Category: 2015

Loosing a toe nail options:-

Trauma/Injury or Fungal Infection

The loss of any nail is upsetting whether its a break to your newly grown natural fingernails, a possible “ping off” of a nail extension or a loss of a nail from the toe, there is always a flood of emotion.  Anger, fear or maybe disappointment but one thing is true all those losses are extremely common.

If you are unfortunate enough to lose a toe nail this information is for you, and if you are lucky enough to not have experienced this please take note of information to help maintain healthy toe nails.

Your 1st step is noticing if your toe nails have changed in any way.  Colouring is the most obviously sign.  Trauma to your toe nail may show in a black/blue/red form and a fungal infection may change the nail to a white/yellow/green look.  Are they painful?  Is the nail still attached but loose?

It is very common to have runners toe which people suffer from when running long distances as your toes are swollen, perspiring and crammed into a tight space.  They will endure pressure on the base from the velocity your feet hit the ground and the tip of the toes from the sheer speed you are travelling.  Our poor tootsies are silently bearing the brunt of our amazing fitness 😉

If you suspect the change is a fungal issue do not contact your nail technician make an appointment at your GP who will advise you as to what treatment will be best to clear up the infection.  If you leave the infection unattended hoping that it will clear up itself by growing out, it will NOT it will continue to effect your nail as it grows!!

When / If your toe nail eventually detaches do not fear, follow your instruction of treatment from your GP and sit back and watch your nail grow.  Toe nails grow extremely slow compared to our fingernails.  Be patient it could take the best part of a year but as long as the nail matrix is not damaged your entire toe nail will grow back strong, smooth and healthy with a wonderful pink nail bed.

Going forward with toe nail health there are simple things we can all do to maintain a nice environment for them to live in.  We must wear clean, thick socks made of natural fibres, shoes with space giving your toes plenty of room, keep toe nails short and cut in a straight line.

I wish you all happy, healthy toe nail journeys in hope that mine grows back as soon as possible.

 

One year on and look how far I have come.

The journey to setting out onto the nail roads as I call it, was one that made me feel nervous and excited at the same time.  Going into an industry which I am unfamiliar with other than occasionally being on the receiving end of a treatment left me with only my nail knowledge to work with.

That nail knowledge has taken me a long way.  When I 1st started out I had no clients, my friends would let me practice on their nails and then show them off to anyone who would look.  To get all the way to this year and have regular clients plus new clients coming every month who then become my regular clients, who then direct their friends and family on my direction as well is priceless.  Every client I have at the moment is through referral which I find most humbling, that people like me enough to tell others.

As a round up of the 1st year I have learnt:-

• This job/life makes me very happy 🙂
• Spend every penny wisely
• Social media is an important cog in the promotion of a business and Instagram has looked after me.
• Training with brand specific products seems expensive but is worth its weight in gold.

With all that in mind whats the plan for year 2 of Rhi Rhi Nails It?

World domination!!!!!

More training, more trade shows, more practicing, more nail competitions, more marketing, more fun, more smiles.  More, more and more.

As this is my 1st full year of working inside the beauty industry I did not expect to be invited to the Professional Beauty North as a VIP  but it happened! NSI requested that I attend as one if their VIP’s and I was very grateful.  The first day of the event was my birthday but I booked my travel arrangements to go up to Manchester on the second/last day; the Monday.

Travel from Luton to Manchester was very easy, made a friend once getting to Manchester station, even shared a cab over to the venue.

The buzz and pace of Manchester Central made me smile with the hope that there would be bargains and new equipment or products to be snatched up in a hurry. I attended one of the seminars that was given by a very knowledgable lady named Claire and her Operations Manager for a company called Perfect 10.  It was focused on the mobile beauty industry.  I went with plenty of lined paper and a pen full of ink, which was lucky as they had many interesting points to make when it comes to the finer details of a mobile business.  I have lots to work on.

To my surprise there were nail tool stands on nearly every row which was great for me, I felt that time was getting away from me and could not look properly at all the different types but did manage to find myself 2 very hard to come by cuticle pushers which I had to snap up quickly.  I also found some gold leaf foil which I have been eyeing on the internet for some time and now I have some of that too.  Ready to ace some nail art with that asap.

There was also stages with live demonstrations, I saw a gel V acrylic display by a wonderful nail technician who then went on to win a nail competition which was announced at the end of the day.

One of the strangest parts of the day was when I watched the nail completion winners being announced by Denise Wright.  Denise was one to the trainers on my 1st nail courses for Essential Nails so to see her standing in front of me was very scary.

Roundup of my 1st beauty exhibition, loved it didn’t want it to be over but next time I will bring lots more cash (for quick transaction purposes) with a shopping list just like at the supermarket 😉

In the nail world soak off gel extensions are a god send.  This is because gel extensions are normally made of a hard buff off compound which is hard work when it comes to removal.  Soak off gel gives you the ease to wrap them up like your shellac polish and… off they come.

I booked on with Jeni again of Sweet Squared CND Educating Ambassador for a 1:1 session to learn how to use Brisa Lite Smoothing Gel and Brisa Lite Sculpting Gel.  Just before starting the training Jeni informed me that she had been given word from head office that CND will be discontinuing the sculpting gel in 2016!!!! I couldn’t have been more disappointed 🙁

I pre used the gel before the training session to get a feel for how it moves / behaves in the application process.  To gain feedback on the durability it gave the client and to view what condition their natural nail was in after the enhancement.  All of the answers to my questions were positives so why would they discontinue this product?

I have looked through multiple websites on the internet to find out more and im starting to see this is something that happens with CND quite regularly.  There is not a huge amount of information regarding this on the internet or forums and from what I have been told this would make sense.  The popularity in america for the Brisa Lite was not as big as they would have hoped therefore there would not be huge uproar about it not being available after this year.  BUT the techs here in England that have attended the training and now feel like they can not live without this gel do have a few choice words.  The fear that once the news spreads a little wider the stock that Sweet Squared have will deplete very.

With all that in mind, I will be making small, affordable orders every month of the sculpting gel and the smoothing gel (just in case) until I feel I have a comfortable stock.  Clients fear not im on the case 🙂

 

YYYYYYAAAAAAYYYYY

My favourite and only form of social media… Instagram, has proved to me that it really is the best thing ever!

The Beauty Guild were running a competition on Instagram asking people to enter by liking their picture and then commenting underneath.  The winnings prize was the entire Venice OPI Collection.  The requested comment underneath the picture needed to be your favourite colour from the new collection.

Typical me I chose the nude which was A Great Opera-tunity with a few emojis at the end.  A week later, boom!! The Beauty Guilds has started to follow you then, boom!! There is a message in my direct messages box… You are the winner 🙂

I was excited like a child at christmas waiting to see if Santa got my list and was going to climb down and fill up the space underneath the tree.

The whole process made me extremely happy.  I respect the Guilds highly and OPI is the only nail polish I use on my clients, so the 2 companies combined is a hugely positive collaboration in which I was ecstatic to be a part of.

Plus we all know I have a nail polish addiction so this 12 bottle haul is more than I could dream of.

Thank you to both companies, for making a passionate nail technician smile from ear to ear. xxxx

Important Information for anyone starting out.

Its not going to be the usual “important information” like ensure you do a client consultations before treatment or have up to date Public Liability Insurance or even something simple like make sure you are seated correctly when performing a services.  It’s stock up on top coat!!!

Top coats should come with a regular order form attached due to the amount you go through.  I use the full CND Shellac Power Polish system which include base coat, 2 colour coats, top coat and CND UV lamp.  If anyone has attended the training you will be familiar with the science behind the products so you will be aware that the generous coat is your top coat.

Base coat tends to last longer as it is a very thin layer applied to the natural nail to ensure removal process is effective.  Colour polishes last a long time as not every client chooses the same colour.  Top coat on the other hand is thick, luxurious and needs to cover the entire nail like the top slice of bread on a sandwich.

I have also used Essential Nails top coat whether it is matte, gloss or the old style out of a tub brush on.  And even with the difference in brand and application, there is still the same amount of product used which then leads to the constant need to buy another bottle.

After looking for my replacement top coat I came across the 15ml size bottles…. and I feel my prayers have been answered.  Once my 7.5 is finish im coming to get you 15ml 😉

The world of nails is very complex and extremely interesting one.  With so much to learn and so many different products to use, the industry provide you with conversion courses in order for you to get certificated in specific branded products.  I did a large amount of research on what products or brands are viewed/tried/tested as the best.  I came across NSI and CND as the top brands and products.

I booked onto a UV Gel Workshop with NSI and learnt wonderful tips for their gel extension range called Balance.  I then went to another conversion for CND to learn tips and tricks for gel polish Shellac.

My NSI workshop was at The Beverley Robinson School of Nails & Beauty.  I can’t express how amazing Bev was, she was like a warm hug from start to finish so much so that I have booked onto the Liquid and Powder (Acrylic) workshop in August.

My CND Shellac was booked through the only official UK distributor of CND products Sweet Squared and my trainer was Jenni, just like Bev she was full of knowledge and I once again booked onto another course with her which is CND Brisa Lite.

I was the usual amount of nervous as I had never been to anything like this before, all my previous nail training consisted of dedication to the nail trainer.  I had an amazing time!!! I loved every minute except the introduce yourself “My names Rhiannon and im an alcoholic” part (shy face).  I have never enjoyed training in anything before this.  I now want to go on as many courses as my purse strings will let me.  The feedback from both educators had me on cloud 9, I didn’t need petrol to get home I could have flown the car there with all the air in my head.

I am officially inspired…… Both of these wonderful women had carved out a carer and lifestyle that I have a need to emulate!  So I will plod along gaining training and experience until I am my own version of them.   

Howdy ladies,

When we see things on the shelves that offer us everything we want from a product we scramble for our purses and hope that the purchase alone will give us the result that was offered.

I have test run a product that is hugely appealing to most women, OPI Natural Nail Strengthener .  Us beautiful ladies love to have many different treatment / services done to our nails but as time goes on our little nails tend to take a beating and we need a little boost.  Products that offer things like strengthening or lengthening are normally top of the list.

In terms of the chemical side of this product it does not contain any of the usual things that will inevitably give you growth or strength.  There is no formaldehyde and no Keratin.  So I was unsure how this product would work…..

I used a 20 year old as my nail tester, we booked in for a weekly manicure with OPI Natural Nail Strengthener  as a base coat then 2 colour coats and to finish a beautiful glossy top coat.  All products were OP.I. and applied as directed.

The main conclusion of the 6 week process was that her nails were longer and stronger BUT it was not an easy road.  The growth and change to the strength of her nails took the full 6 weeks.  There was an area around week 3 to week 4 where 4 of her nails had broken but by week 5 and week 6 they were visibly longer and the natural nail was shiny and smooth.  It had a moist texture with only 1 breakage from the week.

I strongly believe that IF we would have continued with the weekly manicure using this product as the base coat we would have continued to see more growth and strength.  Be patient ladies it does work!!

Enjoy

Informative Post Alert!

Over the past 3 months I have had multiple encounters with clients who either wanted their extensions removed or had an extension removal and then required a manicure treatment.  When questioning them further with regards to what type of extensions they had on, I was shocked to hear very similar stories.

The lovely ladies visited the common high street nail shops and asked for a “gel nail” or “gel extension”.  They were then given a set of extension which was made from powder and was not cured under a UV light.   At the till they were charged the price of a gel extension which is usually slightly more than the standard acrylic extension.  Without even seeing this treatment happen I can assure you they were not gel nails.

A powder based product is an indicator that you are having an set of acrylic nails.  Acrylic nail extensions consist of placing a mixture of a polymer powder and a liquid monomer on the brush which is applied to the natural nail.  It then hardens on the nail surface without the assistance of any other components such as uv lamp.

Gel nails or gel extensions will be applied with a brush with is dipped into a pot / jar of thick, clear, liquid which is applied to the nails and is then placed under a UV lamp to harden.  When the nails are completed a tacky layer will be wiped from the top leaving a smooth, shiny glass like nail (before colour and nail art).

This information is just a guidance with simple tell tale signs of what type to enhancements you are receiving.  Its your hard earned cash make sure your getting what you paid for ;).

xx

Dare I call something an issue…..

I love both my hands the same but like most humans my left hand tends to betray me when it comes to following the directions my brain gives it.  It has been said that I have the patience of a Saint but it seems this only applies when im using my right hand to paint my left.

When you are a Nail Technician having beautiful nails is the best way to advertise your skills.  I have been known to have very short nails with no polish (which is me downplaying the fact my nails were unkept).  I think that my lack of confidence with my left hand painting did deter me,  I am also a perfectionist and would not want to feel embarrassed when my right hand did not look up to scratch, specially since I use that hand so much.  Like everything in life, even when I feel it is an issue/problem I do it anyway so I booked myself in for weekly manicures mainly gel polish due to the consistent use of acetone and polish remover.

Just as expected the 1st few manicures went to plan when painting with my right and then had a flooding of  the cuticle area when moving on to the left.  Strangely enough my main issue was not to go over the side walls, I was able to paint in straight lines ensuring the sides were acceptable but when near the cuticle area I struggled to keep a strong steady hand to get that perfect curve at the base.

Picture attached was manicure 4 and by the fourth week I had enough weekly practice to get 3 out of the 5 nails to my standard of perfection.  My thumb had a left hand side cuticle flood and middle finger had a right hand side cuticle flood, I have an oddly shaped middle finger due to a strange shaped fountain pen I used to write with as a youngster so I can’t blame my hand completely for that imperfect looking nail.

After these manicures and the progress my lovely left hand has made, one thing is apparent…. Practice will always make perfect and it reinforces the belief that I can do anything 🙂

Just like my last post this one relates to the purchase of products (embarrassed face) I promise I don’t have a problem.

The world of nail art can be wonderful, although the main problems when getting to the finished product is mess and minimal time wasted.  Every tool that is available helps us in tiny ways and when you combine all the best tools it makes this miniature art composure stuff a piece of cake.

My 2 anticipated purchases where Mess No More and The Ring Thing both are hugely popular in the nail world, could even say famous and so I just HAD to have them.  Their price matches their celebrity status and as they are from the US shipping was pricey for the ring.  With that in mind both of the items had a very speedy delivery which I was very happy with.

On testing out these items for the 1st time I can honestly say The Ring Thing palette is so perfect that im surprised there are not more of these on the market.  All the sections are just the right size, I have a tendency to waste a lot of product when using a normal sized mixing palette so every little helps when it comes to keeping expenses down.  The Mess No More on the other hand does what it says on the tin i.e. peel off product for around the nail area but it smells VERY strong.  It smells so strong that there is a note on the instruction to ignore the smell as it disappears once the liquid had dried.  Even with this small downside it is a very good product.

I am completely happy with both of my specialist items and I can see that they will become permanent fixture in my kit.

Its official im a nail polish addict!!

Fresh from a shopping trip at Salon Services I have returned with 5 OPI Polishes.  So why am I firing up the computer to look for more colours to purchase?  Lucky human beings are blessed with a maximum of 10 finger nails but yet 10 colours in your nail polish collection seems like a poor show.  What is it that makes us want so many different colour nail polishes?

I would hate to think that I am simple enough to be addicted to shiny things…….  But yet something about the word “shiny” rings quite true with me.  The shiny bottles filled with all the colours of the rainbow then you throw in the world of top coat finishes from glittery, shimmery, gloss and the new hot ticket matte!  The competitiveness of wanted to have the complete collection like some form of sticker book from the 90’s. The neatness of the bottle neck with no polish spills.  The fullness of the product inside – unsued.

My imagination running wild about how amazing the nails will look with this colour on, who will see them, the comments received, the experiences, the places, the new people all lead from this amazing nail colour.  The excitement sends positive vibes through my brain which I want to feel more of therefore the only logical answer is to…… buy more nail polishes.

Its official im a nail polish addict!!

I have been doing a large amount of reading over the past few days on big brand nail websites, nail magazines handbooks and a good old fashioned Google search.  After a serious overload early hours this morning, I chose to sleep on it hoping the information that stood out in the morning would be most important.  I dream that my nail empire will always be needed based on the idea that for the foreseeable future humans will have nails.  The thing that may slow down my business will not be the loss of human finger nails but money.  With this in mind the money that I do earn I want to spend wisely to have a long carer, happy life and secure retirement fund.  With these goals in mind I intend to work to my maximum capacity to ensure I achieve this.  Thinking back to my reading the points that stood out to me this morning were:-

Social Media Presence – As we are in a technological era this is one of the most important parts of business now.  I have chosen Instagram and YouTube as my social sites as I want the pictures and videos of my nail work to be the main focus and these two site specialise in each.  In coming weeks I am planning to hugely increase my youtube posts as this is an area which has got left behind in my journey.

Setting Goals – Dreams in your head do not put money in your bank.  I need to put a lot of serious thought into my business goals.  Im a huge list writer and having those goals and aspirations written down will take them from just dreams, to real life targets that I can financially track and put steps in place for me to achieve them.

Advertisement – When it comes to advertisement I was mainly relying on personal referrals, it has got me this far but I want to go further.  In the next week or so I will be doing some more reading on advertisement/promotion options as this is something that will expand my income hugely which will then allow me to put even more back into my business.

With these key points clear in my head ive got my Nail Boss hat on and am extremely motivated.

Watch out – Coming your way

• My own nails – Showcasing my work on myself
• Youtube – 5 nail art videos
• Client Inboxes – Rhi Rhi Nails It quarterly newsletter with exciting updates

My very 1st Nail Art Competition!!! It has been one of the funniest experiences in my nail journey.  The competition I entered was created by Nail Harmony Gelish and Morgan Taylor in connection with the new collection of colours, inspired by the Disney Cinderella movie due to be released in cinemas this week.  The rules consisted of either a 3D or hand painted nail look.

I researched the history of the Cinderella story and was extremely interested in the story’s foundation.  A wonderfully kind girl who is completely overlooked and neglected but achieves success and recognition.  This is the ultimate foundation for a fairy tale but yet it happens to many of us in real life everyday. As a child the film was one of my favourites so this idea of attempting my 1st competition from a film I watched on repeat was perfect.

The design itself was based on one of the colours that is from the collection called “If The Slipper Fits” and so I used my wonderful sculpting gel and started to craft a glass slipper under the UV light.  I then moved on to the nail itself to make a cushion look with tassels, a beaded edge, striping tape and a mixture of polishes. Voila.

Check out my Instagram page to see the competition entry pictures and fingers crossed I win 🙂

Possibly the most unattractive part of a man could be his feet.  They endure trainers, a range of sports activities and sometimes some questionable dance moves.  The pedicure is no longer only for women it is now a staple part of male grooming.  Cutting the nail correctly to ensure comfort in tight footwear is the most important part, then a good portion of time spent removing the cuticle.  All of the male pedicures I have done show that the dead cuticle is very dry and covers around 1/3 of the toe nail.  These 2 steps change the entire look of the foot before you even carry out the rest of the treatment.  I enjoy doing the male pedicure because of the before an after results, its hard work but someones gotta do it.

Of all the client pictures I have taken this one has got to take the winning trophy. The hands are my 16 year old sister, who is suupper kool and trendy. Her hands are decorated with a beautiful henna design, which is the new must have feature to every girls hand. She also chose an OPI Polish colour with a matte top coat. Two of the most photographed things on Instagram nail accounts is matt top coat and henna tattoos. This is defiantly the first time I can say im down with the kids. Whoop whoop!