Becky, I too have been struggling with Frenches. I think I may have mastered it this week, using a variety of suggestions and products but you may be able to find a combination that works for you. This is what I did...
Prepped nail - which amounts to push cuticle back, remove shine with a buffer and clean nail with YN Swipe. Prime just the free edge with Protein Bond Applied ECO Base Cured 2 min Applied Pink, swiped the free edge with a dry brush to remove pink and I wasn't particular at all about it. Cured 2 min Removed tacky layer. I then applied Shellac's Cream Puff, just like I would nail polish and cleaned up the smile line with my clean up brush. This was almost exactly the look and feel of how you do it with polish. I got the best consistency when I was applying it and it was like when your white nail polish would get thick and you would kind of drag it on, with polish it looks crappy, with the gel it evens out and looks great. There was no need to flash cure the whites, just cure 2 minutes I then applied a SO gel top coat and it filled in all the nooks and crannies that were left by the gap between the pink and white and just finished it to perfection. Cure 2 min At the very end, and I do this also with all gel services, I filed the sidewalls and free edges to remove any scratchies and then sprayed with CND Solar Speed Spray to finish the nails and hands with some solar oil and the client's love the smell. I have the above listed on my own nails for three days now and it's wearing good even while in acetone and filing nails all day. I have it on two client testers as well and so far so good! Hope this helps! R On Thu, May 13, 2010 at 3:52 PM, Becky <[email protected]> wrote: > OK. *sigh* > > I am irritated with french manicures. I hate gel. LOL > > This week I've had several new clients asking about SOG's. Sooooooooooo, > I've applied several FRENCH MANI's and I have some issues. I will be as > detailed as possible and feel free to chime in and correct me. > > French Mani #1 > - No base coat, only dehydration with ScrubFresh > - Axxium Hawaiian Orchid applied directly to the nail, one coat > - Dispersion layer LEFT, applied white SOG - flash cured 4 nails at a time > - White was way too thick, ended up BUFFING THE NAIL then topping with top > gloss and curing 2 min > > On this particular manicure, as I was dripping sweat down my neck - > STRESSING OUT because I my french mani's are usually FLAWLESS in acrylic or > polish. This SUCKED! I ended up buffing the nail gently to smooth out the > HUGE lip of white I had (I applied as thin as possible without being able to > see brush marks - swiped the nails... cured. BEGIN PANIC ATTACK. > > She texts me the next day and says 2 of her nails are "lifting". BECAUSE > the polish had gotten a little "crusty" on the free edge, I GENTLY filed the > edge and apparently broke the seal - I'm not sure because I don't remember > which nails this happened on WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE NEXT question: How are > you people capping a short free edge (like on the video that Holly posted) > and NOT getting those little crusties on the edge?!??! > > French Mani #2 > - ScrubFresh THOROUGHLY, applied Protein Bond to free edge > - Axxium applied directly over nail > - White CINA pen to tips > - Top It Off Gloss top coat > > On this one (same client, I had her remove all product and I re-did her > nails), I applied Axxium, removed the dispersion layer and used the CINA > Nail Art Pen to apply the white. Looks great, ok, moving on to other hand - > come back to the first hand and some of the white has gotten spotty! > REAPPLIED another coat of white, touched up - applied Top Gloss, DRAGGED > HALF THE WHITE ONTO THE NAIL BED! ARGHHHHHH............ REMOVED ALL WHITES, > tried again (remember the sweating from earlier? Yes, the pits are drenched > and I'm frreeeakkinngg out inside, keeping my cool on the outside..... I > feel a bead of sweat come down the FRONT OF MY NECK, LOL!!! Second attempt > of Cina application - allowed it to dry more thoroughly and left a "buffer" > of gloss on the brush so I wouldn't drag it this time, capped free edge > (made sure to cover ALL Cina so it wouldn't wipe off) - cured, BAM! > Gorgeous......the only exception is that the whites weren't perfect because > that pen wasn't perfect, but that was only seen by ME - otherwise it was > very nice. > > French Mani #3 > - ScrubFresh thoroughly only > - Axxium applied directly to nail > - White Cina Pen to tips > - Top it Off top coat > > This one went well, but I did have to file the free edge on a couple again > (did this one before I heard that French Mani #1 had "lifted") so I'm scared > to death she's going to call and say hers are lifting too. > > Notes: I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE GEL FRENCH MANI's. I need an EASY > way to do these and have them look great. So far, the best method has been > applying the pink and swiping (reverse application) flash curing one hand, > do the other hand, flash cure - apply white, butting it up against the pink > where you swiped (so take care to make the swipe accurate) IF I am to use > SOG for the entire process. If I use the Cina pen, I need some advice on > whether to apply it over the dispersion layer or not and how to take care > not to get the CRUSTIES on the free edge! > > I absolutely recommend that you do NOT file the free edge no matter how > jagged it ends up - but I need to make sure it doesn't happen because > clients will pick! > > MUCH advice needed! > -- > Becky F. > Licensed Nail Tech > KC, Mo. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "NailTech" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<nailtech%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NailTech" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. 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