nails: liquid & powder L&P revival!
“The correct mix of the Liquid & Powder is so crucial to the clarity and longevity of the product and if not done correctly, the cracks in the nails soon start to show.”
She continues: “Take the time to master your correct mix ratio, once done you will begin to see the advantages and more importantly, creating the correct mix ratio.”
Katie adds: “As L&P is self-curing, many techs have problems working with the product as it can set fast, so until lots of experience is gained it can take a lot of practice getting the ration of Liquid & Powder bead sizes right.”
“As with all nails, there are always areas that a new, and even established, tech can have issues with and product control can be hard,” adds Jess. “Make sure you understand how your product works and the stages it goes through with polymerisation.”
“I would say [mastering the ratios] is the toughest part as each system is different,” says Elise. “It just takes practice, determination to get it right and when you do, it provides resilient enhancements that are perfect for your clients’ needs.”
As well as practice, working with a professional L&P system and appropriate tools and forms are a must. “Products and tools are always important, [such as] a good brush and colour powders with a strong pigment and [which] are medium to fast setting,” says Kerry Moores, Absolute Master Educator at Crystal Nails.
“Make sure that your tools work for you,” adds Jess. “If you need to, replace your brush. It will mean you get a better product pick up, rather than struggling with a six month/year old brush which has seen better days.”
perfecting nail shapes
The ability to work the L&P into the appropriate shape is vital; not all clients’ hands are the same. “Shapes are important for many reasons including the client’s lifestyle and hand/finger shape,” explains Amanda. “A perfect shape can be achieved by sculpting the nail and if required pinching gently, then filing. Tips give a good platform for the product so may help beginners, however they don't actually offer any strength whereas forms are perfect for so many nail types including bitten nails and re-shaping nails that may grow slightly differently, such as ski slope nails, egg shell
“Having a good file technique is essential for consistency,” says EzFlow International Master Artist Educator Jess Marks. Image courtesy of Denise Wright Nails / Perfect 10.
nails and nails that curve down into a claw shape.”
“Sculpting is a valuable skill to learn and opens up the way for creating different nail shapes and designs,” says Melissa Ebanks, Education Emissary for The Creative Beauty Group. “It provides strong enhancements if they are built correctly as the nail is pure product applied directly to the nail. You can correct and provide better strength and longevity to problematic natural nail shapes like concave and convex and also extend the nail bed on a nail biter that you can't apply a tip too.”
“Shape and structure are really important,” says Jess. “They can change the whole look of someone’s nails and hands, making fingers look longer and even elongating and slimming wider nails. Nail shape can also be trend or fashion-led too. So if clients want to keep up with fashions they can, without having to spend a fortune for the latest designer outfit.”
“In the salon generally people are asking for almond shape nails a lot more, even though the square nail, whether a sharp or soft square, is still popular,” explains Kerry.
However, L&P also allows you the flexibility to be more experimental, as Paulina explains: “Because of the incomparable strength of this material and easiness of pinching, acrylic is best used when creating extreme shapes such as Stiletto, Gothic Almond, Edge and many more [shapes]. It’s also more suitable for longer nails.”
“A lot of getting different shapes right can be down to form application. Different nails
have different structure and apex placement, so starting off with the right (form) fit will get you on your way to mastering the shape you are after as well as ensuring the nails are not only looking slender and on point but have a strong structure for longer wear,” explains Jess. “Filing and refining nail shapes and having a good file technique is essential for consistency. The more you follow a technique, the more muscle memory you will retain, meaning that your body knows how you hold a file and the angle it needs to be at for different areas, such as filing the cuticle area.”
refresher training
We can only give you a brief re-introduction to the vast topic of L&P here, so if you’re considering returning to this trusted and versatile system then undertaking refresher training in your chosen system is a must. “L&P is a big topic. There is a huge amount to learn on the path to mastering this king of all nail enhancement systems. Proper education will be the key to gaining skill and confidence in as fast a time as possible,” says Fee.
Jess Marks concludes with some fantastic advice: “[L&P] is a great medium to create nails with and of course it’s the daddy of them all! It’s strong, durable and once you’ve mastered it, the sky is the limit. Do not give up, practice and master the basics with product control. Trust me, once it clicks you’ll never look back!”
Turn the page to see just some of the professional L&P systems available to you…
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