Yep, I can not believe it either. No cause Johnny Depp but because a man is wearing nail polish. But this remind me that men where the first ones to paint their nails. In 3000 bc on the Egyptian and Romans culture military commanders stain their nails and lips in matching colors before important battles. Yes for battle no for cosmetic or beautifying purposes. So why is so weird for us that men use nail polish in this times since it was their idea from the beginning.
Nail polish is very related to men. Is made some of the same components from car paint (and they love cars), the creator of the first nail polish was Charles Revson (Owner of Revlon brand), the creator of French manicures was Jeff Pink (I love Pink), come one again, why is so weird for us seen a men wearing nail polish.
There you have it. It look cool, it looks manly and messy just like must of men.
I usually do not do nails on wednesdays afternoons because I go to church. But yesterday was the exception. This days the money flow is slower but the bills keep coming.
I did Rosa Maravilla Nails. She removed her old material and got a new full set with forms. Inside silver and purple glitter with little flowers and iridescent glitter. She loved it!!!
Then it was Mirna who first well did not like the yellow and hot-pink I was doing. The true was that those are summer color. We laught about it and then she picked a beauty lilac from Essie named Nice is Nice and i did this peacock feathers design. Beautifull and elegant.
In a-blink-of-an-eye i realized is Monday, no money came-in in the weekend, I need to do something. Ding!!! Let me use my old technique: texting my clients. What I did is just say hi to the ones I have not hear from them for a while and to the ones recently got their nails done, then I started reminding the ones that need a fill-in this week. It only took me 10 minutes to text all of them because I have a group set-up of my clients on my cellphone. The result: 2 fill-ins tomorrow and 2 fill-ins on Saturday.
Back in Puerto Rico I used the texting and it gives you very good results. Most of them call back for an appointment and thank me because they tend to forget. They like: "Oh please do not stop doing that you don't know what a great help is that" or "I was thinking about you but i didn't have your phone number."
Text messaging not only works for reminders is great for those slow days. In my old job Wednesdays used to be the slowest day ever. To the point that sometimes we were there 8:30am to 5:30pm to make NOTHING. So I decided to text my clients and offer the things like: "Only today wednesdays free 10 finger desing" or "Today only fill-ins $3.00 off." Right away up to 3 appointment. After several week texting my clients with different offers every wednesday my coworker saw the results and started to do the same. After 2 months for this type of marketing wednesdays turned on a busy day and we did not even have to send offers any more.
Lesson: Use your resources, specially if there is no extra costs.
This couple of day were unbelieveble. I been stressing so much with the fact that I didn't get any news to get my written and practice exam and get my Nail Specialty license. I was specially concern because I need the license, or at least the temporary license, to open my nail salon Pink Nails & More on December 3th.
I called the state but they did not found my papers or any records in their system. I got crazy!!! They told me I studied in Puerto Rico and, since in PR they do not give licenses, my only choice was to study again. I called Manhattan Nails and Esthetics School and they say, the receptionist, "you need to come, we have to evaluate your hours and we may give you a certification for a charge." I drove an hour to manhattan, and when I sat down with the lady she started telling me that they do not do that. What????? Well, then she starts talking lower and told me: "listen, i like you, the enrollment fee ($1,100.00) fill the Nail Specialist application, and I will put it together with the other ones and the school will sign it. Then I will separate it from the group, you come and pick it up and send it to the state." Wait, wait, What??? So I am enrolling, do i need to come to class? " No, no, no is just to sign and seal your application." I am like let me think about it. She noticed I did not like it so again she is like: "I like you, call me at 4:00pm. I will ask my boss to lower the price". I went home, called at 4:00pm just to heard her say he say $800.00. This lady has some guts because this sound pretty illegal to me,
At that point I could not take it any more. I called my school in Puerto Rico to complaint for the fact that they do not give licenses. I almost called the State Department of Puerto Rico to complain too. I was thinking and thinking what to do. I send like ten papers to the State. Diploma (High Honors), transcriptions, hours certification (in Puerto Rico we study 780 hours, 8 months), OPI Workshop Diploma, Nail Pro Test Me Certificates (like 6) pictures of my nails, picture of me in my graduation, copy of my article in Nails Magazine. Come on that is prove enough that I study, and a lot.
It was almost 5:00pm and I realized I have a client at 6:00pm. Said to myself: "You know what God, do what you have to do, I give up." I walk out of my room and there is the mail in the table. My name is in the center of the envelope and Department of State Division of Licensing Services in the left top corner. I almost faint!!! OMG. God your fast!!! There it was, my temporary license!!!! But it does not stop there because since I realized that God make your dreams come true, specially if is His will and the right time, I started to say in my mind: "Tomorrow I am going to receive the green card with the written exam date." Yes!!!!!!!! Today I got it in the mail!!! How crazy is that.
Lesson learn. Do not fall for the people that is trying to get you to do something ilegal to get things done. Have patience and trust in God. He will make a way where other people thinks, No Way!!
By: Jenn Strathman, newsnet5.com
CLEVELAND - A 5 On Your Side hidden camera investigation found stores advertising Shellac but offering consumers another product. See how to make sure you're getting the manicure you paid for.
Shellac is advertised as the manicure miracle. It's a polish that promises to last two weeks without chipping and smudging. We had 10 women test the product to see if it works. Even though our testers always asked for Shellac, our investigation found that wasn't always the product that was used.
"I've had manicures last longer than the Shellac process," Carrie Nagorka said.
Nagorka is one of 10 testers we sent to five Northeast Ohio salons. While she wasn't happy, other testers were thrilled with the results.
"They stayed wonderful looking for the full two weeks," Claudia Fleming said. Shellac mixed with other products in our test
So, what makes the difference? First, look past the price on daily deal sites.
"It's a coupon for Shellac. What else would you need to know? Who would think to go in and say maybe I need to do my research on this place?" college student and tester Ellen Kopy said.
Kopy said she's seen Shellac on her friend’s hands, and didn't expect the experience she got at a Northeast Ohio salon.
"I really like this color. Is that Shellac?" Kopy asked.
"Yeah," the nail professional responded.
Kopy went with tester and NewsChannel5 producer Tara Sutton to the same salon. Both women made it clear they wanted Shellac.
"So this is our first time we're getting Shellac," Sutton said.
However, they got a mix of Shellac and other products. We know this because the bottles used on their hands did not always say Creative Nail Design, or CND. Shellac is a product by CND.
On CND’s website, it says mixing and layering the brands will compromise quality. The front page of the site even warns consumers, "Don't Be Fooled By Shellac Pretenders."
CND shows consumers the tools to look for at a salon so they know they're getting the service they paid for.
Kopy’s polish did not say CND, and her results weren’t what she expected.
"It's wearing down just like a normal nail polish would. If it's going to do that then 3 bucks at the drugstore versus 30 bucks at the nail salon, I might as well go with the drugstore," Kopy said of her manicure.
At the same salon, Sutton’s French manicure was a mix of polishes.
"The white part of mine is CND, but the rest of it was this Gelish brand," Sutton said. "She called it Shellac the whole time."
Unlike Kopy, Sutton's nails held up despite the mixing.
Another salon also said it mixes brands.
"You can use Gelish along with Shellac. Like I can use this Gelish polish but the Shellac light. They have way more colors," the nail tech told our tester.
We questioned the salon management about this, and the owner admitted brands should not be mixed.
"Application is paramount to get the polish to stay on," Licensed Cosmetology Instructor Barbara Brussee said.
Barbara Brussee has been a cosmetology instructor for 36 years and currently teaches at Inner State Beauty School.
While formal training is not required, some nail techs have taken classes. Brussee said licensed professionals can also download instructions online with their license number.
The instructions for Shellac and Gelish are slightly different.
I am always very interested on topics related to the use of the electric files. Why? Because many times the sensibility on our client nails, the red spots, the ridges, are because of a wrong way to use the e-files. And I found this article at NAILS Magazine and decided to share it.
4 clients in one house, how cool is that. Specially when their last name is "Maravilla" which in English means is wonderful. Rosa, Mirna and Rossy, and they really are wonderful. From coffee, to fruits, water, you name it, they always treat me very well.
And about the nails they always tell me do what ever you want. So this is what i have came up with.
