Water Marble!

My own nails are far too short right now to pull off a proper water marble, and since I can't do traditional acrylic extensions right now with my pregnancy, I decided to make a set of falsies to wear.

I do this from time to time and I can actually get some decent wear time out of them if I'm careful. :)

These are quite a bit longer than I'm used to, but I'll see how long I can handle them before I need to file them down. So far so good!

I started with a white base on the nails. For this, I used China Glaze White on White. Just one coat, which I let dry most of the way. For the marble, I alternated Rimmel Posh Pink, OPI Rumple's Wiggin & Butter London Slapper. Slapper wanted to spread out a lot, so I had to be careful with it. First few tries weren't great (I have those on my right hand, lol) but they weren't bad. Once I mastered the swirl, oh man...

I'm officially in love with doing water marble now. *__* I finished these off with a coat of Model's Own Indian Ocean (pictured) which really made them pop. I love this polish so very much. 

One of the biggest tips I can give those who want to do water marble is this: use hot/warm water and clean the water once every few nails with clear polish. I also dumped my water after five nails and started over. Living in Florida and not having a water softener, I have fairly mineral water so I also had to wait for it to settle just a bit before I began (the few little spots are from trying to early). 

I plan on doing a set of water marble with art for St. Paddy's Day, so stay tuned for that! I'm also going to start selling these on my Etsy when I get the supplies I need. :)

NOTD: Valentine's Grunge

Valentine's Grunge Nails - I apologize for the poor lighting, we're having a very dreary day. :(

Both the hubby and I have to work today (and he's currently getting his ass handed to him, poor thing - stop calling 911 on Valentine's Day, people! ):) so my Valentine's Day will be fairly lackluster, I'm sure. Oh well, I decided to paint my nails for it anyway.

I started with a base of China Glaze White on White, two coats, followed by sponging on dark pink and red acrylic paint. Once the paints were dry, I took a wet make up sponge, dabbed it on the nails and then used the dry side to 'erase' bits off. My white acrylic paint bit the dust the other day (don't switch your white and black lids people...it ends in disaster) and I've yet to find time to replace it. I had to use my nail art pens which...meh, they did what they needed to. I didn't want it to be perfect, so I suppose that was probably better. After the hearts had dried some (but not all the way), I took a makeup sponge again and dabbed just a little bit of the pink over the art. This picked up some of the black and speckled it as well.

I will definitely be using the 'eraser' technique in future manis. It only works with the acrylic paint, since it's water soluble, but it does give a really cool effect. :3

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

NOTD: Mystery Polka

Julep Mystery Color topped with OPI Polka.com

Well, my Gelish gels didn't last. :( They're a little TOO easily soaked off and just one day of work had them popping off. :/ So back to little nails I go!

It's also probably better now that I've gotten a position at a local medical training institute as a student services coordinator. Typing + long nails = disaster. I'm going to part-time at the salon, though, so I'll still be there. :)

This mani is done with the blue Julep mystery color I picked up in the Secret Store a few weeks ago. It's a very pretty blue/teal frost. I really wish it had a name, lol. I also picked up OPI Polka.com last week and wanted to try it out so very badly. So, voila, this mani! Very festive for the state fair tomorrow, don't you think?

NOTD: Valentine's Day Part 1

Ended up without a babysitter so work had to be cancelled for today, but I stopped by to give my boss her birthday card and pick up some of my art supplies to do my art on the manicure I posted earlier!

I wanted to do something a little special because when I post to tumblr, it will be my 100th post on that blog.

Unfortunately, my white pen decided to give me a bit of shit, so I'm not 100% happy with the thumb, but I can deal for now. I also lost the awesome sun I had this morning as a cold front is moving in, so bleh. Pictures turned out fairly well, though.

Used a stamp for the lips because, really, how awesome is that stamp?!!!

This is just the first set of nail art that I have planned for Valentine's Day. Since my husband has to work day of, we're going to celebrate with a family trip to the State Fair on Wednesday and I want to do something EPIC. I've got a batch of water decals coming my way that I hope are here for that. *___*

PS: I did a bit of tweaking to the layout here and have a new one up. I am also now on twitter! Follow me? I'll be posting little tidbits and such and lots of pictures of nail finds! :)

Valentine's Preparedness: Julep Base Mani

Quick PSA: You can now follow my blog with Bloglovin.

My salon has made the decision to eliminate acrylic nails from our menu in an effort to move toward becoming a 'greener' salon. We're also in a fairly small space and the ventilation just really wasn't there. While it makes me a bit sad that I have a lot of acrylic products I love, I'm also happy seeing as my second pregnancy is giving me a bit of trouble and I'd like to avoid the fumes if all possible.

That being said, we're contemplating adding gel enhancements to our menu. Our other cosmetologist that does nails is not familiar with gels, and the product is all mine so I'm not sure how it would work, but I threw on a set of Gelish Soak-Off Gel Enhancements on over tips yesterday to see how well they wear. I still need to get my hands on Pro Bond, but my local CosmoProf has yet to carry it. I'm sure as hell not waiting until Premier Orlando in June to get it, so I'll more than likely have to order it online soon. I used an IBD gel primer for these and it seems to be holding up well enough. Not something I want to use for clients, though. (I got distracted while writing this and ended up ordering ProBond through the ONLY place I could find it. Gelish, why for you make your enhancement products so hard to purchase even for pros???!!!)

ANYWAY...distraction. Where was I? Oh yes. Remember how I said I was going to use Molly & Carrie in nail art soon? Well, it's not nail art...yet (have to be at work for that, and I don't go in til later), but I've got the base down....with some added bling. :3

Carrie on most, Molly on Ring & Thumb (not pictured). Right hand is opposite.

AND THE BLING - Oscar under the tips.

I wanted some form of glitter in with this mani, but I didn't want to ruin the nice soft look of the cream on the main nail. I've never done peak-a-boo tips, but Oscar seemed like the perfect option for it! That is two coats and I may still end up with another in the end, I'm not sure.

An update will come later when I do the design on them I have in mind at work. I'll cross-post to tumblr at that time as well, as it'll be my 100th post and I want it to be ~special~.

Julep Cupid Mystery Box!

First time posting from my phone, so bear with any mistakes!! :)

I got my Julep Cupid Mystery Box today, and luckily the mail man came before I left for work! I ended up with 5 polishes and a lip gloss! Possibly my best mystery box haul yet!

5 polishes and a lip gloss! Woo!

Colors are, from left to right: Molly, Carrie, Lynn, Maria, and Evangeline.

Molly is a gorgeous cream red. Application and coverage were super quick and it had a good mix of blue and orange tones, keeping it right in the middle of the reds.

Carrie is absolutely a bubblegum pink cream. It's an older release, before they changed to the wider brush. Still, went on well and finished gorgeous.

Lynn isn't something I'll see myself wearing often, but it is really pretty and will be good for my clients. I'm actually thinking it might be something nice to buy my mom for Mother's Day as well, as that's one of her usual color families. It's a slight shimmer with fairly opaque coverage (first coat was a bit sheer, second covered).

Maria. OHHHH Maria. A super pretty purple/pink metallic. Pretty easy to get linear without much trouble, but cap your free edge first, as with most metallics/frosts!

Evangeline is a polish that is not listed on Julep's site and the bottom says it's the 33rd polish for 2013 (if I'm reading it right). The box was advertised as having either a coupon for a free color of your choice (which I did not get), or a mystery holographic. If Evangeline is the mystery holographic well...I am disappoint. :( After the awesome that is Rebel, Evangeline had absolutely NO holographic effect to it. I didn't get to look at it in sunlight as it was cloudy today, but even under my desk lamp I couldn't get anything. Rebel BLINGED under my desk lamp. I got a reply from Julep CS today and Evangeline is NOT a holographic. The advert was apparently wrong and you could either get Rebel, Ginger, a gift cert for a polish OR an unreleased mystery color, which was Evangeline. I appreciate their pretty prompt reply but I'm a little :/ about the misinformation in the advertisement. I think they're still trying to pass this off as a holographic but I'm not 100%. The polish and swatch are at work so I'll check it out when I get in today.

Overall, I'm happy with this mystery box. One of the better ones they've put out. I've got an email in to CS to inquire about the 'holographic' so we'll see what they say. I didn't get any dupes (except for the lip gloss which I'd lost anyway so SCORE), and all of the colors are great for me.

Expect a post of nail art with Molly and Carrie up soon. ;)

PS: Remember, if you're not a Julep Maven yet and would like to try it, go here to sign up! You can get your first box free if you use the code FREEBOX! Can't beat that!

NOTD: Pink Oscar

Julep Oscar accent nail with Revlon Pink Lingerie

I picked up Oscar as an add-on to my February box and I've been dying to try it out. I'm a sucker for glitters, but I didn't want to do an entire glitter mani. Everyone is doing some sort of Super Bowl theme today but seeing as I couldn't care less about either team, I went for this instead. XD Sadly my Freedom Top Coat is at work and I had to use China Glaze Fast Forward (still an awesome topcoat) but I've already smudged my middle finger. :/ Oh well.

Julep: February Maven - Rebel, Joan & Freedom Top Coat Review

Let me just preface this with...I'M SORRY. It's been a while since I've posted here, really just because I've been busy. Being a professional nail technician is quite a bit different than nail art as a hobby. Usually, I don't get time for my own nails or a chance to really experiment. 99% of my clients either want shellac, very basic nail art, or pink & white acrylics. Not much room for play there, huh?

What does that mean for this blog, you ask? Not much, really. Actually, I take that back. It means I'll probably be able to post more. I'll want to play more, to focus on my own nails and actually have time to review things! Shock!

With that, I bring you to today's post. Julep! I've been a Maven for a while now, and I adore it. I've never skipped a box, bought several mystery boxes and even done a few side orders for things I really want. As a Maven, not only do you receive a box in the mail every month with fantastic products for only $20, but you get discounts around the site and special perks like sneak peaks of new products. It really is something I adore having. :)

Out of the entire time I've been a Maven, I've never been more excited for a box as I was February. So excited, even, that I switched up from my normal "Classic with a Twist" box to "It Girl" to get Rebel. You see, not only is Rebel named after the awesome Rebel Wilson of Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect! fame, it's a silver holographic. *insert drooling here* I've always been a huge fan of holographic nail polishes. Nfu Oh 61 was such a gorgeous polish to me, and I own it and still love it. But it's an utter pain in the ass, even with the proper base coat. Let's not forget that top coat absolutely ruins the effect and so your wear is barely even a day...if that. Rebel though....oh Rebel.

Let me begin with application. Rebel goes on super smooth with NO DRAG. The biggest problem I had with 61 was the drag. You HAD to go thin to get an even layer and god forbid you touch it again with that brush until it was completely dry. Even then, drag happened and there were three coats before you got a perfect holographic finish. With Rebel, I had full coverage in ONE. COAT. ONE. OOOONNEEE. How many times do I have to repeat this? I was absolutely in love from the get-go. Now, I'd pulled a stupid and done Shellac on my nails today (Black Pool & Wildfire) forgetting that my Maven box would be in the mail when I got home. EVEN over Black Pool I had complete coverage in one coat. I did two on my fingers and toes, simply for wear.

Rebel reverse french/border over Black Pool, Joan over Wildfire

Picture in full sunlight of Rebel with the Freedom Top Coat. Adjusted just enough to get the same effect as RL. :)

I don't think ANY image, DSLR or not will ever really capture how amazing holographic polishes look when done right. This is taken in normal house lighting with only minor exposure adjustments. Had there been sun left today, I would have taken a picture outdoors. I'll probably add that tomorrow. Daylight photo added!!!! Even so, the holographic effect IS visible...WITH TOP COAT. 

Rebel Verdict? A+

Now, on to the other product I was drooling over for this box: Freedom Top Coat. If you're not familiar with it, Freedom is a polymer-based top coat. This means instead of being evaporation-set like most typical polishes, it is light cured. This is similar to the technology behind gel polishes, with the main distinction being that ANY light will cure this top coat. Packaged in a black bottle to prevent curing, Freedom goes on smooth and quick and is set within 3-5 minutes in normal light depending on proximity to the light source. Mine was set within 3, I think. You can cure it quicker by placing your nails close to a normal 60watt bulb to maximize the cure time to 60 seconds. This could be as simple as placing your hand under a desk lamp for a minute to have perfectly dry nails!

The ONLY downside I see to this top coat is the fact that the polish underneath DOES have to be dry. Normal polish can take up to 24hrs to completely set, but is usually dry to the touch within five. I usually have a completely set manicure (provided I don't do something stupid, like dishes) in about an hour with a fast-dry top coat. I have a feeling if you put this on too-wet polish, you're going to dent and slide and your polish underneath will never properly set. At least, I know that's what happens if you attempt to use a UV-cured top coat over regular polish that is not 24hr set. I have a feeling Freedom breathes a lot better, though, so you probably want dry to the touch when you apply it.

Since I used it over two coats of Rebel and only one of Joan, I was able to apply it after about five minutes. Holographic polishes set quick, so even on my toes it was a matter of minutes before I could apply it and then it was set. *__*

I've had several clients ask me if there is any way to do a gel-like top coat over their regular polish and until now I've had to turn them down. The Freedom Top Coat is a great tool for any tech and definitely a fantastic at-home product. :) Now I just wish it came in professional size ;)

Freedom Top Coat Verdict: A+++

If you're interested in Julep Maven and haven't signed up yet, go here and type in the code "FREEBOX"to get your first month free! 

OPI Germany Collection Swatches!

This is the first big collection that's come out since I became a nail tech and you can better believe I took advantage of my professional status to get my hands on all 12 colors this morning!

I'm usually not a fan of all of the colors in a collection, but I really do love everything in this one, some more than others. It helps I got a nice deal on the full set + display and sample card through Salon Centric. :)

Even the display is pretty nifty looking:

I have this display set up behind my station. :)

The set came with the sample placard, which I have up at the front to spark interest in it. 

This is the first time I've bought a professional display like this so I had no idea I had to paint it myself, lol!

Now, THE SWATCHES!

Update!

I know it's been a little while since I last posted and for that I apologize. I've been very busy with school ending soon, life around the house with my six month old daughter and my job search.

But the good news is that after only two interviews I have a job at my dream place!!!!

My first interview was at a salon very close to my house - great location, but the place itself was very new and they were asking me to break laws by not only working on clients without my license but also waxing, which isn't part of my license at ALL. (Florida is split into two categories with nails/skin - Manicuring/Pedicuring/Nail Extensions & Facials, cosmetologists can do manicuring, pedicuring & facials (including waxing) and Nail Technicians can do M&P and extensions only). She even called me a few days after I interviewed her and without giving me a decision on whether or not I was hired asking me to come give a mani/pedi to a client. This, I actually can DO, but she wouldn't be allowed to collect any money for the service and I wouldn't be able to be paid for it. My teacher and I agreed that she definitely would have done it on the illegal end.

One of my other schoolmates, though, got a job with a wonderful natural nails spa in Tampa and dropped my name for it, too. Her and I get along great at school/working together in the salon so we know that it'll be great. We also both have similar ideas when it comes to nail care & nail art and it fits in better with this type of salon.

She started last week, and I had an interview this morning. She offered me the job within fifteen minutes, without even really looking at my resume OR my portfolio. The world of mouth that Ana gave me was enough for her! I just... I can't believe it. The spa is GORGEOUS, they use not only Shellac, but Gelish & OPI Gel Color for gel manicures and then OPI, Essie & Zoya for regular polish. It's such a relaxed atmosphere and so relaxing! I really, really, really can't wait to start!

Ana and I will be working there on a part-time basis helping out with polish removal, tool cleaning, setting up, etc until we're licensed in three weeks. I'm so stoked you guys have no idea!!!!!

Before I go - the shellac mani I did before I went, trying out some nail art using only Shellac, something I hadn't done before.

The next time I post will either be after my first day there or once I'm a licensed nail technician!!!! :Db

NOTW: Neon French Twist!

Anyone who gets the colors (and why they're in that particular order) and why they are this week's NOTW gets fifty internet cookies. :)

Colors used (thumb to pinky) - Aciiied, Purple Passion, Bubblegum, Top Turquoise, & Pink Punch (All Model's Own)

I was thinking about adding some art but honestly I like the simplicity of just the french. I sealed it with gel so if I want to I can add art later without ruining the french! (And this way, I have to keep them for a week before I fill! HA!)

Model's Own Update

Finally caught up with Model's Own's customer service (had to forward my email to them because of their moving offices) and they've taken care of the issue and will be sending me the three polishes that are missing from the Beetlejuice set.

While it's been a pain in the ass having to wait nearly 2 months for all of the polish I originally ordered, their customer service IS good about things (they could have just brushed me off and told me there was no proof, etc, etc, instead of sending the missing polishes and not asking back the ones that were sent by mistake.)

I will definitely be doing business with them and look forward to being probably the only nail tech in my area (hell maybe even all of Florida) that uses Model's Own.

Heck, maybe in the long run when I'm working at a salon that allows it or running one of my own, I'll even see about being a distributor. I really do love their polish a ton.

Glitter Acrylics with 3D Art

Had a client today who wanted something funky so we went with glitter acrylics and a bit of 3D art!

Tips & 3D are Tammy Taylor Prizma Colorz (meh but it's what we had, I need to get some of my own). I topped it off with a Spectraflair topcoat and a gel sealer. 

NOTW: Hot Pink & White Acrylics

My teacher got a super-hot-pink acrylic powder the other day and I wanted to darken the pink on my current pink & white acrylics anyway so...

This was the result. :Db

I'm adoring neons and how on-trend they are right now, so it was a perfect choice and something that will last through manis and pedis at school (since I don't like sealing my manis with gel topcoat because I change up so much, but I DO seal my base acrylics with gel topcoat to make nail art easier. :D)

SO, these are off-brand hot pink acrylic and OPI competition opaque white sealed with IBD gel topcoat. Two coats of a spectraflair topcoat and then the black stripes.

Have I mentioned how much I love the spectraflair topcoat? No? WELL IT'S FREAKING AWESOME, OKAY? *__*

SEEEE? *pets it* This picture doesn't even really do it justice. T___T

SO these are my NOTW, I'm going to be good and try not to change up too much - :)

Timing, baby!

Just a quick post to say: I did a full set of pink & whites on myself last night with gel topcoat in under an hour and a half. I'm like.... crazy happy my timing is getting perfect. Also timed myself on a pedi tonight and I was right at an hour and 5 minutes. :Db

Tomorrow I'll be volunteering at the Relay For Life booth my school is setting up doing polish. I also just got my May Julep Maven box in the mail and will be posting swatches of Kylie (magnetic) & Ellie (opalescent sheer) hopefully sometime tomorrow.

EDIT: And NOW I remember what I was actually going to post about. One of my biggest nail enhancement pet-peeves? French manicures that don't completely cover the natural smile line. It looks SLOPPY to have one or two bits of natural free edge peeking out from under your tip/acrylic/gel, etc. :/ Saw it under the nail art tag on tumblr and just shuddered.

Model's Own It! Or Not?

Back in Mid-March, I decided to splurge a bit for my birthday and bought three sets of Model's Own polish. Not the cheapest purchase ever, given the exchange rate, but seeing as it was quite a few polishes and in colors I did not yet have, I figured it was worth it.

I got an e-mail almost immediately after letting me know one of the polishes wasn't available from the neon collection and they gave me two other options. I picked the cream one instead of the shimmer. Cool, waited about two weeks and finally my order came!

Except it was ONLY the neons, even though the packing slip showed the other two collections, AND the cream name written down. I got the shimmer instead of the cream. I checked my email just to make sure I'd said the right name, which I had. Okay, shoot off another email to see if perhaps they shipped separately or what.

No, apparently they had never been shipped. They sent them out immediately, apologizing and stating that they would be filled according to what was advertised at the time of my order. Cool beans!

I got the pastels and the Beetlejuice collection finally today (over a month from original order date, mind you). Pastels were great - Beetlejuice? Not what I ordered. The set I ordered is what is currently listed on the site now - I remember this specifically because they had Indian Ocean and Copper Pot in the collection, which was DEFINITELY not in what I got. I only got 3 out of 6 right - Aqua Violet, Pinky Brown & the Top Coat.

Another e-mail has been sent as of tonight (when I got home from school and realized that the colors weren't right), so here's hoping the rectify this. I hate to be such a pain about it and they've been pretty good with their customer service so far but...two shipping mistakes in a row kind of make me wonder.

Polish Swatch - Essie Who Is The Boss

My first trip into SalonCentric, I picked up this polish from the Essie Wedding Collection. The rest of the polishes were ones that I had similar colors too, but not quite anything like this.

I hadn't had a chance to swatch it yet (I'd gotten my Models Own neon collection in that day as well and we've been playing with other things in school). Since I need a backfill done tomorrow (I get to be the demonstration - yay!) I filed off my Miracle Manicure gel top coat in prep and decided to cover the pink & white with this!

Essie for me has been very hit or miss with its formulas. There creams are gorgeous, but sometimes getting coverage with them can be a real trial & error type of thing. My first ever Essie, Fiji, is such a pretty pink but I can't use it due to it's streaky-tendencies. This one though? Pretty darn flawless on the application front!

I used Orly Bonder for my base coat, then two coats of the polish and topped it off with Seche Vite. My Seche is quite thick right now so I need to get the thinner for it. I tried going back to China Glaze Fast Forward for a while but I'm back to Seche - it sets quicker and I can use it thicker.

Pardon the strange shape of my nails - I was trying out almond shape and I went a little overboard, then needed the length down so I just flattened them. XD

End Rating? ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 out of 5!

Not a way to win business...

Third Saturday in the salon (my full-day) and despite some icky weather I actually got a very pleasant pedicure client today! I was hoping to get a pedi done on myself but alas, it did not happen. XD I'll have to bribe someone to do it Tuesday or Wednesday night. :3

Today was sort of short seeing as we needed to be fairly cleaned up by 2ish, even though we close at 5. Our Tammy Taylor rep was coming in to do a demonstration and I was looking forward to asking her about why our kits were not standard and why there were obvious things missing (in my case, Sanitize spray and A+ Monomer - I got the Odor-less which is about the shittiest thing that has ever shitted).

Now, don't get me wrong - there are a few of the Tammy Taylor products that I do like. Some of the Prizmas are very pretty, I like their Pink & White (the P3 is very pretty), the A+ Monomer is fairly low odor (especially compared to the OPI competition liquid and CND Retention +), Miracle Manicure is a GREAT gel sealer, the soak-off gel system has a nice consistency, and the primer (while stinky as hell) works quite well. BUT, the attitude of the rep makes me want to not continue to use any of their products on a regular basis.

First off, her original meeting with us was supposed to be the weekend of Easter - now I understand that it  was a holiday weekend but had she met with us then she would have had the opportunity for three demos with us instead of just two (going by the six-week demo schedule). She didn't even bother to inform us of the fact that she wasn't coming until my teacher questioned it so that was a bit on the unprofessional side. Oh well.

Today though, she was originally supposed to meet with us at 2:30. This is a bit inconvenient as we had quite a few of the massage clients that were wanting pedicures (and one who wanted acrylics) that we had to either refer to the cosmo students or turn down due to timing. Our teacher warned us that the rep was very long-winded so we had to be cleaned up by 2 or we'd be rushed to be out of there by 5.

She apparently tried to stop by at noon, while we were at lunch (much needed seeing as I hadn't eaten breakfast and was fading fast!) seeing as there was supposed to be a weather system moving in that would make her drive home a bit more tedious. Understandable, but we are not at your whim, lady!

ANYWAY, the demonstration started and my first impression? "I'm better than all of you our products are amazing but I'm not actually going to sell you on them I'm going to assume you believe this and take my word as gospel."

Yeah, I know we are provided your products in school to use and therefore we have to use them unless we wish to shell out our own money for  product (I use OPI competition on my own nails, though), but you're not selling me on KEEPING using your product once I graduate.

She also had several moments of utter condescending and I seriously just had to smile and nod. When I brought up the contents of my kit, she almost made it seem like it was our teacher's fault (which it totally isn't) and simply told us to call Tammy Taylor CS about it - if I was a sales rep I'd be the one making the call myself to make sure it was taken care of properly.

I mean, in the end I got some good sculpture techniques and ball-consistency techniques out of it - but it's something I'll be applying to OTHER products. :/

Coming up next week: backfills! I get to be demo'ed on since the teacher is taking pitty on my poor smile-lines (plus I have the quickest growth).

Perhaps I should work on this anxiety thing....

I'm a perfectionist.

Tonight, I did my first full set of pink & whites on myself. I tried a technique where you start with the pink and shape the smile line that way - great for extreme smile lines, which are definitely my style. I played with it a bit on a nail prior and found I actually liked it so thought, hey, I can do this.

My teacher encouraged me to start on my dominant hand. I really wish I hadn't.

Some of them turned out great! Others, not so much. I have such an urge to soak them off already but the state of my nails underneath is just... it's not a good idea. I need to suck it up and fix them tomorrow in class. I'm more than likely going to have to put a layer of clear to build up some bulk on them since there was a lot of filing to be done to get them even.

I know I shouldn't feel bad, because to be completely honest for my first full set of P&W and for the fact that I did them on myself, they're fairly awesome, but... I'm too much of a perfectionist when it comes to things like this and I can't help but see every little flaw. I need to just remind myself that it was a learning experience and I can always throw polish on them to hide the smile-line flaws until I do a backfill next week to fix them (weekly fills will be necessary given my current nail growth holy crap).

I'm still so happy we have such a fantastic teacher. She's really been great, even if she tries to challenge me more given my background with working with this kind of thing on my own before. She's like me, though, and so she understood my frustration tonight and helped me out quite a bit.

The sad thing is though, I know that if I get a client tomorrow that wants p&w, I'd be able to handle it no problem. Somehow it's so much EASIER on someone else than it is me. Probably because my hands were trying to give out after so long of being in strange positions to file, fill, etc.

I need to just sit back, take a deep breath and not dwell on it. I'm only in the third week of class and I will have plenty of time to perfect it.

And perfect it I will, dammit!

CosmoProf!!!!

Last night we got our student ID cards, so what did I do today? I REGISTERED AT COSMOPROF! To be honest, SalonCentric kind of has a better selection (and they carry Tammy Taylor, which I can get cheaper on their site, but either way...) BUT CosmoProf has a better selection of OPI axxium and stuff like that. I didn't splurge on axxium yet (I'm actually waiting for Premier Orlando because I know I can get it dirt cheap comparatively there) but I DID pick up the Creative Retention + Trial pink and white set to try out tonight in school. My teacher is a die-hard Creative fan and while I picked OPI clear, warm pink and white the other day, I DO want to try Creative's line.

I also managed to snag two OPI colors I hadn't seen previously: DS Radiance & DS Reserve. Radiance is a silver metallic while Reserve is a pretty pink one. Both don't streak bad at all, which can sometimes be an issue with metallics. :) It's so much nicer to buy OPI now that I'm not paying $8 a pop for it, lol.

I'll update with how I like the Creative tomorrow sometime. :) Going to use it to put a full set of pink & whites on tonight. :)