Nails 101: A Student Blog

Week Two: A Rough Start

by Tisha Allen | September 8, 2014 | Bookmark +

The second week of school got off to a rough start. I spent most of my week finalizing my submission video for the Beauty Changes Lives /CND /Tippi Hedren Nail Technology Scholarship. You can see my submission here. The scholarship is for nail tech students, giving them the opportunity to win the full cost of their nail technology tuition to an accredited school. Wish me luck!

At school during theory, we covered personal development and business basics. I was pleased that my instructor gave us the NAILS Career Handbook as a supplementary reference tool. Now that we are entering the nail industry, I found it very helpful. After completing the two textbook chapters, I thought long and hard about how I would get a job doing nails after school. How would I build my clientele, especially being new to West Palm Beach and not knowing anyone here? Where would I even start? I referred to the “Building Your Business” article in the NAILS Career Handbook and I remembered my business cards I created to promote my nail art Instagram page. Could I use my cards to gain actual clients after they’ve visited my Instagram? What about potential clients not into nail art? Should I change my name to something more appealing? How do I ensure my cards won’t be wasted if passed out to the wrong person? All of these things stood out and really concerned me. I then concluded that I am going to find a veteran in the industry to possibly mentor me, yet that in itself sounds easier said than done.

During the practical portion of class we had a very detailed demonstration of applying CND Shellac and were given a handy step-by-step guide on application and removal, as well as applying Shellac over enhancements and on toes. Speaking of toes, I also performed my very first pedicure on a fellow classmate, and honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The only issue I had was a strain in my neck when I was done due to the height of the student pedicure stations.

One of my primary focuses this week was to perfect my pink-and-white application, and my A.M. instructor, Mrs. Susana, introduced me to cover acrylics. She let me borrow her sample size of Diva Collections Cover Pink acrylic, and boy, did it make a world of a difference. I practiced the reverse method and used the cover acrylic to build the pink nail bed, then continued with the white free edge. I am beginning to love the look of a very deep smile line. I just need to practice keeping all fingers consistent in shape. What do you think? Do you see an improvement in my pink-and-white application?

At the end of the week, Mrs. Susana offered me a friendly challenge. She surprised me with an email of a beautiful butterfly sculpted nail and also sent me the steps to create it. Challenge accepted! I’ll show you how my re-creation comes out.

Until next week,

— Tisha

You May Also Like: CND Fall/Winter 2014 Lookbook

 

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