So I just had a new client come. When she booked her appointment, she specifically asked for a manicure with "the uv color coat"-- she did not mention any specific brand name. When she arrived, however, she was specifically interested in Shellac. She said she didn't want "gel" because her friend in LA (Los Angeles, not Louisianna) had had "gel" and had to soak it off in acetone... I explained that acetone is how we get it off-- Shellac included-- but most professionals opt for the "individually wrapped" method instead of soaking in a bowl. But that Shellac would have to be soaked off with acetone as well. Anyway... during our conversation it became extremely apparent that-- once again-- I was battling marketing that led the consumer to believe that one product was significantly different from its competitor products in ways that I don't think it is. So can y'all bombard me with some technical data about the various UV polish formulas? I've largely been nodding and smiling through all the "hybrid" vs "all gel" talk... I don't understand why I'm seeing a sudden trend toward "all gel" formulas? Do we want "all gel" formulas just because of the solvent evaporation issues? Or is there some advantage to an all gel formula in wearability/removability/health of the nail(ability?) What constitutes a "hybrid" formula? I was largely under the impression that Shellac, Gelish, Polish Pro etc all fell into the "hybrid" category-- and that "hybrid" was largley a buzz word for marketing purposes. I don't really love that consumers seem to be getting the impression that there's significant difference between all the different "gel polish" products-- not differences such as "Shellac doesn't need to be soaked off in acetone" or that "you don't have to go back to the salon to get Shellac off" that I was hearing from this lady. Mind you, this young woman was educated, articulate, and intelligent; exactly the type of customers we'd all love. BUT I also found her to fall into the category of women that feel that they have done their research and know more than I do. I could HEAR her brain sweeping most of what I said aside because it contradicted what she thought she knew. Like I say, "well, acetone is how we remove these products, Shellac isn't significantly different from Brands X,Y, and Z in that respect, but most professionals opt for a method of removel where we wrap each nail individually with acetone-soaked cotton pads in order to avoid excessive exposure to the acetone. This method is faster, less messy, and less drying to the skin." And she nods and smiles at me while she mentally corrects that to, "Yeah, lady, I know you're just trying to make me come back so you can charge me to take this off... I read on the Internet that I can take Shellac off myself." Anyway... I'm looking for a little more info that can help me properly compare the major lines of UV polish. Like, which ones are considered "hybrids" and which ones are "all gel" etc.
Maggie Franklin: Owner & Artist, The Art of Nailz, Visalia CA "Visionary rebel dreamer; obviously way ahead of my time." Maggie Rants [and Raves]@Nails Magazine Facebook -- 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]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nailtech?hl=en.
