It’s always time for pink-and-whites in a nail salon-it’s one of the most requested services across the country. Though pink-and-whites are done in polish, acrylic, and gel, the tried and true money-maker for salons has been the acrylic French. And since time is money, it’s important to know how your application method for this service stacks up against others using the same product line.

NAILS asked the educators from different acrylic manufacturers to give us their timelines for how long it takes them to do the most important steps in an acrylic pink-and-white set. Even if you do not use a particular brand, you never know where you might find new techniques.

Check your own methods against these educators and see if you can come up with any new steps to add, or find ways to tighten up and shorten your service. Small improvements in service times can really add up in the long run. Shaving as little as five minutes off a service can add up to hours or even days by year’s end.

Backscratchers Salon Systems- 43 minutes | Diana Snipe, Poway, Calif.

 

PREP 10 minutes

> Remove polish with Stripr and cleanse hands with Hygienic Elegance Cleansing Wash: 3 minutes.

> Push back cuticles and shape the free edge using a 240-grit file: 5 minutes.

> Remove shine using a 600-grit file and wipe dust off the nail plate using Nail Neat: 2 minutes.

APPLICATION 25 minutes

> Apply Base Glaze to four nails, then activate the Base Glaze by using the Glaze Dryer. Do the same for the other four nails and then do the two thumbs: 10 minutes.

> Apply tips to all 10 nails: 5 minutes.

> Apply Finish Glaze to one nail and dip it into Extreme Powder. Apply Finish Glaze and then Base Glaze and activate with Glaze Dryer. Do this for all 10 nails, one by one: 10 minutes.

FINISH 8 minutes

> Smooth the entire nail surface using a 240-grit file then a 600-grit file: 4 minutes.

> Apply Extreme Glaze Sealer for a high-gloss shine: 2 minutes.

> Apply Nail Radiance Cuticle Treatment to cuticles: 2 minutes.


EZ Flow- 1 hour 30 minutes | MaeLing Parrish, Columbus, Ohio

 

PREP 15 minutes

> Remove the free edge of natural nails and push back cuticles: 7 minutes.

> Remove shine using an electric file and remove dust with EZ Bond: 8 minutes.

 

APPLICATION 50 minutes

> Apply primer: 5 minutes.

> Apply forms: 10 minutes.

> Apply acrylic, completing each nail before moving on to the next finger. Apply the white first (one to three balls depending on the deepness of the smile line desired), then the pink (two balls — the first from cuticle to smile line and second for arch and structure): 35 minutes.

FINISH 25 minutes

> Shape free edge with 150-grit file: 5 minutes.

> E-file surface using 180-grit arbor band: 5 minutes.

> Buff using a Sand Shark 240/280-grit: 10 minutes.

> Use Pro-Shiner for a high-gloss shine: 5 minutes.

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Star Nail -1 hour 40 minutes | Elaine Watson, Valencia, Calif.

PREP 20 minutes

> Remove the free edge and push back cuticles: 12 minutes.

> Gently buff the nails to remove shine: 5 minutes.

> Dehydrate the nail with Natural Nail Dehydrant: 3 minutes.

APPLICATION 60 minutes

> Apply a nail form to one nail. Apply white for the free edge and smile line, and pink for the cuticle area. Make the arch with clear acrylic: 4 minutes.

> After one nail, go back to the previous nail and pinch the C-curve (while the product is still soft). Remove the form and finish pinching using C-curve tips: 2 minutes.

> Repeat this process for all 10 nails: 60 minutes total.

FINISH 20 minutes

> Shape the sidewalls and free edge of all 10 nails with a hand file: 10 minutes.

> Use an e-file with a medium diamond bit and oil to file all 10 nails: 10 minutes.

> File with a smoother diamond bit to remove scratches from the medium grit: 3 minutes.

> Use a fine-grit hand file buffer: 2 minutes.

> After client washes hands, use Miracle Buff and Shine Block for a high shine: 5 minutes.

 

Young Nails- 60 minutes | Loni Jensen Preato, Henderson, Nevada

PREP 10 minutes

> Use a scivor bit or a medium cross-cut diamond bit to prep around cuticles and sidewalls: 4 minutes.

> Lightly go over the top of nails with the same bits to remove the shine only: 2 minutes.

> Dust off the nail bed and apply one coat of Protein Bond: 4 minutes.

APPLICATION 25 minutes

> Apply all 10 forms to the nails: 5 minutes.

> Start application using the reverse method. Apply all the pinks on the nail beds and wipe the smile line into the pink, then apply white onto the forms and push them up against the pinks: 20 minutes.

FINISH 25 minutes

> Use a medium-grit sanding band to file on top of the nails and a 150-grit Zebra file to refine the side walls and free edge: 10 minutes.

> Do a quick buff over the nails with a 180-buffer: 5 minutes.

> Apply one coat of Finish Sealer and let it cure inside the UV lamp for two minutes, then apply cuticle oil to the cuticles and massage in: 10 minutes. 

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