Nails 101: A Student Blog

Week Five and Six: Props to the Acrylic Faithful

by Sigourney Nuñez | July 24, 2015 | Bookmark +
That's me working on applying nail tips and blending them.

That's me working on applying nail tips and blending them. 

At the five-week mark, my focus was on mastering the art of hand filing to blend glued nail tips. It’s all in the flick of the wrist. Pair that with long filing strokes and you’ll find your groove when you practice. A good finger stretch before you start helps too.

After working on hand filing, I finally got to do some nail art.

After working on hand filing, I finally got to do some nail art. 

Once I got the hang of tip application, I had a little fun and broke out my polish brushes and did some simple geometric nail art over the extended nails. It had been nearly two weeks since I last played with polish and it was evident. My lines were not as sharp as I would have preferred, but it was more proof that practice is important.

My first acrylic enhancement.

My first acrylic enhancement. 

When week six rolled around, things got real. It was time to work with liquid and powder. At first, we practiced our mix ratio to get the perfect bead -- that was hard. Then, we learned to apply a nail form -- that was hard. Then, we learned CND’s three-zone application technique to create a Forever French -- that was hard. I have a newfound respect for the acrylic faithful. The medium is one that will take time to master, but in the meantime, I’ll keep practicing.

After working on my first acrylic enhancement, I made a promise to myself: I will become a master at creating the perfect smile lines.

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