Practice Makes Perfect

I’ve had a few people ask me about how I practice enhancement application and nail art, since I’m always posting on Facebook that I’m practicing.  I practice a lot!  School can only teach you so much, the only way to perfect your technique is to do it over and over, and then do it some more.  Since the creepy practice hands and fingers available for the aspiring nail artist are much more trouble than they’re worth, I’ve developed my own method for creating practice nails, and today I’ll show you what I use.

Now I’m sure that I didn’t come up with this on my own.  When I started doing nails awhile back, I probably saw something similar online, but time has erased the memory of where I got the idea.  I have learned that some products work better than others though, at least for me…

The first thing you’re going to want to do is run to your local Sally’s Beauty Supply and get some cuticle sticks (doesn’t matter what brand), some nail glue (whatever’s on clearance), and some nail tips.  The nail tips are important!  I only buy Terrific Tips - Enchanted Nights for this.  They’re the perfect length, are inexpensive, and don’t require any modification.  This is the only thing I use these tips for!  They’re not good tips for gluing onto your nail!

 

Take a cuticle stick and cut it in half.  I have a pair of surgical scissors that can cut through bone that I use for this, but a pair of wire cutters or any heavy duty scissors will work too.

 

 

 

 

Next, place a dab of glue on the back of the tip, and one on the uncut side of your nail stick, then glue them together.  Be sure to dab both surfaces, or it won’t bond right and when you’re filing your practice nail the tip will go flying off in an unknown direction, never to be seen again. 

Hold together for about 10 seconds, and then set aside to cure for an hour before using.

 

I purchased a block of floral foam at my local craft store, and poked 25 holes in one side of it to store sticks while they’re drying.  That way they don’t get bumped, and ruin a pretty polish job.

I also make sure I get the most use out of my sticks.  As you can guess, it takes a while to make up a batch (I usually do it while watching TV, it takes about an hour to make 50), so you’ll want to be sure to get as much use as you can out of each one.  First, I practice acrylic or UV gel application on a tip, and then I use them to practice nail art. 

If I’m happy with my final creation, I just pop the stick into a pretty little bucket filled with shiny pebbles for display.  My clients can then handle it, take a close look, and even hold it up to their own nails if they like.

You, of course, can develop your own practice tips that work well for you.  Personally I tried cheaper sticks (like tooth picks) and became frustrated when they didn’t hold up to filing.  I’ve tried other tips that were too long for most of my purposes, and needed too much modification.  I decided that it was better to spend a little more and save a lot of time.

Hopefully though, I’ve given a couple of aspiring nail techs a few good ideas! 

Hugs,