholisis should disappear or reverse itself.

from the Experts

“Face-to-Fac e with Doug Sc hoo

n”

Expert inform ation for the nail and beau ty industry schoonscien tific.com To view free episodes go to: facetofacew ith dougschoon .com

5. WHY DO SOME PRODUCTS NOT REQUIRE FILING OF THE NAIL, WHEN WE WERE ALWAYS TAUGHT TO REMOVE THE GLOSS? You are correct, it is important to remove the gloss/shine but it’s very important to understand this - the gloss is from the surface oil not from the nail plate. The goal is to remove the shine but that’s not the general practise in the nail industry.

Surface nail cells are not glossy and they don’t shine. This glossy appearance is caused by the natural oils that coat the surface of the nail plate. Only the natural oils need to be removed not the nail surface.

You don’t need to remove much of the nail plate surfaces to remove the shiny layer. Washing the nails and disinfecting nails with the nail brush is the best way to remove those oils. After scrubbing, nail prepration is going to be completed by using the nail prep products that are required by the system you use that are supposed to be used before the application of the nail coating. This is a 2 step process which will ensure all surfaces oils are cleansed off the nail plate. A nail file

should not be used to remove surface oil or other contaminants. Why even use a nail file? A nail file is needed to slightly increase the surface area to improve adhesion. Lightly roughing the nail plate surface automatically increases the surface area.

Microscopic scratches on the surface is all that is needed to expose more of the nail surface for the nail coating to hold on to. Only about 1% of the thickness of the nail plate needs to be removed to increase the surface area and improve adhesion.

Yes, some nail techs remove 5% to 10% of the nail plate thickness each time they file.

More filing just thins the nail then weakens the nail plate and it doesn’t improve adhesion.

In fact, overthinning the nail plate will lower adhesion. How? With the nail plate becoming highly flexible each time the nail bends it creates strain right on the innerface of the nail coating and where the natural nail meets. This strain weakens adhesive bond and increases lifting and peeling. So many nail coatings have very good adhesion, so much less filing is needed.

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Photo Gallery

GALLERY Claire Fagan

Diana McAlester

Ilona Konsek Kristy Homolya

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Photo Gallery

Kristy Homolya

Leah O’Neil Monica Russo Kristy Homolya

Clare Fagan N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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Claire Fagan

Diana McAleste

r

Kara Evans Jurgita Prickute

Marie Claire Ro

gers

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Claire Fagan

Diana McAlester

Karen Murphy

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Monica Russo

Karen Murphy

Jurgita Prickute Jurgita Prickute

Marie Claire Rogers

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Salon ReviewP

Interview

Karolina talks to ...

SHIRLEE ANN Shirlee Ann Kerr, the Californian based CND Education Ambassador is a celebrity manicurist, poet, lyricist, creative writer, and beauty and fashion columnist.

Can you please tell me something about you? Who is Shirlee Ann? I have been a licenced manicurist for over 24 years but I was raising my 4 children so I didn’t use my licence really until 2001. At that time I began at a day spa, I opened their nail department, and eventually opened my own (co-owned) salon in 2007. After 5 years, in 2012 I decided to return to booth rental and I am now a Freelance Manicurist and I have expanded my career with my celebrity clients and becoming a columnist for several beauty magazines.

What is the most exciting part of your job?

My work has been in magazines such as Essence Magazine, American Salon Magazine ,The L.A Fashion Magazine, The Avenue Magazine, XIOX Magazine,and Mingle Magazine. I love working behind the scenes and collaborating with so many creative stylists, designers, makeup artists, hair stylists and photographers. It is very inspiring to me.

What is the most difficult part of your job?

I truly love my job. I love the people, I love to travel, and I enjoy the versatility that being a professional manicurist has to offer. I also love being able to be so creative.

Can you remember your first celeb client ?

My first major celebrity client was Gwen Stefani.

She was going to be performing at the Grammys.

I will never forget that call! It was an amazing opportunity .

Are you a real CND girl? What is it about CND that you love the most?

Yes, I truly am a CND girl! I have been using CND products ever since I was licenced! I believe their dedication to offering high quality products to us as professionals is untouchable to the rest. Their scientific based research and education also puts them at the top of this industry. I am extremely proud to be a part of the CND family.

Where do you get your inspiration for the cover shoots?

Inspiration comes quite naturally for me, especially when I am exposed to so many other creative and talented individual in this industry.It really feeds my soul to express myself through my work.

You love writing, but if you had to choose between nails and writing which would you say is your greatest passion?

Yes, I am also a freelance writer and write regularly for a local magazine called The Avenue Magazine.

Writing has always been a huge passion for me, I really enjoy writing the local beauty column and recently I have expanded by interveiwing a couple of celebrities.

I see myself continuing to pursue my writing career right along with continuing to build my freelance editorial and celebrity portfolio.

Do you enjoy giving advice on all things beauty?

I love to talk to people, and enjoy sharing anything I think may inspire them to reach for their goals, to always be true to themselves, and to never stop chasing their dreams. continued...

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Interview

9. What would you say makes a real woman in todays world?

I believe anyone can achieve anything they set their minds to! I continually set new goals for myself. When an opprotunity presents itself, I believe in jumping in with both feet! I am also a CND E.A. (Education Ambassador) and I love all the opportunities that offers too. I believe it is extremely important to always be true to yourself ! My advice is to find your passion.Create a spark. Live life to the fullest. Don’t ever settle for anything less. YOU are worth it!

Life is for sharing your gift, that is why we are all here.

You write poems, do you think that it would be good for the the younger generation to communicate through poetry and words in a world of texts and abbreviations?

I began writing as a child and into my teens and never stopped. I write as a way to express my thoughts and dreams. Whether I am happy, sad, frustrated, or excited, I can easily sort my thoughts by putting them down on paper. I have dozens of books. They are like diaries of the chapters of my life. I would love to encourage young girls to embrace their creative sides too. To use the written word to express their desires, dreams, goals, and heart breaks too. It is so empowering! Whether it is in the former of poetry, lyrics, or just jotting down your thoughts, it truly helps the growing process and strengthens a sense of self worth. I would have been lost many times, had I not turned to writing as a form of self therapy.

What do you think would happen to this generation of young nail techs who just want to get educated in a day and do a quick job as opposed to getting a proper education and experience?

Nothing is more satisfying than to find your calling...and expand the horizons before you. I also encourage those looking into a nail career,

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to continue their education in the field, get proper training, become a licensed professional and always strive to be the best, most efficient,

and competent manicurist in your field! Take pride in your business, the services you offer, and the products you use. This is an amazing industry, I believe our job as nail professionals is to elevate the quality and expectations of our services. Training is a crucial part of that process.

from the Experts

Fast, faster. Hooray!

Mastering nail styling!

The fact that we are are all living at a more and more intensive pace of life with a shrinking amount of free time and a plethora of daily duties making it all the more important to nip a few precious minutes from every possible situation.

• Acrylic nails - 10% faster than the above Of course, you should be aware of the fact that no set of finger nails are the same and the same procedure carried out on large or small plates can vary by up to 10-15 minutes.

This situation is no different in cosmetics, and more specifically in the industry of nail styling. It is quite a specialised sector in which only part of the service is the manicure. It is also important to create an atmosphere where our clients can relax.

It is my experience that clients like to relax during the treatment, however, it is not their priority.

What they want is a solid and fast service, which will allow them to enjoy their beautiful nails for the next 3-4 weeks. Therefore, it is in our own interest to provide a quick service by organising our workspace, so as to give our clients the required service in as short a time as possible.

Similarly, there can be certain problems with fingernails that can increase the time involved such as: ski-jump nails or fan nails, bitten nails, or nails which have not been looked after, extremely flat or broken.

And what exactly do I mean? The concept of “fast” or “slow” is quite relative, depending on the stage of learning that a nail stylist is at; but a well taught and practiced technician should be able to execute the following treatments in roughly these times: • extension of the nail using gel on a form (one colour) - 40 minutes • extension of the nail using gel on a form (french with Camo) - 50 minutes • 3 week manicure - 25 minutes • Gel Toe nails cure - 20 minutes

Statistics will say that most of our clients have completely standard nail plates so the length of a treatment shouldn’t take any longer than the timing mentioned earlier, but how to achieve it?

Here are a few tips: • First, use a good-quality file. It is important to use the proper gradation, and stiffness. If you feel that a nail file work is not working, immediately replace it. The friction resulting from the clogging of small grains of dust in the file, the remnants of the lacquer and plastic particles can make it painful for the client and will make needlessly difficult work for you.

• Second, do not use the files at all. Yes, this may sound strange but 90% of the work you are doing manually can be done using an electric file. This is a comfortable, pleasant and of course, faster way to work. The removal of wayward N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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from the Experts

epithelium (instead of labourious scraping with a wooden stick) is 10 seconds; buffing (instead of a balancing act with the nail file) is 15 seconds; remove the old product when doing a refill - 40 seconds. Save on each nail! It’s pure profit and a huge time saver.

Another issue is the choice of proper gels. I am aware of the fact that for beginners the best consistency gel will be one with medium viscosity. However, when we are more skillful it is definitely important to look for a thinner match to your existing favourite. Why? Because even working with one finger at a time method- we can save a lot of valuable minutes. In what way?

Well, building gel nails with thin gel is really fast: a thin base is cured in 3-4 seconds, and because thinner gel has a great ability to self-level. Also the process of shaping the final shape of the nail goes smoothly and by using your e-file you can buff the surface of the nail nice and evenly within literally 3-5 minutes.

Another very important element is the use of environmentally-friendly materials which do not require the stylist applying 2-4 layers for perfect coverage. Look for products which give the perfect colouring already at the first applicationthis includes both camouflage and white gels and colour gels. It is just a waste of time to put one layer of colour, wait until the pigment cures, and then repeat this procedure again. Better to save this time and spend it on an additional massage on tired and overworked hands.

The next important issue is ‘wasted time’ - sitting and idly watching the ceiling - while you wait for curing, etc. You should plan your work so that you are always doing something and not cringing at the lamp while waiting for the final cure before filing? Change the order of your work - do two nails on one hand and while that is curing work on the other hand, then take it out from the lamp and file while the other hand cures. Having two 58

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UV lamps is very handy, though with the right procedure, you can easily work with only one.

Also worth mentioning is the filing technique.

Many times during the trainings that I have run, I have seen stylists filing one fingernail for up to 5-6 minutes! With the correct filing technique there is no need for duplication of movements, going back to the missed spots or excessive smoothing of the surface with a buffer.

Let’s not forget, too, that the less filing the better - so, if the form

is fitted solidly and according to specific rules (see pic) and then immediately pinched tight to form the perfect curvature, then filing will be a no brainer! Just a light glaze of the side line, top of the nail and then you are done!

Although we are not yet in the middle of the summer season, when pedicures are very popular and all kinds of durable products are put on toe nails you might want to beware of this! Toe nails are absolutely not built in the same way as finger nails! There is no need to building and strengthen the apex, etc. Too often I have unfortunately seen terrible cases of small toes with thick layers of gel - “to be strong and last on the beach”. Wrong! The goal is to strengthen the nail structure while maintaining its maximum flexibility – and hence, reducing gel applications to a minimum.

If you really want to get perfect, long-lasting and effective looking toe nails it’s enough to apply just one layer of gel, with a thickness similar to nail varnish. Working in this way, apart from the undeniable aesthetic, you gain precious time.

I hope these few tips allow you to analyse your own style of work and maybe make some corrections, assuming that our work can always be enhanced, improved and refined. And hopefully if these changes are to the mutual satisfaction of client and stylist it would be a sin to not at least give it a try.

Step by Step

Angry 1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

Love

by Agnes Lassa

File and prepare natural nails Apply nail form and bonder Use cover pink acrylic to create nailbed Create a free edge with dark red acrylic and apply some foil over. File & buff & apply a top coat and cure. Finish with cuticle oil

2.

3.

4.

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from the Experts

The importance of having a

Website

by Darragh Bourke DB Consulting

I

know what you’re probably thinking. Why would I ever need a website when I have Facebook? Everything is done through Facebook nowadays, right? You can run events, sell online, create news posts, share documents and keep up to date with all of your customers whilst informing them of your special offers. Yes, Facebook has definitely become a fundamental marketing tool for any business owner. Whilst it is evident that Facebook is increasing its market share and is becoming so much more than a social media platform, it is important to remember that banking on Facebook alone is foolish.

The one thing which clients consistently say to me is “Give me one good reason why I need a website”. I am not going to give you just one; rather, I will provide you with seven core reasons why having a website is essential for the growth of your small business.

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1

Functionality

Facebook is a great platform for sharing news, images, event details and even product details but what it lacks is a huge number of vital elements that are some of the key components of any website. First of all, you have your own personal email address so rather than using a gmail or outlook (which, let’s face it is unprofessional for a business), you get an email address on your own domain name. Elements like a blog, shopping cart, customer support platforms, forums are just some of the features you will not find on Facebook.

For those of you working as beauticians or those who are salon owners, an excellent feature that is available is a simple booking form whereby you can allow your customers to not only book appointments but to also pay online in advance.

from the Experts professional website gives your business a great degree of credibility. Potential customers are more statistically more likely to opt for a business with a good online presence and a professional website rather than those who operate just through social media. Why? A website provides key information about your business that you will not find on Facebook and in the online world, providing your customers with that information leads to them trusting your brand more. How many times have you looked for information about a company, and was left in the dark? You need to provide your business with a professional image which will inspire even greater confidence. A website will do just that for your brand.

2

Customisation Whilst Facebook is simple to use in that you don’t need any coding knowledge and Facebook does all the hard work for you, there is a certain degree of totally boring to this. Everything across Facebook looks the same and there is no personalisation to be fair. With your own website, you can lay the site out exactly as you want, have your own colour schemes, a custom designed template. On top of that, your design inclusive of all of the content which you place on your website is your own copyright. This is something that people do not realise about Facebook a lot of the time. Every single thing which you put on Facebook becomes the intellectual property of Mark Zuckerberg and Co.

3

Creating a website can be Cost effective in the long run When people hear the words Website Design, the first thing that generally comes to mind is “This is going to cost a bomb”. The general belief is that all web designers will charge a ridiculous fee. This is not always the case though and some websites can cost as little as €100 to create. Even if it costs you a significant fee to setup, this is a once off fee.

The maintenance cost/hosting cost per month is on average no more than €10-15. You can avail of very effective and inexpensive advertising via your website through various online business directories most of which are free to join. On top of that if you have an extra bit of cash to spare each month, Google Adwords is a very effective form of advertising and is very affordable, particularly with the initial €75 free AdWords voucher, something that you do not see Facebook offering too often.

4

Increases Credibility In business, regardless of what industry you trade in, first impressions count. Having a

5

A website is crucial to Marketing success OK so this is the long one then. Imagine free advertising that can reach globally? In today’s online market, it’s entirely possible but what you need to do is to start with a website, which can be expanded to social media sites rather than starting with social media sites and then building your website. A website should be the central and focal point of your brand. If you want to still be visible on Social media networks, that’s mighty but why limit yourself? Do you think that if people visit your website, they won’t see your most recent news on Facebook or Twitter? They can, as most website platforms allow you to integrate all of the main social media networks into the sidebar area of your website. So whilst marketing your services on your website, you are also marketing your social media pages which form an important part of any SME’s marketing strategy. So what about advertising then?

Surely that costs money!

Think about this - Why would you even spend money on advertising when you can reach your target market for free. You’re probably thinking of the old phrase “You have to spend money to make money”; a phrase which really comes into play when it comes to marketing and advertising.

Yes this is quite true most of the time. Yet, believe it or not, I have three simple words which could change your entire marketing strategy SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION (more commonly known as SEO). Keeping it simple, SEO is the process of getting your website to appear highly on Google and Bing amongst other search engines but those are the two primary N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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from the Experts

engines to focus on (and let’s face it, very few people actually use Bing). If your website is optimised correctly, you do not need to advertise full stop. Why? Simple: When a potential customer searches “Nail Salon Limerick”, if your website is optimised correctly, yours will be the first website that appears. It is a simple, cheap and effective way to introduce your business to an entire new market that previously wouldn’t have existed. What happens if your website is not optimised properly? Well, once the funds for advertising eventually dry up, nobody is going to be able to find your site. Scary right? Well, with proper SEO, you can rest assured that you are opening yourself up to an amazing form of free advertising and to an international market at that.

6

Accurate source of information for your clients This is a pretty short and sweet one but a website can provide your clients with all types of information from the latest news to information on the latest products and services. It provides them with your business information such as Registration and legal information as well as your contact information such as the vitals – Phone Number, email, office hours. It can be a source of information for media outlets with a simple go to place for items like press releases and any information on events that might be around the corner. In addition, if you want to let your customers know where exactly you’re located, it is very easy to integrate the Google maps API and even give them accurate directions to your business premises.

7

Competition: Finally, having a website helps you to beat your competitors. Say for example you work from home or operate a mobile nail salon. What’s stopping you from competing with the high street nail salons? You guessed it – absolutely nothing.

In fact it might give you a competitive advantage.

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Whilst your competitors are forking out huge rent on a monthly basis in addition to newspaper and radio adverts, consider your one cost to be your hosting cost for your website on a monthly basis which is as low as €10 per month. Immediately that gives you a competitive advantage on a finance level. Knowing what you offer, seeing your work as well as being able to see countless testimonials saying how amazing you are will drive more and more customers your way. What’s more is that you are taking these customers from your competitors and if you’re good at what you do and your website is simple to use, you are keeping these customers.

Having items like an online booking form gives you an even bigger advantage making it easy for your customers to know when exactly you are available.

To sum up, yes you need a website. Yes Facebook is taking over but what people fail to realise is that for business owners there is an extraordinary cost involved to gain new customers and reach new markets. Instead with a professional website, you are talking a low cost and effective solution, what I would consider for any business to be an essential part of their marketing and branding strategy.

Bio: Darragh Bourke is a website designer and SEO specialist and is the owner of DB Consulting based in Limerick and also the managing director of Paw Pals. A graduate of the University of Limerick, Darragh specialises in helping small business owners and bloggers to achieve their online goals at an affordable cost whilst also educating SME owners and bloggers alike with his online webinars, 1on1 sessions and training days.

Contact Information: Full information is available on my website http://www.dbwebconsultant.com To arrange a completely free consultation email darragh@dbwebconsultant.com

Interview

Rock Provoc Something Borrowed CND Shellac Be Demure

Provoc Strawberry Kisses

Bio Sculpture Pink Iceberg

CND Shellac Creekside

CND Vinylux Weekly Polish

Bio Sculpture Hazyview

Those Pantone Colours N O. 21 (2/ 20 16 )

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Step by Step

Creative Rainbow Ellada Lutsenko, NSI Specialist, Ukraine

1

2

Step 1 Thoroughly prep the natural nail, push back cuticles, remove natural shine using Endurance 180/180 Grit File, remove the dust, apply Nailpure Plus to dehydrate. Take a Platinum Nail Form, fold into desired shape. If needed cut the hyponychium area to fit snug. Fit the form. Reapply Nailpure Plus, and apply Balance Bond (Acid Free) Nail Primer. Using Balance UV Gel Body Builder Soft Rose extend the natural nail bed, and create smile. Cure for 120sec. in Full Hand UV Light. Extend thin skeleton of free age using Balance UV Gel Performance Clear or One Step Clear. Cure for 90sec.

Step 2 Cover the free edge using Balance UV Gel – Body Builder Bright White.

Step 3 Apply drops of Polish Pro: Midnight, Dyed to Match, Scarlet or any other dark blue, red, and yellow shade

3

4

Step 4 Apply drops of Top Coat in the center of color drops.

Let Top Coat to marbleize. Cure for 90sec in full Hand UV Light.

Step 5 Cover the nail surface using Balance UV Gel Performance Clear or Top Gloss. Cure for 90sec. in Full Hand UV Light.

Step 6 File the nail using Endurance File 150/150 Grit in desire shape. Using Lavender Block Buffer or Endurance Buffer 240 side buff the nail to get the smooth surface.

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6

7

Step 7 Finish with Glaze’n Go. Cure for 90 seconds in full hand UV Light.

Product Review

Airbrush I have always been fascinated watching Asian nail techs creating amazing nail art with airbrush machines. I never thought I would get a chance to actually use one so I was very happy to give it a go. The whole thing looks scary but it did surprise me how easy it was to set up and it doesn’t take up that much space either. The silver handle fits in your hand perfectly so you feel like one of those street artists you see in Paris or Rome where they create those real looking paintings. Lately one of my clients said her brother is an airbrush painter and when I looked at his art I thought that even though it is possible on a big canvas it might be hard to transfer it onto a small surface like a nail.

w e i v e R

by Karolina Boczek

First: Put on your gloves! If you have nice nails done, don’t ruin them with the paint even though it comes off nicely with acetone. I saw some girls wearing face masks so as to avoid breathing in the paint, which is a good idea.

My first try was very easy, you can pour any colour and just spray it onto the nail, control the pressure for different effects.

Cleaning is pretty easy too but to be honest it will take a few minutes to get the design right.

Customers might not want to wait, but if you get it nice I believe they will be fascinated by the skills you have and the effect they can have on their nails so that time will not be an issue.

The drying time of the paint is pretty fast. I have to say it has nice silky shiny finish and most important ly a really thin layer so the design will not be raised. As I have never used this machine before I want to show you how easy it is to set up and turn on. Obviously if you wish to be more advanced as I expect you will want to be, training is defintiely equired. It’s a great tool once you get used to it and have stencils etc. The model I am using is very powerful and solid and I believe it will serve

me for a long time. Check out other designs I have created with this machine on our website (www. yournailsmag.com). You can check out www. airbrushes.com for more info and email them if you have any questions regarding your set up, and troubleshooting.

If you have enough of your clients coming with Pinterest pictures and having to say to them for the 100th time that this design is created with airbrush and you are not able to copy it, then this is your chance to be able to actually copy the design and create something amazing.

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Product Review

Editor’s

Product Review Product reviews are performed by our subscribers who are not necessarily fully trained in using these products. Any issues with products might be a fault of missing information about usage of products. Please refer to the supplier for more information.

Provoc Strip Lashes Well, I am not a huge make up person and definitely not a lash person. I once tried semi permanent lashes that stay on for 3 weeks and you need to get them refilled and I hated them so much that I never got them done again. But I guess it is like going to a bad nail technician if you get it wrong one time you are put off for the rest of your life until you decide to try a professional guaranteed service. With my lash adventure it wasn’t that the service was done wrong but they felt so heavy on my eyes, and believe me I have long thick lashes myself so to add to this it felt like something was sitting on the top of my eyelid all the time. I had tried Provoc Lashes a couple occasions (8 hrs party) and yes, they didn’t fall off and yes, I struggled to put them on as I am not a make up artist, but it didn’t take as long as I was expected. So I was happy with them at the end of the night, I mean in the morning, that they stayed on glued to my eyelid at both inner and outer corner as this is the most common spot where lashes like to disobey and simply let go. Provoc has a huge variety of shapes and lengths from very short to very long, from black to ginger for blondes. How amazing is that?

You need to try them out!

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Product Review

Artisan GelEfex My personal opinion is that it is a good gel polish. I am all about consistency and if it’s not right I do not like using the product as it delays me which means I spend more time on a service than I should. I have a few products in my salon that I don’t like but still use as the colours are popular. Artisan is not one of them. I like that the consistency is not too thick so it’s easy to apply but what I like the most about it was that it doesn’t create that lump at the edge as some of the other gel polishes do no matter how you try to avoid it. I put on 2 coats first to see the coverage and it was ok but I am not a fan of 2 coats as I think that the third coat finishes the look and gives a crisp final perfect look to the sides and edges. So I added another coat and I was pleased with the result. It still didn’t feel heavy on the nail which is an advantage. The top coat is a watery consistency which means it will last a long time and won’t get gluey. What I have noticed that is that it doesn’t glow under the lamp which might be due to a low percentage of UV filter but our clients might be pleased knowing that their nails won’t light up the night club if they don’t want to. The shine from the top coat after removing the sticky layer was satisfactory, no visible faults. Again, overall I have to say that this product is good and not causing any disruption at work and no visible problems. There is a wide range of colours and the bottles look smart on the shelves and the colours are visible on the top so you don’t need to check inside the bottle or search the name etc.

Crystal Nails Snake Skin Effect Gel Polish Have you ever tried to do a nice snake skin effect without spending 30 mins on it? This time you get a chance as Crystal Nails has launched snake skin effect gel polish. It’s been on the market for a few months now and you have probably seen it so you know that it’s amazing. Bettina sent it to me before the last issue but I didn’t get a chance to review it, although I did get a chance to use it a couple of times on my clients and myself. I remember before you had to apply one layer of gel polish then clear, then black, and then play around with dotting tool and at the end you weren’t guaranteed the effect anyway. How about if I told you that all you need to use is one coat of gel polish, bright colour or even none - the choice is yours. You can play with different colours underneath to achieve different effects. After curing one layer of colour apply a very, very thin layer of Crystal Nails gel polish snake skin effect. It will look like nothing can come out of it but trust me, you don’t want to put too much on as it will get too thick at the sides when it spreads. To achieve the snake effect you just put little dots of clear gel polish top coat and it does the work itself.

The greatest thing about this is when it spreads the outer lines it creates changes colour to metallic so you have that metallic snake effect. It comes with a few different shades so each time you can create something new. Worth a try!

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Step by Step

Perfect Red Manicure

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Step 1: Clean the cuticle area of excess oil.

File and shape the natural nail with 180/180 Crystal Nails Professional File.

Always ask the client about her preference in shape.

Use white buffer from Crystal Nails to prepare the nail surface Step 2: Apply a thin coat of base coat.

You can use 2in1 Base and Top coat from Crystal Nails. If the nails 68

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are weaker than average use Extreme Hard Nail Hardening Coat from Crystal Nails.

Step 3: Apply the first coat of Crystal Nails long lasting nail polish in a very thin layer.

Pay attention to the edges and the clean lines.

Step 4: Apply Crystal Nails long lasting

nail polish in a slightly thicker layer and make sure the edges are sealed.

Step 5: Apply a layer of Crystal Nails Weekly Top Coat or 2in1 Base and Top Coat on the nails and treat the cuticles with Crystal Nails Cuticle oil.

from the Experts

How To Make Money On Natural Nail Care BETTINA BORDAS, CRYSTAL NAILS IRELAND “Being a nail technician doesn’t mean that we only do artificial nails. In my opinion, we have to be passionate about nails altogether and there are ways to treat natural nails as well. Your nails are made from layers and layers of dead, flattened cells, therefore you can’t really treat the nails by only applying some product onto them.

You have to go back to the ‘roots’ called the matrix, and give them extra care. (The matrix produces the cells which become the nail plate) My favourite product is the Japanese Manicure kit from Crystal Nails. Before you start, you have to buff the nail plate with a white block to open the cells of the nail plate and give free way to the goodies. Next step is to apply the Bee’s Wax Paste which contains extra keratin and vitamins. You massage it right into the nail plate with your polisher, which comes in the kit. When you are done, you use Bee’s Wax Powder –which also contains extra keratin- to close the cells of the nail plate. The result is healthy looking, super shiny nails with a smooth surface.

To make the treatment more effective and more enjoyable, don’t forget to give a little hand massage and cuticle oil. My personal favourite is the Skin Butter from Crystal Nails but you can also use their Lavender lotion too, and you can choose 5 different cuticle oils. The treatment takes approximately 30 minutes and you can charge €20-€40 for it, depending on your area and local competition. The Japanese Manicure kit is available from Crystal Nails Ireland for €50+VAT and it covers you for about 200 sets. I recommend it after artificial nails or just to pamper the natural nails. They will appreciate it and so will your clients… “

EXCELLENT NAILS One of the most popular ways to monetize the natural nail treatment is a Japanese manicure. It gained a reputation as one of the most sought after treatments in the world, mainly because it has a positive natural effect on the nail plate and gives them a unique glow. Japanese manicure is used to protect the natural nail plate. The treatment is recommended for brittle and splitting nails. Moreover, it supplies them with the natural constituents in the paste and powder which includes keratin, vitamins A, E, bee pollen, and silica from the Sea of Japan. The procedure takes approx. 30 minutes and should be repeated every 2 weeks.

JOANNA FIGASINKA, MAGNETIC NAIL DESIGN IRELAND When a stylist has knowledge, she should share it with her clients. Clients love to listen about what they should eat or do to keep their nails healthy and looking well.

We should inform our customers that all of the in-store cuticle oils available in retail stores, which are “2 in 1”, “7 in 1”, “chemical free”, contain vitamins, “breathing nails”, etc etc, is only for marketing purposes and there is nothing on the market which they can put on their nail plate to make their nails grow faster. You can apply hardeners, sealers, but none of these products cause the plate to grow better. We can then offer them creams and cuticle oils, which they will buy willingly, which is why every salon should have them in stock. We should explain to them how to use them, what to include and what to expect, and advise them not to buy the cheap creams from ebay or allegro.

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Nail Peeps Q & A

l i a N s p e e P

...advice from YOURNAILS Facebook friends

Q1: Do you suffer from any back or hand problems?

Q2: If yes, do you go to the physiotherapist or do you ignore the symptoms?

Q3: Do you do any exercises between services to reduce your pains?

Q4: Do you have any breaks between the services?

Q1

90% SUFFER FROM BACK/ HAND PROBLEMS

Q2

80% IGNORE SYMPTOMS

Leighanne Hanlon

Monika Kedzierska

Q3

20% SEE PHYSIOTHERAPIST

50% DO EXERCISES BETWEEN SERVICES Izabela Kolodziej

Q4 50% TAKE BREAKS BETWEEN SERVICES

Ilona Konsek Inga Balciunaite 70

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Amie Pike

Interview

H

ow does it feel to be World Champion?

It feels absolutely amazing! I will never forget the day of September 1st 2015, it was literally the most important and the most exciting day of my life. I was dreaming about it for a long time and I was so happy and honoured when i was invited to participate in the World Nail Championship 2015.

The competition started in the morning and of course I couldn’t sleep all night. I was so focused on the competition that I couldn’t even talk clearly, all my thoughts were on the result of my work. The award ceremony started in the evening and I was really nervous all day long. When the head judge,

Competition here in Romania, which is so important to me and to all professionals who want to grow in their professional status.

Have you become more famous in your country?

I would not actually say more famous; I was very well known even before, but since I was awarded the title of World Nail Champion, people now respect my work even more. Nail technicians who have just joined this industry know that they can come to my trainings without any fear of losing money as they know they will get premium knowledge and training.

Tatiana Litvinov World Nail Champion Terri Malon, started announcing the winners, my heart was beating like a rabbits. I still remember that she was saying how the title of the World Nail Champion will change the life of its holder and then came the moment to say the name and I suddenly heard my name. I was so extremely happy that I couldn’t say a word, just tears of happiness came out of my eyes. The ones who really screamed were my husband and my dear model and friend Ivette Gomez Lopez, you can hear it in the video! All three of us started to cry and we were full of such strong feelings and emotions that I had never felt in my life, just because it was so important for me.

Is it like winning the Olympics?

Probably yes :) For me, first of all, it was like my personal Olympics, because I was thinking that if I could become World Nail Champion, then I can do and gain anything I want in this world.

Has it changed your life in any way?

Absolutely! I got very confident about every part of my life, I know now for sure what I want and how to get there. Workwise I started having more trainings worldwide, working on big projects, one of them is organizing the famous NAILPRO FINAL CUP

You have worked so hard for it, how many hours did you train before?

Yes, indeed, I trained very hard for this. I literally isolated myself from all activities, I went for trainings abroad to improve my skills and after I came back, I trained two weeks in row, stopping just to eat and sleep. I didn’t count the hours, but all I was doing during that time was thinking about nails, doing nails and dreaming about nails.

Was there any point during that time that you wanted to give up and not take part in it?

Oh yes! There were a lot of things happening in my life and business in the months before the competition, sometimes it was difficult to find the time but I thank God for my awesome family who supported me and motivated me in the times when I was ready to give up. As you can see, the new style “Sectio Aureea” is very difficult to build and in such a short time. I was training hard everyday until I couldn’t feel my fingers! My husband always believed that this title would be mine and I deeply thank him for all his support.

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Interview

What did you learn from this experience ?

I learned the most important lesson of my life EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE - you just need to focus and work every day as much as you can to get there.

Let’s talk about the industry in general. You can see a lot of nail stylists, nail artists on Social Media with amazing nail art skills but you can see that they have no idea about doing nails, in fact they haven’t got any knowledge about health and safety, actual care for nail bed etc. Do you think it’s fair to learn from them?

There are not many professionals who have excellent structure skills and art skills at the same time, I know just a few of them and I call them real ‘Nail Gurus’.

The trainings in the nail industry are divided in two big categories: nail structure and nail art. What every technician MUST first do, is to learn all about natural nail care, health and safety and artificial nail structure. Having this knowledges creates a solid base for the nail technician to grow and develop in her career. Art is additional; don’t get me wrong, I love art a lot as well, I do trainings in art, but I am always saying to my students that art is nothing if you can’t build a beautiful, strong and healthy nail. To answer your question, my opinion is that all you can learn from them is art on tips only, that’s it!

Do you think there should be a difference in naming nail technicians and nail artists, so we know exactly what they do? Should the title Nail Artist come from being a nail technician, not the other way around?

Indeed, there is a difference. Nail Technicians are those professionals who have learned and know everything about nail structure using gel and/or acrylic technologies. Nail Artists are professionals who only decorate nails. The title ‘Nail Artist’ should definitely come from being a Nail Technician, but unfortunately isn’t always this way....

Do you think that nail competitions still have an impact on our careers or are they so common now

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and maybe it is easy to get a title, that it has lost it’s power?

I think nail competitions are very important in our careers. In my case they helped me to raise the level of my professionalism and to become a better trainer. When we decide to compete, we work hard on improving our skills, and this absolutely helps us to grow in the desired field. You are right that today there are a lot of competitions where it is really easy to win a trophy, but at the same time there are some competitions which are worldwide and are known as the best ones and where all the big names in the nail industry are born. For me personally, I always choose to participate in high status competitions, the rules are strictly professional and you can’t cheat. All the work must be done just by hand and brush - this means real professional.

Will you still take part in competitions knowing that you cannot get any higher title?

Well, you know Karolina, I really love competing, I love this feeling, the adrenalin in the blood and the experience from it, but now I will concentrate more on teaching nail technicians to raise their skill levels and become champions. Yes, I will take part in competitions but already more as a judge.

Who knows, maybe I will compete again, it is like an addiction!

Do you have anyone that you get inspiration from?

My everyday work gives me the biggest inspiration. But if you are talking about people, yes ! David Fowler, who is an amazing trainer and gave me not only technical skills for competitions but who always gives you the feeling like “You can do it!”, and he will always be my inspiration. Another very close person to me is Viktoria Klopotova, besides being an amazing nail technician and trainer, she is full of information and she always shares it with people. It’s always a pleasure to work with her.

Have you any other dreams you wish to come true?

I think that I can say I am very lucky because all that I ever wanted is coming true. Right now my dream is to organize NAILPRO FINAL CUP Romania in a highly professional way and to reunite competitors from all over Europe.

Step by Step

ipe, ape, P h s l i a This n the s from two come on of i t a n i ond comb s - alm m r o f c ffers a classi e. It o r a u nt q iffere and s ally d t n e m d is funda ure an t c e t i t, and arch legan e , e l i t versa ntly, porta m i form t s mo , this y a d o le. T rity durab opula p d e n ai nd it has g orld a w e h er t end in all ov d a tr e r e d i s is con .

6 201

CASE STUDY

by Tatiana Litvinov

If you are interested in presenting a case study, please contact Karolina on info@yournailsmag.com.

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Step by Step

CASE STUDY NO: 5 PIPE NAILS

This nail shape offers practicality and durability in daily wear. When applied properly, the “tube” is very hard to break, which will no doubt make the owner happy.

As the author and developer of this form, I am glad that Pipe is quite popular at the moment and I would like to encourage nail artists and technicians to offer this nail shape to their clients, to give their hands a compelling look (especially since it is in vogue!).

1. Prepare and clean the surface of the natural nail with a pro pusher and apply the preparation products.

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by Tatiana Litvinov

2. Shape the natural nail to fit the form.

3. Form needs to fit under the free edge perfectly so cut it to the desired shape if necessary.

4. Place the form under the free edge, defining the curve according to the highest point of the lengthwise arch of the natural nail and the planned nail length( same as for a tapered square shape ). Make sure the form is fitted slightly up along the side walls of the nails.

Step by Step

5. Using Clear or Pink acrylic powder, extend the platform to the desired length. Start from the tip of the nail.

7. Using colored acrylic powder extend the free edge in the Pipe shape. Work smoothly to create nice shape.

9. Apply another bead to the centre of the nail to create an apex.

10. Apply acrylic to the cuticle area.

8. Start applying clear acrylic powder to the free edge of the nail and work up towards cuticle area.

6. Extend the nail bed to the desired length using the Cover Pink acrylic powder. Make sure the smile line is nice and crisp.

Don’t forget to leave space at the side walls so the smile line is nice and deep. The shape of the smile line should correspond to the shape of the free edge.

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Editorial 11. Pinch the nail to get a very good C-curve. You can help the pinching process by fitting a clip on the laterals of the builded nail.

The C-Curve should be nice and deep, and sides a little bit narrower than in the square shape.

14. Apply a gel Top Coat and cure it under the UV or LED light, cleanse if it’s necessary and add some cuticle oil. The Pipe nails are ready!

12. File the nail using the steps for the Pipe shape, starting from the free edge of the nail.

13. Move onto the top of the nails, making sure it’s straight.

Place a file on the top of it to check if needed.

File both sides paying great attention to the thickness and also both sides should be same.

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Step by Step

Chrome

Bouquet Leighanne Skilton, Waterford Educator, Young Nails

1.

6.

2.

3.

7.

4.

5.

8.

9.

1. Buff the nails.

2. Apply Base Coat.

3. Apply black Polish.

4. For the design use silver polish.

5. Scrape excess polish off screen.

6. Press sponge directly onto stamper.

7. And then quickly press onto the nail before the polish dries.

Tidy up around the skin with acetone to remove excess design.

8. Apply Lucents Chrome Polish over the top for a sheer effect.

9. Finish with top coat then apply drying drops for a speedy setting.

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Interview

Women

IN BUSINESS

Bettina Bordas Crystal Nails Ireland

1. How did you start in this business?

I always loved nails. Different colours, different shapes, designs. I decided to start my career in the nail industry in 2007 but I realized that in Ireland I couldn’t find the products what I was looking for.

2. What was the process of setting up Crystal Nails Ireland?

First of all I was looking to bring the best Nail products into Ireland and I have tested all the products from different countries. Finally I found Crystal Nails - perfect gels, colours, quality and design. I had a plan of how to launch the new brand but to make sure that I was doing the right thing I took a business course and created my business plan carefully. It took almost a year to plan the perfect marketing. First we launched our website and introduced the products by visiting the salons.

We also organized free workshops at the same time.

Since everything went well and the demand for our products was growing month by month we started to exhibit in the RDS and opened a shop in Dublin 7.

3. Did you find it difficult to grow your business with so much competition around?

It was very difficult at the beginning but I was sure that there was no similar company with more than

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400 gel colours and so many different builder gels.

When I started the business there were not too many nail brands available in Ireland. I would say launching something new now is more difficult because the competition is so much bigger!

4. What made you stay in this business during the hard times?

I always believed in Crystal Nails and all the positive feedback from our customers encouraged me to continue what I did. I started the business in the middle of the recession so my business teacher said: ‘If you are able to stay in the market and grow now, you will always find the way how to be successful and even bigger.’

5. What advice would you give to women in the business?

My advice to nail technicians: Be maximalist and work hard. Use high quality products to avoid your clients disappointment. There is such big competition among nail technicians so you can’t afford to lose a single client. Another common mistake- don’t underestimate yourself! If you have trained hard and you have completed many nail art courses don’t be afraid to charge more for the treatments.

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